Author: Boo Chanco

By Elton Mhango

MZIMBA-(MaraviPost)-Village Savings and Loan (VSL) or locally known as Bankimkhonde groups have continued to be the game-changer in money saving and lending among many people in the country.

VSL models creates a self-managed and self-capitalized groups, where members save their monies and access small loans to boost their businesses and farming activities.

Many people in the country, especially those from the rural settings are preferring to save and borrow monies under VSL model, rather than commercial banks, which are also not available in most parts of rural areas.

This, has resulted into many Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) implementing different interventions in the country to incorporate VSL initiatives in their programming to reduce poverty among rights-holders.

One such intervention is the Sustainable Food Systems for Rural Agriculture Transformation and Resilience (Transform) programme which started in 2020 and is being implemented by Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) and Dan Church Aid (DCA) in the districts of Rumphi, Mzimba, Kasungu, Dowa and Mchinji through different partners.

It seeks to enhance agriculture transformation by improving income, food and nutrition security among smallholder farmers in the said districts.

One woman, Frolence Chavula, a widow, and mother of six children from Samuel Nkhoswe village in Traditional Authority (T/A) Jaravikuwa in Mzimba North District is reaping plenty from Bankimkhonde, as commonly referred in the communities.

Chavula, a disadvantage farmer, together with her fellow farmers formed Tovwirane VSL group in 2020 in her community to eke out a living and support their family.

The group was later approached by Find Your Feet organization, Transfom implementating partner in the Mzimba District where they trained them on how manage finances under VSL.

“I am a local farmer, and without enough capital to invest in buying farm inputs and find a better land, it’s difficult to prosper with farming. Life was tough to imagine,” she says.

Chavula in an interview during the tour to the area on Thursday, says she started saving under the Tovwirane VSL with the little she had.

“I started saving the little I could manage at the village bank and the first year of 2020, I managed to get K600 000.

“I didn’t stop there. In 2021, I kept my momentum and my shares earned me MK900 000. In 2022, I got MK1 million, in 2023, my shares rose to MK1. 1 million and last year in 2024, I got MK1. 5 million,” she says.

Chavula, says she as used part of the money she generated from village bank along the years to build herself a descent house, invest in farming and send her kids to school.

“As I am speaking I have completed my house, and I have 30 bags of 50 kilograms of maize. Three of my children are at school and we are not struggling,” said Chavula.

Chavula is optimistic that this year in December she will generate more when the group receive their shares and has set a goal to buy a business motorcycle soon.

Chavula is not the only one benefitting from the VSL group I’m the area.

Another woman, Alifa Mkandawire, 65, said the VSL group has helped her move out of poverty along the years.

“Last year I earned K800 000 and I used part of it to buy feltilizer and paid school fees for my three school going children,” said Mkandawire, a father of five who now says is food secure.

Chairperson of the group Alick Gama said the group which has 16 members has helped them move out of acute poverty.

He says this year they expect to generate K22 million as the group.”This year will be shared among the members and we will use it to develop our households,” he said.

Find Your Feet project coordinator Anthony Chingala said the Transfom programme championed the formulation of VSL groups to improve vulnerable farmer’s households livelihood.

“These farmers are being helped by these VSL groups because apart from saving, they also access small loans to boost their farming endeavors,” he said.

Chingala hopes that the farmers will sustain the groups created as the project is coming to an end this December.

The post Farmers reap fortunes from Village Savings, Loan appeared first on The Maravi Post.

Although Raila Odinga never officially held the presidency, his political influence, legacy of democracy, and role in shaping Kenya’s history earned him respect and tributes from presidents, dignitaries, and citizens worldwide.

By Burnett Munthali

The death of Raila Odinga on October 15, 2025, has prompted an extraordinary outpouring of grief, not only from Kenyans but also from world leaders and sitting presidents.

Many observers have asked why Raila, who never officially became Kenya’s president, is being treated with the same reverence typically reserved for heads of state.

