Author: Boo Chanco

Photo by Laura Chouette on Unsplash

A jacket, as simple an item as it might seem, can make or break an outfit. Whether you’re dressing for work, a casual weekend outing, or an evening event, understanding how to coordinate your jacket with the rest of your ensemble is so, so important. But good news! It’s actually not that complicated once you grasp a few fundamental principles. Let’s get into those principles.

Consider the Occasion First

Before anything, ask yourself this simple question: “where am I headed?”

Weekend brunch? A cropped denim jacket works brilliantly. But that same jacket to a corporate presentation would be a no-no. It’s the same way a structured blazer with sharp tailoring elevates a professional attire but would be too much for a casual coffee date.

Basically, context shapes everything. Match your jacket to the occasion and you’re already on the right track.

Next things to consider are:

• dress code
• the time of day
• the vibe of the whole thing you’re going for

Match Formality Levels

One common mistake people make is mixing formality levels. Going the route of “business in the front, party at the back” doesn’t always work. You want your jacket to echo the dressiness of your base outfit. If you’re wearing trainers and jeans, reach for something equally laid-back – perhaps a denim jacket or a casual bomber. But if what you have on are tailored trousers and polished shoes, go for a blazer or structured coat.

Play with Proportions

Proportion matters more than most people realise. If the bottom is loose, your jacket should be fitted. If your bottoms are slim-fitting, try oversized or relaxed jacket styles.

For women seeking versatile pieces that tick all these boxes, Fracomina offers a beautifully curated collection of jackets and blazers specifically designed for the modern woman’s wardrobe. From cropped blazers perfect for accentuating your waist to elegant long trenches for sophisticated layering, their range includes regular-fit options, double-breasted styles, and even statement pieces with embellishments – each crafted to complement various feminine silhouettes and outfit combinations.

Color Coordination Strategies

This is where things get very interesting. You don’t always need to match exactly, but your jacket should complement your outfit’s color palette. Neutral jackets (black, navy, beige, grey) are incredibly versatile and work with virtually everything. These are your wardrobe workhorses. Cherish them! Love them! Take care of them!

Wanna be a little bold? Maybe try echoing one color from your outfit. For example, if you’re wearing a striped top with hints of burgundy, a wine jacket will tie everything together beautifully. Contrast is good too! A camel blazer against all-black creates a striking, sophisticated look.

Also, try not to overlook texture. A jacket in a different fabric from the rest of the fit – say, wool over silk – can be interesting whilst maintaining color harmony.

Trust Your Instincts

At the end of the day, fashion should feel intuitive not forced. It should flow from within. These guidelines give a solid foundation, but hey, it’s your style, your body, your jacket! So, feel free to break whatever rules whenever it feels right. Experiment as much as you want. Crazy pairings, unorthodox combinations, whatever. Just wear what makes you feel confident. If you’re confident, that’s a successful outfit.How to Match Your Jacket to Your Outfit: Expert Tips

A jacket, as simple an item as it might seem, can make or break an outfit. Whether you’re dressing for work, a casual weekend outing, or an evening event, understanding how to coordinate your jacket with the rest of your ensemble is so, so important. But good news! It’s actually not that complicated once you grasp a few fundamental principles. Let’s get into those principles.

Consider the Occasion First

Before anything, ask yourself this simple question: “where am I headed?”

Weekend brunch? A cropped denim jacket works brilliantly. But that same jacket to a corporate presentation would be a no-no. It’s the same way a structured blazer with sharp tailoring elevates a professional attire but would be too much for a casual coffee date.

Basically, context shapes everything. Match your jacket to the occasion and you’re already on the right track.

Next things to consider are:

• dress code
• the time of day
• the vibe of the whole thing you’re going for

Match Formality Levels

One common mistake people make is mixing formality levels. Going the route of “business in the front, party at the back” doesn’t always work. You want your jacket to echo the dressiness of your base outfit. If you’re wearing trainers and jeans, reach for something equally laid-back – perhaps a denim jacket or a casual bomber. But if what you have on are tailored trousers and polished shoes, go for a blazer or structured coat.

Play with Proportions

Proportion matters more than most people realise. If the bottom is loose, your jacket should be fitted. If your bottoms are slim-fitting, try oversized or relaxed jacket styles.

For women seeking versatile pieces that tick all these boxes, Fracomina offers a beautifully curated collection of jackets and blazers specifically designed for the modern woman’s wardrobe. From cropped blazers perfect for accentuating your waist to elegant long trenches for sophisticated layering, their range includes regular-fit options, double-breasted styles, and even statement pieces with embellishments – each crafted to complement various feminine silhouettes and outfit combinations.

Color Coordination Strategies

This is where things get very interesting. You don’t always need to match exactly, but your jacket should complement your outfit’s color palette. Neutral jackets (black, navy, beige, grey) are incredibly versatile and work with virtually everything. These are your wardrobe workhorses. Cherish them! Love them! Take care of them!

Wanna be a little bold? Maybe try echoing one color from your outfit. For example, if you’re wearing a striped top with hints of burgundy, a wine jacket will tie everything together beautifully. Contrast is good too! A camel blazer against all-black creates a striking, sophisticated look.

Also, try not to overlook texture. A jacket in a different fabric from the rest of the fit – say, wool over silk – can be interesting whilst maintaining color harmony.

Trust Your Instincts

At the end of the day, fashion should feel intuitive not forced. It should flow from within. These guidelines give a solid foundation, but hey, it’s your style, your body, your jacket! So, feel free to break whatever rules whenever it feels right. Experiment as much as you want. Crazy pairings, unorthodox combinations, whatever. Just wear what makes you feel confident. If you’re confident, that’s a successful outfit.

The post How to Match Your Jacket to Your Outfit: Expert Tips appeared first on The Maravi Post.

BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-President Peter Mutharika’s has fired Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM) Chief Executive Officer Kamkwamba Kumwenda amid public discontent over persistent blackouts.

Kumwenda has therefore been to the Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS).

Chief Secretary Justin Saidi letter made available The Maravi Post justifies the decision saying the move is due to an urgent demand of the service.

Kumwenda will now serve as a lecturer at the university.

According to the letter, Kumwenda will remain an employee of ESCOM during this period and will continue to receive his full salary and benefits.

Malawians have been subjected to persistent blackouts prior to September 16, 2025 General Elections that witnessed Lazarus Chakwera losing grip of power to former Malawi leader Peter Mutharika.

The post Escom Chief Kamkwamba Kumwenda fired amid persistent blackouts appeared first on The Maravi Post.

SHOBHA SHUKLA, BOBBY RAMAKANT – CNS

World’s largest prize devoted to TB, the coveted Kochon Prize, was awarded to India’s Molbio Diagnostics for its technological innovation which is helping over 90 governments worldwide to reach the unreached with best of diagnostics (molecular tests). This is the third time India won Kochon Prize with previous two recipients being 2006-head of Indian government’s TB programme Dr LS Chauhan, and country’s apex medical research body – Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in 2017.

On 29th October 2025, the United Nations OPS hosted Stop TB Partnership in Geneva and Korean Kochon Foundation conferred upon the prestigious Kochon Prize to Molbio’s founder head Sriram Natarajan in Manila on 29th October 2025. Along with global recognition, Kochon Prize consists of a medal and a US$ 65,000, that is the largest prize globally devoted to TB.

Molbio became the first private innovator company worldwide to receive the much sought-after Kochon Prize.

It all begins with an idea!

Making highly specialised diagnostics simpler

When Molbio was founded 25 years ago (in 2000), the gold standard polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test was only restricted to bio-safety level-3 laboratories (BSL-3) where those entering had (and still have) to wear hazmat suits with high-low air pressure controls and several other essential infection prevention and control mechanisms. Of course, stable power supply and air-conditioning and other highly specialised laboratory infrastructure were, and is, essential to run such a diagnostic facility. No surprise that PCR laboratories were confined only to a few laboratories in tertiary care hospitals or medical teaching institutions.

