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.”
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Kwa inu amene mukuchita criticise article, can you come pa open with the true face of this story! Ambiri a inu are just backing up zinthu zolakwika chifukwa mumadana ndi chidzudzulo. You hate light and love darkness, ana a njoka inu. You respect munthu kuposa Mulungu. Munthu akadzudzula choipa walakwa? Can we allow this mess to continue chifukwa chakuti akuchitawo ndi akuluakulu amene ndi mabwenzi anu? Shame on my church which is loosing its lustra litle by litle chifukwa cha atsogoleri okonda ndarama kuposa Mulungu.
This is very shameful. Not fit for a faith based organization. We respect Pastor Kuyama but please resolve the issues not to please one individual but to serve God. If this is true comply to donor demands. If not true find away to sustain the donor funding and organisation. You will loose nothing if Mr Lacha leaves ADRA Malawi.
The moderator, you don’t post my comments because they unveil your unprofessional writing and exposes your evil friends. Don’t post unverified articles here. Next time
For sure this is just a stupid campaign to damage Adventist church. Actually written by aganyu.
Does the adventist church have a good reputation?
Is Kuyama and Lacha Adventist Church? Akuzionongera okha mbiri that is if the article is true. Ndife nyali ndye they should take care of their conduct. Whatever we do God is watching
The works of Michael Usi can easily be traced. How many times should the same story and article be published? This is an obvious smear campaign. Shame on you Dr. Usi! I used to respect you but you have lost it all. Thank God you will never be Malawi’s vice president. Or else the same thing you are doing to your own church would have been done to the larger population of Malawians. Shame on you! May your counsel be brought to light and shame. ADRA will go through dark day yes but sooner or later the lies you are… Read more »
Amen. Evil people. They want to look good but purely evil. Ana a njoka him and his clue.
Seriously don’t you think this shows that he was a better director than the current management Pena muziona zotsutsa
Bahat Nyirenda, do you think this is true? Mr Lacha has been a director for just one year. No forensic audit has been done for the whole period the money being mention has been used. This is a 5 year period. It includes Usi’ period. The issue is simple. Lacha came and made changes which Usi and the boys he left didnt like. As a result, Usi began to mudsling Lacha instead of focusing on his political career. Usi is busy tarnishing Lacha at ADRA Africa office.
Which ever fool is busy writing this nonsense and submitting the malicious information to nyasatimes without any basic proof is a failed person that can’t see any life after ADRA employment. Upgrade yourself, otherwise you were too incompetent to be an ADRA employee. You can’t see any life after ADRA employment, otherwise if you were qualified enough you could have been hired with other organizations but I guess you are unemployable that’s why you are still tarnishing the image of innocent souls.
Not surprising. After feasting on tithe. You can imagine poor people hounestly return tithe yet KLuyama and team are bust syphoning the same, SDA is the oidest church but remains behind in terms of development because thieves are protected.
Maybe the church is based on thieving principles. Expensive hospitals, expensive schools even expensive books.
The details in this article are of a malicious nature. I dont condone the mismanagement of funds if it is true but the impeccable source mentioned and the choice of words by the reporter are an outright pain to a sober reader. Some treachery by the reporter and his/her source. Very shameful
God sees
They must be fired if the allegation is correct. If they have stolen funds from ADRA then let the law take its course.
Dr Ussi was the best
Dr Us i anasiya ntchito zachifundo saayamika mdalitso wa Mulungu kukagwira ntchito za satana. Lero wagwiritsa chiphwisi