Miss Malawi in USA, South Korea to fund raise for prisons
In an effort to perfect the appalling kitchen environment in the country’s prisons, Miss Malawi Joyce Mphande, is in United States of America (USA) on a fundraise mission.
The 20-year-old Lilongwe-based beauty queen left the country for USA last Friday for a two-month goodwill tour.
Mphande’s trip has been sponsored by Crops of Love Ministries, a religious organization working with the Malawi Prison Service to alleviate the plight of inmates in the country, according to the trip’s facilitator Maganizo Mazeze.
Mazeze told Nyasa Times in an interview, Mphande, who is also Ambassador for Malawi Prisons, will raise funds to purchase electrical or kerosene cookers for the prisons.
“It is believed that if all prisons stop using firewood for cooking, half a million kilograms of wood would be saved each year,” said Mazeze, who is communications consultant for Crops of Love Ministries.
While in USA, Mphande will also visit South Korea for two weeks where she will also fund raise before returning to the USA. Crops of Love Ministries’ partners in USA and South Korea are hosting her.
Mazeze said Mphande is expected to raise about US$50000 (K7 million) which will help all prisons in Malawi but in phases.
“Spiritual life has huge bearing in lasting behavioural change, more critical for those who have been in conflict with the law. And this project is an environmental one. Saving the forests for future generations is the key focus in this endevour,” said Mazeze in an email response to a questionnaire.
Among others, Miss will make awareness speeches to various gatherings including churches about Climate Change, meet influential leaders in several cities in America and will be a guest at an event to mark 45 years of Malawi’s Independence at the Malawi Embassy In the USA.
“She is also attending a number of Breakfast Fundraising events and dinner dance activities before returning in mid August,” said Mazeze, a trained broadcast journalist.
Tagged with: Crops of Love Ministries, Joyce Mphande, Maganizo Mazeze, Miss Malawi, Prisons
And talking about improving our prisoner’s plight;
Does it make sense to dress them in white short sleeves and short when its this cold?
White is not easy to care for and our prisons don’t have much to carter for laundry.
Cant we probably think of giving them red or brown overalls or coats so that they are warm?
brown would just hide the dirt. It will not make them cleaner. This may be a haelth hazard. White exposes dirt and forces the wearer to wash his dirty linen.
fundraising yomweyo mpaka 2 months,kapena pali zina chifukwa zitha kupezeka kuti ndalamazomwe zapangidwa raise zathela ma allowance……
hahaha zowona how can you be out of the country for 2 months just raise MK7million am sure that could be raised in malawi by oursleves so many programmes tha can be done. nevetheless I like the situation we need to be rewarding our ambossadors like that, i think its a good thing that she is globe trotting she deserves it
The condition of all Malawian prisons is very pathetic and unacceptable to human rights.This is the place where offenders are trained to be responsible citizens,who will help developing our country when they(offenders) are released from prisons. Chichiri prison must be relocated, and the place should be developed into Business village, it has the potetual. The new prison should have enough area to allow the cultivation of its own food. The same should be with Maula and Zomba prisons.
GOD BLESS MALAWI!!!…
Mangani Dziko, 100% Malawian.
It is a commendable effort by Crops of Love Ministries and Miss Malawi for supporting such a noble cause. This will not only improve the energy supply for the prisons but also reduce the over-dependence on fuel wood. This will eventually reduce on deforestation and the time required for the inmates to look for and collect the firewood.
However, instead of emphasising on electric or kerosene cookers, it is important to consider other renewable energy sources. It is a known fact that Malawi experiences a lot of power black outs therefore the availability of electric cookers for use would be compromised. In addition there is also cost associated with electricity bills. The use of kerosene for cooking is a good idea, however in addition to the cost of the fuel it also leads to global warming.
Other alternatives are available. One such alternative is the use of biogas. Biogas is a gas that is generated from any waste that can decompose. This gas can be used for cooking, lighting and generation of electricity amongst others. In the case of prisons, this gas can be generated from the wastewater from the prison toilets. This is not only a free resource but can also help to improve the sanitation of our prisons. In addition, the effluent produced from the biogas process is good manure that can be used for crop production resulting in food sustainability of the prisons (without relying on the expensive inorganic fertilisers).
Expertise in biogas technology is available in Malawi and if any interested parties can contact the undersigned.
Thinking of the pathetic prison conditions we have in Malawi, I wish the beuaty qeen a very successful trip to and from the USA. Bora ndalazo osapindira mthumba poti wa mkachisi amadya momo.
kodi munthu akakhala mu ndende a adzitakasuka kuposa mfulu?..tiyeni tithetse umphawi kaye zonse zitsatira…yendani bwino ku US ko!.
Muluzi should donate the famous MK1.4 billion to the Prisons so that they can biuld a VIP lounge there. Nanga zona anthu ngati a Mwawa, a Mpasu, a Muluzi azigona pa mkeka ngati ma prisoners enawa? We need VIP wings in all prisons, complete with TV sets, king size beds, and good food.
Madalo,
Learn to shut your probosis! Where does Muluzi come in here? Ufiti umenewu! Let’s discuss real and practical issues here.
Wish you the best Miss. Lets build more prisons coz i think this year we are gettin more clients
I wish u all the best but 7mill is not enough and who ever came with the idea its good for envir malawi prisons are revolting but its good too that politians should be thinkin about that keep up malawi all the best