Joyce Banda bemoans poverty, launches Malata project
Malawi Vice President ‘Abiti’ Joyce Banda has said the Peoples Party (PP) will prioritise poverty eradication through weath creation and reduction of unemployment especially among the youth.
Banda said this on Friday at a rally she addressed at Kasiya in Lilongwe.
“It pains me that 47 years after independence Malawians are still living in abject poverty. PP will focus on changing the lives of Malawians,” she said.
Banda said PP manifesto, which is still in draft form, contains concret strategies that the party will implement to eradicate poverty through wealth creation.
She cited mechanisation and commercialisation of agriculture as well as value addition as one strategy that would improve production but also help create jobs.
“Coupons alone are not a solution becuase many farmers fail to access. We need to go beyond coupons,” she said.
Banda said PP will also help farmers get markets and in case of tobacco renegotiate with the buyers to start offering good prices for the leaf.
She said PP has concrete strategies to promote the private sector and revamp the whole economy so that the formal and informal sectors of the economy generate wealth.
Banda also said PP will give power back to the people to take in governance of the country.
She said right now PP is running a Tiuzeni campaign where it is asking Malawians to give views on what should be included in the manifesto.
Malata Project
Earlier the Vice President launched a Malata project, where needy people are given iron sheets to roof their houses.
Banda launched the project at Kamwendo in Mchinji where she handed over a house to 80 year old Odetta Kamphande constructed under the Malata project.
Kamphande could not believe it as Banda handed her keys to the house. She could not hide her joy that she will now be sleeping in a house that does not leak anymore.
“I am very happy and thankful to Joyce Banda and friends for this beautiful house. I will now sleep comfortably in the rainy season, my grandchildren will be warm this coming winter,” rejoiced Kamphande
Orange Achievers under the Malata project built the house for the widow as part of their initiative to help the less privileged.
Banda said as Malawians we should help others who are in need.
“We should help each other were we can so that the less privileged should have a better life. As the vice president I am saddened to see so many people suffering in our country,” she said
Chairperson of Orange Achievers in the Central Region Edith Mkawa said women of different professionals raised over K200, 000 to help in the maintaining and roofing of the house.
She said as a group the achievers will aim to reach more people country wide regardless of their ethnicity, race and political affiliations.
Malata project builds houses for the less privileged and has since built a house in Mzimba. Mai Banda from Mswati Village in Kasiya will be next to benefit from the project. The project is expected to build houses in all districts.
The orange achievers conduct fundraising activities and use the money to support the needy.
Banda said it was sad that many elderly women and men lack proper housing and pledged that Orange Partners will mobilise resources and assist the erldery with iron sheets.