Team Molbio had an idea

“An idea whose time has come”

Researchers at team Molbio embarked on an insane exploration: to transform PCR molecular diagnostics in a way that it can be deployed in a setting that serves the underserved, without stable electricity, air-conditioning or other resource-intensive laboratory infrastructure. Can we innovate to develop RT-PCR in a way which is not dependent on electricity, air-conditioning or laboratory infrastructure and still test for a range of disease-causing pathogens with high sensitivity and specificity? would have been the research question that perhaps drove them – to impact change – and inspire.

It took them almost one and a half decade (and a lot of belief, undeterred conviction, grit, insanity, drive, motivation and investment) to develop a RT-PCR molecular test Truenat that was highly sensitive and specific for several disease-causing pathogens.

In 2017, Indian government’s ICMR validated Truenat, soon after which Indian government’s Ministry of Health began its deployment in remote or peripheral settings across the country. And then, thanks to Geneva-based FIND (Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics), the United Nations apex health agency – the World Health Organization (WHO) endorsed it in 2020 after rigorous validation studies conducted worldwide.

Truenat became WHO’s first truly point-of-care, decentralised, laboratory independent and battery powered (with solar charging capabilities) molecular test for TB – and a range of ~40 other diseases, such as human papilloma virus (HPV), hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, sexually transmitted infections, COVID-19, among others.

“Unless best of health technologies reach those who are most underserved and need them most, how will we reduce human suffering and avert untimely deaths? Technologies must be made to serve those who need them most. If health technologies cannot be deployed in resource-constrained settings, then they would remain inaccessible to those in acute need. Point-of-care technologies are not enough, we need to deploy them too at point-of-need,” said Tariro Kutadza, a noted community rights activist and defender from Zimbabwe. She leads TB People (Zimbabwe) and was in Manila meet when Kochon Prize was conferred upon Molbio Diagnostics.

Truenat has enabled progress on keeping the promise

Truenat has made it possible to deliver on the promise of Find.Treat.All (initiative first launched in 2018 by the highest level leadership of the WHO, Stop TB Partnership and others) by completely replacing microscopy with upfront molecular testing – especially in low- and middle-income countries. This promise was also echoed by the World Leaders at the UNHLM on TB 2023 political declaration to be met by 2027.

Unless we stop missing TB cases among those who take a TB test, and unless we reach the unreached populations with equity and rights with WHO recommended diagnostics (and full cascade of TB care services in a person-centred manner), we would not be able to stop the spread of the infection as well as fail to reduce avoidable human suffering and untimely deaths due to TB.

As Truenat is a multi-disease molecular testing platform, with its growing deployment (especially in the Global South), we are also strengthening the laboratory infrastructure for key and other vulnerable populations so that they can access highly sensitive and specific diagnostics for over 40 diseases closer to their communities. Early and accurate diagnosis is not only an entry-gate to right treatment but also prevents misuse and overuse of medicines (which is vital to prevent antimicrobial resistance).

Solar powered molecular test Truenat

Several countries, such as, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), have deployed Truenat molecular test in remote peripheral settings where there is no stable power supply to recharge the battery. So, solar power capabilities became a lifesaver in such circumstances.

Last year in December 2024, Nigeria launched the largest rollout of Truenat and Molbio’s Prorad artificial intelligence (AI) enabled X-Rays on African continent. Each of these point-of-care diagnostics have been deployed in remote and peripheral settings.

Likewise, over 90 countries now benefit from Truenat when they deploy it to reach the underserved communities – and bring best of diagnostics closer to the most-at-risk peoples and communities.

India led from the front

Indian government came forward to support in-country scientific validation studies for Truenat, thankfully.

“Research for validating new tools, designing new tools and relying on Made-in-India tools for screening and diagnosing TB and not depending on the outside, has made a phenomenal difference,” had said Dr Urvashi B Singh, Indian government’s head of National TB Elimination Programme, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare; and a distinguished scientist and microbiologist (who had an illustrious inning as Microbiology Professor and in-charge TB at Indian government’s prestigious All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi). She was speaking at World Health Summit Regional Meeting earlier this year.

Truenat is the largest used molecular test for TB in government’s programme since several years now.

When point-of-care tools are deployed at point-of-need, impact happens. Recently, India launched a massive 100-days campaign (7 December 2024 to 24 March 2025) to screen everyone among high-risk populations of 347 districts with ultraportable and handheld X-Rays which were powered with artificial intelligence (AI) computer-aided detection (CAD) of TB (as far as possible). The concept note of this campaign on a government website states that those with presumptive TB should be offered an upfront Truenat.

