By Draxon Maloya
There’s Hope Malawi, continues dedicating to make significant strides in providing sustainable livelihoods and nurturing spiritual well-being for refugees at Dzaleka Refugee Camp and the surrounding Dowa host community.
The organization’s commitment to empowering individuals and fostering resilience has yielded remarkable results, with all eleven (11) of its sponsored female students selected to universities after passing the Malawi Schools Certificate Examination.
Speaking at the 2025 NGO Day ceremony in Mzuzu on Friday, There’s Hope Malawi’s Executive Director, Catherine Ndege Chirwa, highlighted the organization’s success stories despite donor funding fatigue.
“We’re still registering tremendous progress… We are in a process establishing new sustainability measures, diversified our fundraising enterprise, and developed new partnerships in compliance with the newly launched 2025 NGO Sector Report,” Chirwa said.
Minister of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare, Jean Muonaouza Sendeza, who presided over the ceremony, praised the vital role of NGOs in advancing Malawi’s development agenda.
“NGOs have made tangible impacts in communities, aligning with the Malawi 2063 vision The NGO sector plays a critical role in service delivery and job creation,” Sendeza said.
She highlighted progress in governance and accountability since the enactment of the NGO (Amendment) Act of 2022, citing improved compliance and significant growth in employment within the sector, emphasized the sector’s substantial financial contribution, reporting an income of MK1.017 trillion in 2025, including MK747 billion in foreign currency inflows.
At the 2025 NGO Awards Gala Dinner, Principal Secretary for Gender, Dr. Nertha Semphere Mgala, commended NGOs for their critical role in improving the lives of Malawians, especially vulnerable communities.
“These awards will accelerate hard work and serve as benchmarks for excellence, accountability, and innovation,” Dr. Mgala said.
This year’s NGO Day ceremony recognized transparency, commitment to serving hard-to-reach areas, and efforts in championing community empowerment for long-term sustainability.
