COMBATING GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE IN KARONGA DISTRICT
The Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace Desk of Karonga Diocese has successfully engaged various religious leaders and male advocates in discussions on how to eradicate gender-based violence through the Timazge Nkhaza project in Karonga district.
In his address, CCJP Officer Hope Mlenga implored religious leaders and male champions to take an active role in ending gender-based violence as a means of reducing the number of cases in the district that adversely affect households and lead to immoral behaviour.
During the meeting, Chairperson of pastors fraternal Rev Msowoya identified culture as a contributing factor to gender-based violence across different areas within Karonga.
It is imperative for religious leaders, GVHs, and stakeholders to join forces in fighting gender-based violence by altering people’s cultural mindsets since some individuals’ upbringing prohibits their involvement in any type of activity, especially women.
Sheikh Bilali commented on this matter by encouraging people to embrace love between men and women so as to reduce instances of gender-based violence.
In a separate interview the chairman of zinc Rev Whyman Gondwe said with the coming in of the project, it will take efforts for them as male champions to lead people to change basically on gender-based violence so that men and women should be treated equally.
By Wantwa Mwakasungula,
Tuntufye FM.
Primary Justice Project Managing Agency Trains District Implementing Agencies
By Deodatus Muriya
The Managing Agency for Primary Justice Programme, Lilongwe Archdiocese, organized capacity building workshop for the Northern Region implementing partners from the 12th to 13th of June, 2018 at Illala Crest Lodge in Mzuzu.
According to Monitoring and Evaluation Officer for Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace of Lilongwe Archdiocese, Mr Enock Kamundi said the training aimed at addressing the gaps identified in the due diligence assessment report which showed that District Implementing Agencies were not following the guidelines which were provided when implementing the project. He expressed optimism that will see the impact of the training be reflected in the next implementation quarter.
Among the partners which attended the workshop were Karonga Diocese Justice and Peace Desk, Mzuzu Diocese CCJP, Social Welfare Departments for the following district councils; Chitipa, Rumphi, Nkhatabay, and Anglican Diocese of Lake Malawi which is implementing the project in Likoma.
The Justice and Peace Desk of Karonga Diocese was represented by Monitoring and Evaluation Officer Mr Deodatus Muriya who also implements the Primary Justice Project in Karonga District.
The general impression of the participants was that the training was enlightening in various aspects such as reporting on value for money section in the report, effective project monitoring and effective awareness raising.
The Primary Justice Programme aims at reducing violence against women and children with financial assistance from Department for International Development (DFID). The project is being implemented countrywide.
CCJP Uses Football Competition as a Platform for Promoting Health Rights
By Wezi Mwangonde
The Justice and Peace Desk of the Catholic Diocese of Karonga has said the strategy of football competitions to mobilize community members in rural areas has helped in the sustainability of the Health governance project.
Catechist Francis Sichali, leader of CCJP Health Governance Project volunteers revealed to Tuntufye FM at Mpata in Karonga District that most community members shun away from meetings they organize hence the message they disseminate does not reach out to many.
He added that knowing that football attracts many people, they decided to use it as a way of empowering rural communities on health rights for them to participate effectively in the management of public health services.
Speaking at the same function, Moses Mwakisalu, a CCJP official, urged traditional leaders in the area to help their members understand health rights in order to demand quality health services which is the major aims of the project.
“Mpata is a rural area, therefore football bonanza as one of the local activities helps to mobilize community members thereby communicating health governance rights effectively’’ said Mwakisalu.
Concurring with Mwakisalu, one of the football prayers of Nkhando FC Hasting Mwakapeye said many people came to the health governance bonanza because CCJP involved local teams which is the best way of delivering messages to people in rural areas.
“I am personally very impressed with the strategy that CCJP has put forward and the message has been delivered” said Mwakapeye.
The football bonanza was between Lupaso and Nkhando FC, at the end of the bonanza Nkhando FC emerged victors.
CCJP is empowering people in health governance project with funding from Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA)