Media drilled In Enhanced Public Works Programme

District based Journalists have been urged to be NLGFC Ambassadors in propelling success of the pilot EPWP Project in ten pilot districts in Malawi. The remarks were made by Coordinator of the Project Stanley Chuthi at the opening of a three day media training organized by the NLGFC in Blantyre.

Chuthi said that during implementation of the past Public Works Programme under MASAF IV, the media were not involved on the onset of the programme resulting into random reporting and infrequent coverage.

‘This time, we do not want to have the same problem. We cannot have project impact minus the media. We have provided them with all the necessary information and materials for them to understand climate smart EPWP and our expectation is that after this training, they will carry the right message to the community and help create awareness of the programme,” said Chuthi.

One of the participants Bernadetta Chiwanda Mia, of MIJ FM commended NLGFC for organizing the training saying that it was informative and it helped them understand the climate smart EPWP in detail and that the media will now be able to report and make proper follow ups.

“As the media, this is what we need when there is a new project. We need to be enlightened so that we are aware of what the project is all about. With the information we have gathered from this training, we will now be able to sensitize communities, report and make follow ups as the project progresses”.

District Information Officer for Phalombe, Sam Majamanda said the training was an eye opener and that it has helped create a good working relationship with community radio journalists. In addition, Majamanda said that, climate smart EPWP is a much awaited project coming at a right time when the country is grappling with issues of climate change leading to land degradation, floods, food insecurity due to poor yields among other things.

“This training was beyond gathering facts and information about climate smart EPWP and calling for our involvement in the programme, it’s also wakeup call to us as DIOs and  journalists to join hands in addressing environmental issues due climate change” said Sam.

EPWP focuses on Integrated Watershed Management (IWM), covering sub-projects such as land resource conservation, afforestation, environment as well as sustainable livelihoods.

The project will be piloted in 10 district councils of Chitipa, Karonga, Nkhotakota, Kasungu, Dowa, Lilongwe, Balaka, Chiradzulu, Phalombe and Blantrye.