World Vision sets up programme for people to speak out in Malawi
World Vision International (WVI) has established Community Voice and Action (CVA) programme in southern Malawi’s district of Neno to accord communities an opportunity to speak out and demand quality services from various duty bearers working in the district.
The programme which will be operated under Midzemba Area Development Programme (ADP) aims to incorporate more women and children into its activities to give them the platform to air out their concerns on some of the development shortfalls happening in Neno.
Midzemba ADP Manager Kupingani Kumwenda told a District Executive Committee (DEC) meeting Tuesday that her organization wants to indulge in advocacy activities as one way of fulfilling one of WVI three pillars in development implementation approach.
“This programme will necessitate the interaction between the communities and office bearers working in Neno so that at the end of it, delivery of quality public services is achieved,” she said.
Kupingani also said from the onset of the programme WVI will build capacities of the local people for them to fully understand some of the government policies and that where possible the organization will among other things translate some of the policy documents into vernacular language.
“We need communities to take this approach because it is the only way people would get to know what they are entitled to from their office bearers and also other ways of accessing better service delivery from stakeholders,” said Kumwenda.
The outgoing District Commissioner Mcloud Kadam’manja welcomed the WVI programme in the district, saying it would assist people to exercise their right to demand services from various stakeholders.
“This is a good initiative from WVI as it allows people in the communities to have their voices heard and where possible get what they demand,” said Kadam’manja cautioning, “This needs to be a two way approach so that both parties benefit from the initiative as their community members have also a role to play towards development implementation.”
Currently, WVI is working in Matope and Midzemba ADPs where among others, it assists in infrastructure development, humanitarian emergency and now will finalize the third pillar of its operation with advocacy activities.
