Minister of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare Jean Sendeza has called on Malawians to embrace the spirit of self-help and take active roles in their development of communities.
Addressing the press in Lilongwe on Wednesday when she launched the 2025/26 Community Development Month (CDM), the minister described the initiative as a key part of the ministry’s reform agenda aimed at empowering communities to take ownership of local development efforts.
She said under the CDM initiative this May, communities are encouraged to take the lead in activities such as building classroom blocks, maintaining roads, and establishing clinics and irrigation schemes.
Said Sendeza: “Today, we have launched the 2025/26 Community Development Month initiative, which will be implemented this month of May. The initiative ensures our communities take part in the country’s development.”
She said smaller projects will be supported through local contributions of labour, materials and funds, while larger infrastructure such as bridges will be financed through the Constituency Development Fund, District Development Fund, and development partner support.
The minister lamented the decline in self-help initiatives since the introduction of multi-party democracy, attributing it to widespread misinterpretation of human rights and democracy as reasons to disengage from development efforts.
Said Sendeza: “As a country, we must ensure our areas are developed through active participation. The spirit of self-help is lacking. The Malawi 2063 Vision clearly calls for a change in mindset and greater self-reliance.”
Since its inception in 2021, the CDM initiative has supported over 4 600 projects across various districts.
For the 2025/26 cycle, government has planned to implement over 4 500 new projects with joint implementation by district councils, area development committees, village development committees, and community members.
Sendeza has since appealed to religious leaders, politicians, civil society organisations, and the media to support the initiative by promoting awareness and mobilising grassroots participation.