The answer lies in Raila Odinga’s unparalleled influence on Kenya’s political landscape over more than four decades.

Raila was instrumental in the struggle for multiparty democracy in Kenya, fighting against authoritarianism and advocating for fair electoral processes.

His political activism, often at great personal risk, established him as a symbol of resilience, integrity, and moral leadership in the country.

Even without ever holding the presidency, Raila served as Kenya’s Prime Minister from 2008 to 2013, following the historic power-sharing deal that ended the 2007–2008 post-election violence.

In this role, he was effectively the second-in-command and a key architect of national reconciliation, legislative reform, and the implementation of policies that shaped the nation.

Raila also ran for the presidency five times, with many of his campaigns marred by controversy, allegations of rigging, and court disputes that often drew international attention.

In 2007, Raila was widely believed to have won the election, but disputed results led to one of Kenya’s darkest periods of post-election violence.

His subsequent role as Prime Minister, created as part of a peace agreement, allowed him to exert significant influence over national policy and governance, further solidifying his status as a statesman.

Raila’s long-standing advocacy for social justice, economic reform, and human rights resonated deeply with citizens, creating a loyal following that viewed him as a moral and political leader even without official presidential authority.

Globally, Raila was recognized as a leading African politician and a voice for democracy, often consulted by other leaders and organizations on governance, peacebuilding, and electoral integrity.

The outpouring of respect from sitting presidents and dignitaries reflects not only Raila’s influence in Kenya but also his status as a symbol of democratic struggle and ethical leadership in Africa.

Presidents traveling to attend his funeral are acknowledging the political and historical impact he had on the nation, honoring his lifetime of service, advocacy, and statesmanship.

Furthermore, Raila Odinga’s personal qualities—his ability to unite diverse communities, his role in fostering dialogue, and his commitment to public service—transcend formal titles, earning him the respect typically afforded to heads of state.

In death, Raila has become a unifying figure, celebrated not for the office he held, but for the legacy he built and the hope he inspired in millions of Kenyans.

The presence of presidents and world leaders at his funeral underscores a universal truth in politics: influence and leadership are not always defined by titles, but by the impact one leaves on a nation and its people.

Raila Odinga may never have occupied State House, but in the eyes of many, he was a de facto leader whose vision, courage, and dedication shaped the Kenya we know today.

His funeral is a testament to a life that, even without the formal presidency, commanded the respect, admiration, and mourning of a nation and the world.

The post Why Presidents and world leaders mourn Raila Odinga: Understanding the reverence for Kenya’s Unofficial Head of State appeared first on The Maravi Post.

BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-Newton Kambala, a senior member and former advisor to United Transformation Movement (UTM) President Dalitso Kabambe, has resigned from his advisory role, citing the Presidential Advisory Council’s failure to provide effective strategic guidance ahead of the September 16, 2025, general elections.

In his resignation letter dated October 16, 2025, Kambala expressed concerns that the council had not fulfilled its core role of advising the President on strategic decisions.

“As an advisor, I feel the Presidential Advisory Council has not been effective in advising the President on strategic decisions prior to the general elections, which is unfair to the President, Rt Hon Dr Dalitso Kabambe, the Party, and Malawi as an economy,” part of the letter reads.

Confirming his resignation, Kambala emphasized that he remains a loyal UTM member, indicating his commitment to the party despite stepping down from the advisory role.

This development comes amid scrutiny of UTM’s performance in the recent elections.

The post Kambala quits as UTM advisor over council’s ineffectiveness appeared first on The Maravi Post.

John Bolton is indicted on 18 counts for allegedly mishandling classified information dating back to his time as national security advisor during President Trump’s first term. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meets with President Trump at the White House to discuss Ukraine’s request for long-range missiles, Trump says he will meet with Russia’s president in Hungary next. And the scale of Gaza’s reconstruction is staggering, with unexploded bombs buried in the rubble, nearly all buildings damaged or destroyed and major questions about who will lead the reconstruction.

