Dowa Dec members sharpening skills in project implementations
The Dowa District Council has reminded all Civil Society Organizations [CSOs] implementing various interventions in the district to share reports to the council to enhance cooperation, transparency and accountability of the projects.
The council said it has observed with great concern that despite of reminding partners to share reports, some partners have deliberately defied this to the dismay of the council and is devising ways on how CSOs can comply.
District Commissioner for Dowa Alex Mdooko said sharing reports to the council helps it to know what and where CSOs are doing in the district saying this provide chance to community members to know what is being implemented in their particular areas.
Mdooko said the reports are shared to the central government for it to know the projects which are being implemented at district level and without the reports this poses a great challenge in terms of auditing the projects.
There have been concerns by MPs and councilors in the district that some CSOs deliberately by-pass the council to the field implementing their projects but when the projects are stopped, the complaints are directed to councilors and MPs.
Some CSOs are on record of having no time to invite MPs and councilors to attend meetings saying this tendency has led to sub-standard projects being implemented in the communities, follow-up to these projects is a challenge too.
Former Minister in the DPP led government who was also Dowa Central Constituency legislator Dr. Jean Nachika Alfazema Kalilani lamented that a lot of Malawian pictures are put on display in Europe and America for donors to support.
Dr. Kalilani said it is sad that when the support comes to Malawi, they do not reach the intended beneficiaries making Malawi to be poor and poorer lacking the basic social services which include hospitals and markets, among others.
She advised the council to arrange an interface meeting with MPs and councilors of the district for them to know what each CSO is doing and where it is found [catchment area] and more importantly the budget line.
And speaking during a previous District executive committee [DEC] of October, 2022 George Kaunda of MAICC assured the council that CSOs of the district are more than ready to have an interface meeting with MPs and councilors to iron out their differences.
Kaunda said what now remains is the council to set a date for the interface meeting and the budget for this activity is in place.
Dowa district has over 35 Civil Society Organizations [CSOs] implementing their projects covering all areas of the seven Traditional Authorities but the impact on the ground is zero, the district is still in abstract poverty.
