By Blessings Tambala:
The Embassy of Iceland and Malawi—through the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development—have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Machinga, Balaka, and Salima district councils, marking the launch of a new phase of Iceland’s district-based cooperation.
Speaking during the signing ceremony in Machinga District, Local Government and Rural Development Minister Ben Phiri hailed the development.
Phiri said the government was elated with the support, lauding taxpayers in the foreign country for thinking about Malawi.
“I would like to extend our gratitude to the people of the Republic of Iceland. They are partners that have come in to enhance service delivery and, practically, we can attest to what they have done in Mangochi, Nkhotakota.
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“This extension to the three new districts, which are Balaka, Machinga and Salima, means a lot to the government because what they are doing will enable us to concentrate to other areas of service delivery,” Phiri said.
On his part, Iceland Head of Mission David Bjarnason said they were committed to supporting Malawi in areas such as maternal health, gender equality, education, water and climate change.
“The expectations now are that we will continue to develop a new programme in the three districts so that, in a few months, we will have ready the basic services programme where Iceland can, through the government, support the districts in their efforts to enhance [the provision of] basic services,” Bjarnason said.
Salima District Council Chairperson Fazill Abdulah Adams, who spoke on behalf of other councils, said the councils would ensure that the projects culminate in improved living standards.
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Senior Chief Mizinga of Machinga District, whose area will also benefit from the initiative, expressed optimism about the project’s impact, indicating that his area is prone to climate change effects as it is located in the lower part of Lake Chilwa.