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Amanda Rollins is back and better than ever — and Kelli Giddish is spilling all the tea on her Law & Order: Special Victims Unit character’s highly anticipated return.

“I’m so thrilled to be back,” Giddish told Us Weekly exclusively ahead of her return during the show’s new episode, which premiered on Thursday, October 16.

“We’ve such great showrunners, such strong showrunners, but now, we’ve got Michele Fazekas. We’ve got girls running the show,” Giddish continued. “It just makes it the perfect time for the audience to get to see Benson and Rollins’ relationship continue to grow.”

She teased that there’s “so much more that we can explore” with Rollins — and what better time than right now?

Kelli Giddish Announces ‘Law & Order SVU’ Return for Season 25 Premiere

Giddish also praised Fazekas for her having “a huge appreciation” for Rollins and allowing the character to show how much she’s grown and changed.

“Of course, she realizes the importance of the Benson and Rollins relationship to us personally and to the audience,” the actress said of the showrunner. “I think she’s really running with that.”

The fourth installment in the NBC show’s history-making 27th season, titled “Clickbait,” ends with a scene that SVU viewers know all too well — Giddish’s Rollins and Mariska Hargitay’s Olivia Benon alone in the squadroom for their version of a girl chat. And, yes, Giddish and Hargitay were just as emotional filming it as we were watching it.

“There are a lot of random hugs. We’re just like, ‘Oh, thank God,’” Giddish said. “It’s been so lovely. Everybody on the crew says such kind words. They just exhale, and they’re like, ‘Oh, you’re back,’ That feels so good.”

Giddish noted that she also “treasures” the fans that share the “same sentiment” about her return.

“We’re all happy to be there. We’re all very curious. We’re all committed to telling these stories, and it’s a lot of fun,” she shared. “I know it’s really a heavy load — the subject matter, and portraying what evil people do to other people — but we, as a cast and crew, it’s just a solid group of people, and it’s just a lot of fun to be there.”

Which ‘Law and Order: SVU’ Stars Are — And Aren’t — Returning for Season 27

Along with the show’s first-ever female showrunner (Us was shocked too), Giddish teased that she, Hargitay and Aimé Donna Kelly (Captain Renee Curry) are the “updated Charlie’s Angels” on set.

“It being three strong women, I think we welcome the trio and the comparison,” Giddish said, teasing a “super strong partnership” between Rollins and Curry in the near future.

“There’s mutual respect and she’s such a strong character on the show, a strong female,” Giddish added. (Kelly previously compared Giddish’s return to SVU as if “another family member has come back home,” during an interview with Us.)

As for Rollins and Carisi? Yes, there are more moments between Giddish and Peter Scanavino as well.

“It’s just so easy with Peter,” Giddish gushed. “Anything they throw at us, we’ve got great chemistry together, and we’re friends off screen as well. I think that that shows up in our work.”

Law & Order: SVU airs new episodes on NBC Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET.

The post Why Kelli Giddish Thinks Her ‘SVU’ Return Came at the ‘Perfect Time’ appeared first on The Maravi Post.

Things got tense between Jason Ritter‘s character Julian and David Del Rio’s Billy in the newest episode of Matlock.

During the Thursday, October 16, episode of the hit CBS series, Billy tried to bond with Julian when it came to fatherhood — to disastrous results. Julian, who was still dealing with being demoted, wasn’t thrilled to be looking at the same apartments as Billy, who was a second-year associate.

The situation built up to Julian yelling at Billy in the office.

“I don’t want to be your neighbor! Back off!” Julian told Billy as others watched. “I am a grown man who has been working since you were waiting in line for school lunch. That is why I had a car service, an assistant and my own damn office.”

‘Matlock’ Scandal Explained After David Del Rio’s Exit Over Sexual Assault

Olympia (Skye P. Marshall) pulled Julian away before he admitted he “got triggered” and “snapped” at Billy over something that had nothing to do with Billy. Later in the episode, Billy told Matty (Kathy Bates) that Julian “apologized” for his behavior.