The concept note of 100 days campaign states that point-of-care screening tool (X-Ray) and diagnostic test (Truenat) should be taken in a ‘Nikshay Vahan’ van to point-of-need where high-risk populations reside.

In a span of 100 days, India could screen over 120 million people across the country from high-risk groups. More importantly, India found 285,000 people with active TB disease who had no symptoms (asymptomatic or sub-clinical TB). These people would not have been found with TB disease if an X-Ray was not done. Imagine the public health impact of finding 285,000 asymptomatic people with TB disease early on, and putting them on effective treatment – so that not only infection stops spreading to others but also they get on the path of healing and recovery.

Now, after 24 March 2025, India has expanded this science-backed campaign nationwide.

Confirmed Dr Urvashi at WHS-RM: “Based on evidence, Indian government’s National TB Elimination Programme adopted Truenat in 2018. Today India has a network of over 9000 NAAT systems across the country – deployed at the level of primary health centres, community health centres and even at the block levels.” Developing, standardising and validating made-in-India health technologies and deploying them “is about making the country self-reliant,” said Dr Singh. “Today, Truenat is in fact, getting exported to 82 countries. So, that is where our Indian indigenous technology, which was supported by ICMR, has reached.”

Shobha Shukla, Bobby Ramakant – CNS (Citizen News Service)

(Shobha Shukla is the Founder Executive Director and Managing Editor of CNS (Citizen News Service) and Bobby Ramakant works with CNS. Follow them on X/Twitter: @Shobha1Shukla, @BobbyRamakant)

–              Shared under Creative Commons (CC)

The post World’s largest TB prize illuminates Indian Molbio’s tech innovation reaching the unreached appeared first on The Maravi Post.

Tim Tebow and his wife, Demi-Leigh, welcomed their first child together back in July … and the former Heisman trophy winner is loving every bit of fatherhood — telling TMZ Sports it’s been an “awesome” experience!! We caught up with the two-time…

The post Tim Tebow Opens Up On Fatherhood, ‘One Of The Biggest Blessings In Life’ appeared first on The Maravi Post.

Before this mini musician turned into a shining star, he was playing the piano in his diaper and growing up in Glen Ridge, New Jersey. He’s known for making funny skits with friends on YouTube … He may have started on Vine, but his popularity…

The post Guess Who This Lil’ Piano Player Turned Into! appeared first on The Maravi Post.

Former Dancing With the Stars host Brooke Burke won’t be making a return to the ballroom for the show’s 20th birthday special after her 2014 exit.

Burke, 54, explained why she won’t be attending the highly anticipated event during the Tuesday, November 4, episode of Jennie Garth’s “I Choose Me” podcast.

“A redo is hard for me,” Burke told fellow former contestant Garth, 53. “I guess there’s some things that are worth a repeat in your life, but I feel like I wrung it out and I did everything I needed to do on that show.”

Burke added that despite the “amazing relationships” she formed during her time on DWTS as both a competitor and as cohost, she ultimately feels her time on the series is behind her. “It was one of the most watched shows on television. It would be hard to go back there with the same level of excitement and appreciation,” she said.

Brooke Burke Recalls ‘Really Disappointing’ Exit as ‘DWTS’ Cohost

Garth, for her part, joked that she also “got an email” about the special — which airs November 11 — that she “purposely did not read.”

Burke and Garth were both paired with former pro Derek Hough — now a judge on the show — during their respective seasons. Garth landed in fourth place on season 5 in 2007, Hough’s first season, while Burke and Hough took home the mirrorball two seasons later. Burke later hosted the show with Tom Bergeron from seasons 10 through 17.

“I never say no, never closed doors professionally, but I mean, it was eight seasons, and I did everything I needed to do in the ballroom,” Burke continued, adding that she “had so much fun” on DWTS even though it was “one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my entire life.”

This isn’t the first time Burke has addressed her exit from DWTS. She opened up about being let go from the show during a 2024 episode of Getting Grilled With Curtis Stone, revealing that while she was “ready to do other things” at the time, it was “disappointing” to find out she wasn’t being asked back.

