ADRA Malawi risks losing K3.7bn donor support for failing to fire country director

The Adventist Relief Agency (ADRA) – a relief arm of the Seventh Adventist Church in Malawi – risks losing K7.3 billion in donor support if the board of directors do not fire the agency’s top managers over abuse of resources.

Nyasa Times understand that the agency has suffered massive abuse of resource and this has not pleased donors, who are now demanding the head of the agency’s Country Director, Hastings Lacha, and his Finance Director, Rexia Lipunga.

An impeccable source at ADRA Malawi confided in Nyasa Times on Wednesday that Lacha and Lipunga have been transfering donor money from project activities to administration without the approval of donors.

The source alleged that the illegally transfered money is being used for personal benefits among Lacha, Lipunga and ADRA Malawi board chairperson and SDA Church and Malawi Union Conference president, Pastor Frackson Kuyama.

“Lacha has been mismanaging donors’ funds, especially those from WFP, to buy favours and protection from Pastor Kuyama.

Additionally, Lacha gave employment to Kuyama’s daughter, Pempho, without attending interviews and a position she does not qualify at all,” the source alleged.

Kuyama acknowledged the allegations as sent to him by this reporter. He, however, asked for a questionnaire through email, which he had not yet attended to in spite of some reminders.

Our source, , who works directly with Lacha and Lipunga, stated that despite donors recommending that the ADRA Country Director should be removed for mismanaging funds, Kuyama has refused to act on this “because he uses Lacha as a conduit to siphon money out of the agency”.

“This has led to three donors withdrawing funding from ADRA Malawi, leaving over 75 per cent of ADRA employees receiving letters of contract termination effective June 2020. Employees are failing to understanding the decision made by the board to allow the organization collapse to collapse just because of one individual. Instead of removing one individual from the organization, the board has chosen to dismiss 75 per cent of innocent employees from employment,” said our source in strict confidence.

He further disclosed that even the European Union (EU) is withholding funding for the Kulimba BETTER project, which EU is financing through Self Help Africa.

In his short response to your questionnaire through WhatsApp, Kuyama simply said:“…Kindly send me a questionnaire through the following email addresses:…. in case I will be out of office then. But rest be assured. I will surely attend to your questions. Looking forward to the questionnaire.”