NGO empowers Mzimba communities
A local non-governmental organisation (NGO), Ungweru, says empowering local people with information is vital to influencing change in service delivery.
The organisation’s project officer Onnis Kasambara said this at Mzimba District Executive Committee (DEC) meeting in Mzimba last week where he presented outcomes of a project they were implementing in the district.
He said community institutions have become effective meeting points between public service providers and community members which enable people to demand quality service delivery.
“For example, following a meeting held in the area, community members at Kayombo Primary School had a joint meeting with their member of Parliament [MP] Olipa Myaba to plan for the completion of a school block. The MP committed resources towards the project.
“At Doroba Primary School where there were only five teachers, the Mzuzu City district education manager has deployed three more teachers after similar meetings,” he said.
Kasambara also said the locals lobbied to have eight more toilets constructed at Kaswiti Primary School where there were only two functional pit latrines.
He said the same school, which had no furniture, has received 100 desks.
In his remarks, M’mbelwa District Council procurement officer Robert Tambala, who represented the district commissioner at the meeting, commended efforts by NGOs, saying the provision of oversight role on service delivery helps duty-bearers to be accountable and transparent.
Ungweru has been implementing Waterepo Lwande Project in Mzimba North with funding from Tilitonse Fund. n