“But I think it’s shocking when there’s a change in our business, just to humanize it, to be honest, to be vulnerable,” she added. “I think it was really disappointing. I wasn’t expecting it.”

As for why she was “let go,” Burke said there were a “number of reasons on both sides.”

Burke detailed how she found out she wouldn’t be returning for season 18 on her Modern Mom blog shortly after the news broke in 2014.

“The only shocking thing about it, for me, was the way in which it all went down,” she wrote, claiming she found out “just weeks” before the premiere. “I would have appreciated a heads-up and the courtesy of communication, but we are not always privileged to get that in the workplace.”

She also shared how difficult it was to tell her kids, who didn’t understand the difference between being let go and being fired. (Burke shares kids Neriah, 24, Sierra, 22, Heaven, 18, and Shaya, 16, with exes Garth Fisher and David Charet.)

“My son shouted, ‘You got fired, Mommy?!’” she remembered son Shaya asking her. “I tried to explain the difference between being fired and being let go. Then he yelled, ‘You quit!’ I laughed at the fine line in it all. Then I did my very best to describe to my children the reality of change and the need to maneuver through it with grace.”

Burke is not the only DWTS cohost to be asked to exit the ballroom over the years. Audiences were shocked when original emcee Bergeron announced in July 2020 that he and then-cohost Erin Andrews would not be returning for season 29.

Cheryl Burke Breaks Down ‘Surreal’ Return to ‘DWTS’ for 1st Time in 3 Years

“Just informed @DancingABC will be continuing without me,” Bergeron wrote via X at the time. “It’s been an incredible 15-year run and the most unexpected gift of my career. I’m grateful for that and for the lifelong friendships made. That said, now what am I supposed to do with all of these glitter masks?”

He later appeared on an October 2023 episode of Cheryl Burke’s “Sex, Lies and Spray Tans” podcast to discuss his exit, claiming his desire to keep politics out of the ballroom was partially to blame. (Bergeron was previously vocal about Sean Spicer’s casting on season 28.)

“I’m sure they’ll give you a different reason [as for why I was fired],” he added, noting that he would “never” return as host. “It’s not the same show. It’s not the same world. There’s no point. What would I prove? … Let the show either exist with the fresh blood that it has now or die a natural death.”

Dancing With the Stars’ 20th Birthday Special airs on ABC and Disney+ Tuesday, November 11, at 8 p.m. ET. It will be available to stream next day on Hulu.

The post Former ‘DWTS’ Host Brooke Burke Won’t Attend Show’s 20th Birthday Special appeared first on The Maravi Post.

You know what time it is? Time for Flavor Flav to shake up Dancing With the Stars.

During the Tuesday, November 4, episode of ABC’s competition show, the founding member of Public Enemy kept viewers on their toes while serving as a guest judge alongside Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli.

“Tonight, I’m hoping to see graceness, smoothness, you know what I’m saying? Preciseness,” he explained to cohost Alfonso Ribeiro while celebrating Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Night. “Not only that, but I’m looking forward to seeing your boy Flavor Flav, a guest judge on Dancing With the Stars.”

After Dylan Efron and Daniella Karagach kicked off the show, Flav, 66, surprised the judges when he quickly gave the duo a 10.

Biggest ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Controversies Through the Years

Throughout the night, however, the former Flavor of Love star kept fans guessing with what score he would deliver. After all, he was the only judge not to give Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy a 10.

Before the the rockin’ good night came to an end, the cast was divided into two teams, Team Kool and Team Chicago. Team Chicago, led by Ribeiro, scored 40 out of 40 while Team Kool, led by Julianne Hough, scored 38 out of 40. The results were added to each contestant’s total scores of the night.

In the final minutes, Ribeiro, 54, and Julianne, 37, announced the results of which pairing would be leaving the competition before the show celebrates its 20th birthday party episode on November 11.

After millions of votes were cast on Election Night, Danielle Fishel and Pasha Pashkov were sent home.

