Dowa Dec members sharing experiences on the sent back project
The Dowa District executive committee [Dec] has turned back a project to be implemented in the district by the Global Financing Facility Country Platform [GFF] after noting with concerns that its objectives are broad and cannot be attained in one year.
The project ’’Advancing Sexual Reproductive Health Services among young people in Malawi is being piloted with an objective of ensuring that the next funded project for Malawi includes a resource allocation for adolescents and young women and men.
In the project, there will be an inclusion of adolescent and young Sexual Reproductive Health resource allocation amidst Covid-19 pandemic in three districts of Mzimba North, Dowa and Mwanza and has already seen 15 young people, 5 per district being trained as Trainer of Trainers with a hope to train their fellows in the communities.
The GFF partnership has supported the Government of Malawi to develop an investment case based on the country’s Health Sector Strategy since 2017 and its initiative is being undertaken by a consortium of youth initiative with support from Bill and Merinda Gates running from September, 2021- October, 2022 at a total budget of US$30,000.00.
Dowa District Director of Health and Social Services, Dr. Peter Makoza, said even though the project was first presented to the District Health Management Team [DHMT] and Technical Working Group [TWG], the Dec is the right forum for approving projects in the district.
Dr. Makoza said the project presenters had come to the Dec to update them on what the project has done in 8 months wondering what activities were being carried out without the knowledge of the Dec which is mandated to approve projects.
…..’’You are working on reverse, you already presented yourself to the communities and you are coming to the Dec to present the project, this shows that there is no progress in the project,’’…..he said.
In her remarks, Dowa District Council’s Director of Planning and Development, Loveness Nkunika-Silungwe, expressed fears that the project is ending in the district in October, 2022 saying already 8 months have gone doing only one activity-training of young people.
Nkunika-Silungwe then asked the presenting team that the better option for the project to be approved in the district is to go back, meet the technical staff and have time to re-present it to the Dec for approval.
…..’’ Five young people trained as Trainer of Trainers have contributed to nothing on the ground in all the areas of seven traditional authorities for the district,’’…..she said.
