Back in secondary school, an art teacher instructed my class to draw the devil falling from heaven.
He handed out plain paper and left us to show our boundless imagination.
The drawings were different, each showing the mind’s power to bring to life things one has never seen.
We all think differently and how far we go depends on how far our mind’s eye can see.
Just like the drawings on plain papers, our land is a blank sheet and what we put on it depends on how far our imagination can stretch.
When we look around at how we build, can we honestly claim that o u r imagination is extraordinary?
In a clip widely shared on social media, I watched Khatho Civils proprietor Simbi Phiri saying “Look at how people are building along Lake Malawi in Salima. So, do you think we can attract high-end tourists to visit our lake?”
That question is food for thought. W hat we build reflects our national mindset.
This should challenge us to think bigger—to stretch
our imagination and build world _class assets that will lure high-end global visitors.
But that high standards have to star t in the mind, for you can never build what you have never imagined.
Mindset change comes to mind when discussing Mvera Innovation City being spear headed by the Ma lawi Communications Regulatory Authority (Macra).
When I mentoned the soon- to – come Silicon Valley of Malawi, my colleague quickly brushed it off: “This thing will not work. This is Malawi, my brother.”
This pessimism agitated me, but my friend sounded unfazed: “As Malawians, we are good at talking, but there’s nothing to show for it.”
I understand his frustration, but the place where we were standing— Bingu International
Lilongwe as Malawi’s capital city was just a dream when the seat of government was in Zomba.
The Mvera Smart City project has a l read y secured 207 hectares of the desired 1 000ha and the people who once occupied the land have been relocated and compensated.
So far, over K8 bi l l ion has been spent on the tech city taking shape along the Lilongwe-Salima Road.
The next phase will include constructing roads, water supply systems, electricity distribution and other essential infrastructure.
This is how development begins. It does not begin with sky-scrappers, but with groundwork.
When building a house, you do not start with the roof, but securing the land, planning and setting the foundation.
As Malawians, we must begin with a mindset shift.
Projects like this require not just money and policy, but a shared belief that we are a nation of achievers, not daydreamers.
Together, we can achieve great things and build business hotspots like the ci t ies we admire—the likes of Nairobi, Kigali and Dubai. They all started with an idea someone dared to believe in.
Let us not kill our big ideas with doubt.
The Mvera project could transform the country by creat ing jobs, opening business opportunities, boosting tech innovation and reshaping how we view development.
The nation needs people who believe—the patriots who take ownership, speak positi vely about their country and participate with determination in making Malawi a better place for all.
In the end, the doubting Thomas paused and looked again at the buildings around us; “Maybe this can work after all,” he said.
That is the turning point we need not just from one person, but all Malawians.
Let us allow the Mvera Innovation City to inspire us to dream bigger.
It’s not a fairy-tale, but a glimpse of our ambition being painted from the mind of the land we call home.