Dancing With the Stars airs on ABC and Disney+ Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET. Scroll down to see each couple’s scores from the evening:

Prove your DWTS fandom with Us Weekly and Bracketology.tv! Compete against other fans and Us editors in the Bracketology DWTS fantasy league this season to predict which pairs will make it to the finale for season 34. Get access to exclusive content, stats and a chance to win prizes. Join the league for free today!

The post ‘DWTS’ Guest Judge Flavor Flav Causes Chaos With Scores: Who Went Home? appeared first on The Maravi Post.

Democrats won two governor’s races in Virginia and New Jersey, victories they call a rejection of President Trump’s policies and a sign that economic issues are resonating with voters. New York City elected Zohran Mamdani as its first Muslim mayor, defeating former governor Andrew Cuomo in a race that drew record voter turnout. And California voters approved a new congressional map that could give Democrats up to five more House seats in next year’s midterms.

Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter.

<

p class=”readrate”>Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Larry Kaplow, Acacia Squires, Miguel Macias, Ben Swasey, Mohamad ElBardicy and Martha Ann Overland.

<

p class=”readrate”>

<

p class=”readrate”>It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Christopher Thomas

<

p class=”readrate”>

<

p class=”readrate”>We get engineering support from Stacey Abbott. And our technical director is Carleigh Strange.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

The post VA NJ Governor Races, Mamdani Elected NYC Mayor, California Redistricting appeared first on The Maravi Post.

LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-Human Rights activist and former Malawi Defence Force (MDF) officer Chimwemwe Mbeya (Ntchindi) Mhango has slummed the arrested Panga-wielding thugs for intimidating police officers during court appearance.

The reaction comes barely days after the suspected Malawi Congress Party (MCP) regime’s notorious panga-wielding thugs threatened prosecutors while waiting for court proceedings on Monday.

In a video circulating on social media of suspected MCP thugs are heard threatening prosecutors while in a waiting shelter before court proceedings.

“Tikukuwonanitu! Tidzathana nanu Nchifukwa chiyani mukulimbana ndife mmalo mothana ndi mabvuto mdziko muno. Mesa mumkalifuna bomali. (We take very seriously on what you are doing to us. Will deal with you later. Why are busy with us instead of addressing economic challenges the nation is facing. I thought you said you wanted power”, one of suspects was heard threatening police prosecutors.

In reacting to the outburst, Mhango who is also a victim of the same suspected MCP regime’s thugs observes that such threats must be taken serious.

“Imagine they have guts, threatening police prosecutors while appearing before court for the crimes they committed during MCP regime.

“This shows how dangerous they are. They were being used by politicians, and now they are alone facing crimes charges,” observes Mhango.

He told The Maravi Post that, “The law must take its course on them. There shouldn’t be a room for intimidation. Noone is above the law in Malawi. Justice must prevail till the end of the case”.

Mhango appeals, “Young people must refrain from being used by politicians to fulfill their agenda.

“Youngsters must be engaged in productive activities for the development of this nation.

About 17 suspected MCP regime’s notorious panga-wielding thugs are in court answering a number of assaults charges.

The thugs” ringleaders including Bruno Munlo Makina (37), of Mponda Vge, T/A Msamala in Balaka; Erick Phakamisa (40), of Undi Vge, T/A Kaphuka in Dedza; and Hanif Banda (23), of Wimbe Vge, T/A Wimbe in Kasungu.

The post Human Rights activist Chimwemwe Mhango slums suspected MCP thugs for intimadating police prosecutors during court appearance appeared first on The Maravi Post.

BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-An explosive investigation by The Economist has uncovered a disturbing web of wildlife trafficking allegedly orchestrated through the Taiwanese Buddhist-managed Amitofo Care Centre (ACC) in Blantyre, Malawi — a facility established to care for orphans and vulnerable children.

Instead, evidence suggests that some of these orphans have been systematically groomed and exploited by a network of Chinese wildlife criminals posing as business investors.

The revelations point to deep-seated corruption, institutional negligence, and a dangerous exploitation of Malawi’s most vulnerable youth.

From Orphanage to Wildlife Mule: Francis’s Story

At the heart of The Economist investigation, titled “The School for Wildlife Traffickers”, lies the chilling account of a 19-year-old boy, identified as Francis, who says he was coerced by Amitofo’s Human Resources Manager, Branson Njunga, into participating in illegal ivory transactions.

