Suleman Chitera 
By Suleman Chitera, MFN Reporter
September 29, 2026 | 10:03 PM
The Government of Japan has committed USD132,881, equivalent to approximately MK233 million, towards the construction of a Community Based Child Care Centre (CBCC) and a health post at Masuku Village in Chiradzulu District.
The funding was announced during a grant contract signing ceremony held at the Embassy of Japan in Lilongwe on Tuesday, with Japanese Ambassador to Malawi Naito Yasushi saying the project will address two important needs facing communities in the area—early childhood development and access to basic healthcare.
Ambassador Naito said the project had deliberately taken a holistic approach by combining childcare and health infrastructure at the same location.
“This project has taken a holistic approach to addressing the two challenges faced by the community at Masuku, not just building classroom blocks but also constructing a health post,” Naito said.
Education and healthcare under one project
According to Naito, locating the health post alongside the childcare centre will allow children and their families to benefit from both early childhood education and basic healthcare services within their community.
He said early childhood development provides an important foundation for children’s future educational progression, making investment in facilities at the community level particularly important.
Naito expressed hope that the Masuku project would demonstrate how development cooperation can combine different social services to address the needs of communities.
He further said the initiative could provide a model for similar projects aimed at expanding access to early childhood development and health services in other communities.
Japan’s continued partnership with Chiradzulu
The project also builds on Japan’s previous development cooperation with Chiradzulu District Council.
Naito noted that the district had previously benefited from Japanese grant assistance through the construction of Chikangulu Community Day Secondary School in 2016.
The latest investment therefore represents a continuation of Japan’s cooperation with the district, while expanding the focus to early childhood development and primary healthcare.
Council identifies gaps in services
Chiradzulu District Commissioner Ellestina Mmame said the Masuku project originated from a proposal submitted by the district council after identifying gaps in early childhood development infrastructure and limited access to healthcare services in the area.
She said the planned health post would provide communities with access to immediate medical assistance, particularly for children, while patients requiring more specialised treatment would be referred to larger health facilities within the district.
“The whole project has been put at about MK233 million. Inside that project, we have a good place for children to learn and there will also be a health post whereby children will get immediate help before being referred to big hospitals in the district,” Mmame said.
The district commissioner said the project would therefore help reduce the challenges faced by residents who currently have to travel farther to access basic health services.
Council encourages use of CDF
Mmame also encouraged communities in other parts of Chiradzulu to consider using available Constituency Development Fund (CDF) resources to support similar development initiatives.
She said community-level investments in education and healthcare could help improve access to essential services and complement support from development partners.
The grant contract signing ceremony was attended by Elizabeth Mlatho, Director of Community and Social Services in Chiradzulu, together with representatives from the Ministry of Finance and Chiradzulu District Council, including the council’s Director of Finance.
The Masuku project is expected to strengthen access to early childhood education and basic healthcare while providing infrastructure that directly responds to needs identified by the local community.
Malawi Freedom Network (MFN)