“I probably came on a little strong,” Billy admitted. “I was just trying to get the whole dad thing right since I didn’t grow up with one.”

Ritter’s character has been struggling after Julian was revealed to be the one who hid documents that would have taken opioids off the streets sooner.

“[In season 1], Julian was in the middle of a divorce, but he was going through his life with his skeletons safely in his closet. Now, with the affair coming out — and then with the other big reveal coming out — he’s in a new boat,” Ritter, 45, exclusively told Us Weekly in August. “There is no pretending with [his ex-wife] Olympia anymore. Or compartmentalizing and putting [things] away in a dark and shameful drawer.”

Ritter noted that Julian will have to face his mistakes in season 2 of Matlock. “Julian is going to have to grapple — one way or another — with this. It’s such a shameful thing that he has just put it away, tried to be a good dad and focused on his family,” Ritter explained. “Now, he is grappling with the ramifications of what he did. Also he’s terrified.”

At the time, Ritter said he was thrilled with how the season 2 story arc pushed him as an actor.

Where Was David Del Rio’s ‘Matlock’ Story Line Going Before Firing?

“They have already taken it in some different directions,” he shared. “I’ve gotten to show other sides [to Julian] and it’s been a lot of fun so far. We’re only at the beginning, so I can’t wait to see what they have in store for me later.”

Season 2 of Matlock isn’t just going through changes in front of the camera. News broke earlier this month that Del Rio, 38, was fired following an investigation into an alleged incident. It was reported at the time that costar Leah Lewis accused Del Rio of assaulting her in late September. Days later, Lewis, 28, reported the incident to CBS and Del Rio was removed from the set.

Us confirmed that Del Rio, who appears in the first half of Matlock season 2, is being written out of the remaining episodes. Fellow costars subtly showed their support for Lewis by unfollowing Del Rio on Instagram amid the scandal.

Lewis, meanwhile, released a statement, which read, “Mom is here, we’re moving forward in love and strength. I’m in good hands. Thank you to everybody for any kind of support and care. Truly, we’re moving forward in strength. Key word, strength. Please, let that be the take away.”

Matlock airs on CBS Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET.

The post Jason Ritter’s Julian Yells at David Del Rio’s Billy in ‘Matlock’ Episode appeared first on The Maravi Post.

“Between Me and You,” Ja Rule is about to be a fire grandfather … the 49-year-old rapper tells us he’s already planning for his future grandkid to be “Livin’ It Up.” We caught up with the Grammy-nominated artist Thursday in New York City after…

The post Ja Rule Already Plans to Open Investment Account for Grandkid appeared first on The Maravi Post.

KARONGA-(MaraviPost)-Songwe Border United finally broke their winless streak in the TNM Super League after edging Chitipa United 1–0 in a tightly contested Northern Region derby played at Karonga Stadium on Wednesday afternoon.

The victory their first in 20 matches brought joy and relief to the Karonga-based side, which has endured a difficult debut season in Malawi’s top flight.

It was Owen Mwangonde who made the difference for the hosts, scoring in the 8th minute after connecting beautifully from an Aaron Kayira assist. The early goal sent the home fans into wild celebrations, setting the tone for a spirited performance that kept Chitipa United at bay throughout the afternoon.

Chitipa United, desperate to claw back into the match, pressed hard for an equalizer but wasted several scoring opportunities with Songwe’s goalkeeper Jacob Anyandwire producing heroic saves to deny the visitors.

Midway through the first half, Songwe suffered a scare when their goalkeeper went down injured but after medical attention, play resumed.

The hosts continued to defend resolutely, with captain Lamson Lukali marshalling the backline alongside Laston Pingeni before both were later substituted following a head collision in the second half.

Chitipa United introduced fresh legs including Trouble Kajani, Joseph Mbaga and Fahad Mcheka but still couldn’t find the back of the net, as Songwe Border United remained organized and determined to protect their slender lead.