Njunga — recently arrested in Chikwawa for possession of ivory and currently facing charges — allegedly acted as a conduit between Amitofo’s vulnerable youth and Chinese wildlife traffickers.

“He had heard about former students at Amitofo who had been recruited into the illegal wildlife trade,” writes journalist Rachel Nuwer. “He had also seen news stories about people caught with ivory serving years in prison.”

Fearing for his future, Francis abandoned his education and left the centre — a decision that may have saved his freedom.

Inside the Illicit Network: Njunga, Lin, and the Chinese Connection

Undercover investigators quoted in The Economist report reveal that Njunga openly admitted to working with Chinese associates in Lilongwe, sourcing ivory for them.

He even offered to supply 20 kilograms of ivory to an undercover journalist.

“It’s risky business, but where there is money, people take risks,” Njunga allegedly told the investigator.

His recent arrest alongside two others in possession of ivory only reinforces the allegations.

They are now facing charges for possessing specimens of protected species — an offence carrying severe custodial penalties under Malawi’s wildlife protection laws.

But Njunga’s role appears to be just one part of a much larger, well-coordinated network.

The Shadow of Yunhua Lin: Pardoned Kingpin Still Pulling Strings

The Economist investigation also revisits the case of Yunhua Lin, an international wildlife trafficker once convicted in Malawi.

Despite his 14-year sentence, Lin was controversially pardoned by President Lazarus Chakwera in July this year — while one of his Malawian “runners,” Aaron Dyson, remains behind bars serving a 15-year sentence for crimes he was reportedly coerced into committing.

Lin, who is now facing separate corruption charges, has been repeatedly denied bail by the courts, with judges citing him as a flight risk.

Yet, despite multiple failed applications, Lin has again filed for bail — raising questions about whether the judicial system is being manipulated to his advantage.

Human rights observers say Lin’s influence continues to extend deep into Malawi’s institutions.

“It is shocking how Chinese traffickers manipulate vulnerable Malawians — including orphans — into committing crimes on their behalf, only for the locals to rot in jail while the real masterminds use their illicit wealth to escape justice,” said a human rights and legal expert from Chancellor College, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The investigation reveals that Lin maintained ties with the Lilongwe branch of Amitofo Care Centre, even purchasing part of land near the facility to reportedly store illegal wildlife products.

Former Amitofo student Aaron Dyson, once celebrated as a “model orphan” and Mandarin prodigy, was recruited into Lin’s network after returning from language training in Taiwan.

Dyson’s story underscores the tragic transformation from hopeful student to victim of transnational crime.

He allegedly handled ivory and rhino horn runs across Namibia, Botswana, Tanzania, Kenya, and Zimbabwe — operations believed to have been financed and directed by Lin.

Equally concerning is the state’s response.

Despite repeated arrests and court findings, Lin continues to exploit legal loopholes and influence networks to maintain his freedom.

His July presidential pardon remains one of the most controversial acts of executive clemency in recent memory.

Call for Urgent Government Action.

“The revelations demand immediate scrutiny from Malawi’s Ministry of Gender, Ministry of Homeland Security, Department of National Parks and Wildlife, and the Anti-Corruption Bureau,” calls Lilongwe based environmental activist asked for annonymity.

He stressed on the need for authorities to protect and rehabilitate victims of the trafficking network; Investigate the conditions surrounding Lin’s presidential pardon; and Strengthen oversight over foreign religious and charitable institutions operating in Malawi. 

“Anything less would be a betrayal of the very children and communities the state is meant to protect.” he earned.

“If these findings are left unchecked, Malawi risks becoming a regional hub for wildlife trafficking — fuelled by poverty, foreign manipulation, and institutional indifference.

“It is now up to the authorities to act — not with statements, but with prose,” said a Chancellor college  legal and human rights expert also opted for anonymity.

The Ministry of Gender and Ministry of Justice are yet to comment on the unfolding developments .

The post The Economist Investigation exposes Amitofo Orphanage as wildlife crimes hub in Malawi appeared first on The Maravi Post.