Kondwani Munthali -Malawi

I am home and resting. Another eventful journey through Zimbabwe and beyond. I know most would want to know how Zimbabwe is faring. How are things on the ground and how are people coping. I have learnt some Shona of course. Pinda motor meaning get into the bus and many others. I have visited bars and wonderful places that will make a long lasting impact. I have had a chance to pay my respects to the Heroes acre in Harare where Zimbabwe’s great sons such as Joshua Mkomo and Muzenda have found a permanent home. I have seen the grave of the Country’s First Lady Sally Mugabe, who I only saw smiling and charming whenever they visited Malawi. Of course the heroes acre reminded me as Malawi we still are yet to value our history. How many of our kids know who was our First Army General. How many know the story of Gweru dreams. How many can articulate the visions of John Chilembwe, Levi Ziliro Mumba and others. They died and we lost them. The remains of Chipemebere seem will never be brought ba...

It has been sometime. Since the last blog in Cape Town, I have been to Zambia and Zimbabwe and each has a story to be told. I was back home breifly for a funeral and saw how been were carttoooning themselves. I return to Malawi soon via Zimbabwe and this blog will be live again. Its a promise for those that keep asking for more Kondwani

“I get laid in two days” Myth’s and challenges in delaying sexual debut My experiences with Love Life Being in Cape Town has it own fun. Thursday looks like was set to be one of those days where I would fill my blog with a million and one stories. I have come into contact with Love Life an adolescent and youth sexual socio-life skills development programme in South Africa that has exploited all means of mediums to reach to its young population. A session with Love Life Chief Executive Officer Dr. David Harrison is fascinating. I had several questions when I had an opportunity to jump into the Love Life train. Its not my first interaction with the programme, and I should say every time I do I learn new ideas, new innovative ways of tackling youth challenges posed by the HIV and Aids, poverty and general socio-economic environment. Guess what, the poor are the most affected, you say I know, but the people worst affected are the ones in the worst townships. In informal urban settings and ...

Thursday, 19 July 2007; Cape Town I have been in Cape Town since Monday night. The Kaiser Family Foundation kindly provided me a break from a grueling task of field work in Zambia for a refresher in HIV and Aids reporting. It was nice to meet my two work mates in Malawi, Frank Kapesa and Gladys Gandali from Television Malawi. Other country men Aubrey Mchulu of the Nation and Frank Kandu, of MBC again (Wow three MBC guys in a single event) were part of the main event. I also had a chance to meet one of Malawi's leading mental health Professor's Dr. Chiwoza Bandawe who was kind enough to visit us at our Hotel. He is based at the University of Cape Town. National Director of NAMISA Innocent Chitosi was also around so too Multi Choice Malawi MD Eddie Smith. The first two were among the entrants to the CNN/Multichoice African Journalist of the Year Awards. The Aids programme is also comprised of Journalists from South Africa, Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, Algeria, Congo DR, Mozamb...

After spending some ten days in a deep rural Zambia at Chisutu Health centre, witnessing immusation campaign and all sorts of health interventions by two health workers whose work shift is simply 24 hours, I returned to Chipata my base on Tuesday morning to replenish my cash coffers. Of course, credit cards, ATM or whatever mode of money technology doesn’t work in area where the basic needs include portable and clean water, treated bed nets and food. Chipata is mountainous though surrounding areas have good farm lands and Luangwa area some 2 hours drive has fish in abundance thanks to the river there. Health wise, as a provincial headquarters’ for the Eastern province Chipata has a lot to offer, lots of NGO’s, local and international, the Adventist run Mwami Hospital on the border with Malawi with a lot of specialists treatment. The hospital is famous for its eye specialists. I have also been talking to Health workers local and community based health assistants on how the needs of the ...

Its Just Great to be home. No internet for two weeks, just fun from Chiweta down to Mulanje. Stories and great photo's coming.

I knew Madame Ethel Mutharika just like many ordinary Malawians did. She was wife to the then United Party President Bingu wa Mutharika. Though she never directly participated in politics. Later, we saw her in Area 18 at here relations and funerals and various church events. Just like her Husband Bingu, Malawi's First Lady was a dedicated Christian. She was a woman of faith, strong one for that matter. In her pain and suffering, she smiled, reached out to her women empowerment projects, did her farming and everyday from my City Centre office could see her four vehicle motorcade passing. Yet she smiled and her family opted to spare Malawians that pain and remained strong in discharging their duties. President Bingu wa Mutharika has carried his own family burden and that of the State without affecting the other. In many cases he sacrificed the love of his life for the burderns of the State. As I became privileged to cover the President, the more I realised how the President relied on...