The final whistle brought huge relief to the home fans and players alike, as the long-awaited first victory of the season was finally secured.

Mussa Aggrey was named Man of the Match for his commanding display in midfield, while goal hero Owen Mwangonde earned praise for his early strike and tireless work rate.

Songwe Border United will hope the result marks a turning point in their campaign as they look to climb off the bottom of the TNM Super League table.

The post Songwe Border United registers first win in 20 matches appeared first on The Maravi Post.

…..Government under fire as Chakwera administration’s aborted purchase of grounded Zambian helicopters sparks international legal battle with heavy financial implications.

LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-Malawi is bracing for a costly legal confrontation that could leave taxpayers footing a staggering MK16 billion bill following the collapse of a controversial helicopter procurement deal.

The dispute stems from the Lazarus Chakwera administration’s attempt to purchase two grounded helicopters from a Zambian company in what was initially presented as a strategic move to enhance the country’s aerial operations.

The deal, however, has unraveled dramatically, descending into an international legal battle that has raised serious questions about transparency, due diligence, and government procurement procedures.

According to sources close to the matter, the Zambian company at the center of the deal has filed claims alleging breach of contract, accusing the Malawian government of failing to honor payment and delivery commitments.

Legal experts warn that if the courts rule in favor of the Zambian firm, Malawi could be compelled to pay compensation and penalties amounting to K16 billion, a figure that would further strain the country’s already fragile economy.

The deal was originally intended to strengthen Malawi’s security and emergency response capacity, particularly in disaster management, search and rescue, and medical evacuation operations.

However, investigations have revealed that the helicopters in question were reportedly grounded and in poor mechanical condition, raising concerns about the integrity and value of the proposed acquisition.

Critics argue that government officials responsible for the procurement process failed to conduct proper technical assessments and legal vetting before committing to the deal.

Opposition parties and civil society organizations have described the scandal as another example of mismanagement and reckless public spending under the Chakwera administration.

They have called for a thorough investigation into how the deal was negotiated, who authorized it, and whether corruption or conflict of interest played a role in the failed transaction.

The Ministry of Justice and the Attorney General’s Office have confirmed that legal teams are reviewing the case and preparing Malawi’s defense, though details remain scarce due to ongoing proceedings.

Meanwhile, economic analysts have warned that the potential K16 billion payout could derail key development programs and worsen the government’s fiscal position amid rising debt and inflation.

The controversy comes at a time when Malawi is struggling with a severe economic downturn marked by a shortage of foreign exchange, fuel crises, and a growing public outcry over misuse of state resources.

Observers say the helicopter saga underscores the urgent need for procurement reforms, stronger oversight mechanisms, and greater accountability in government spending.

If unresolved, the legal fallout could not only drain the national treasury but also damage Malawi’s international reputation as a reliable contracting partner.

As the case unfolds, Malawians are watching closely—hoping for transparency, accountability, and lessons learned from yet another costly government blunder.

The post Chakwera left MK16 billion legal showdown over botched helicopter deal appeared first on The Maravi Post.

By Draxon Maloya

MZUZU-(MaraviPost)-The Volleyball Association of Malawi (VAM) and Raiply Malawi Limited have announced the return of the Raiply National Volleyball Championship, scheduled to take place from November 13th to 16th in Mzuzu City.

The tournament is expected to be a thrilling event, with the African Volleyball President, Madame Bouchra Hajij, confirmed to be in attendance.

Raiply Malawi Limited’s Public Relations Officer, Dalitso Chimwala, confirmed the dates for the event.

But declined to reveal the sponsorship package for this year’s tournament, which was K25 million last year.

VAM President James Kaunda confirmed the completion of the meeting with sponsors and promised to share more insights at a later stage.

“We have just concluded the meeting with the sponsors, but the official programme will be provided shortly,” Kaunda said .

Raiply Malawi Limited has marked 15 years of sponsoring the National Volleyball Championship in Malawi and in celebrating the milestone, the company doubled the sponsorship to K25 million last year.

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