Malawi: NGOs Plead for Government Support in Improving ‘Sustainability Policies’
The country’s Non-governmental organisations have urged the government to seriously consider working out on the challenges they are currently facing by improving their operations through sustainability policies.
The development was raised at Crossroads Hotel in Lilongwe during a long day regional policy validation meeting for the reviewed Draft 2025 National Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) Policy which was focusing on ensuring that it responds to emerging trends and effectively aligns with the Malawi 2063 Agenda.
During the meeting, Non Governmental organizations among other things , disclosed that the closure of other international donor organizations in providing funds towards local organisations has forced the institutions to face a serious economic hardships which also led to discontinuation of various projects.
Executive Member for Local Non Governmental Organization Forum, Mernard Nyirenda said; “You might be aware that the policy we’ve been using came to an end in 2024 so this time around we need to develop a new national NGO’s policy which deserve to deepen democratic environment and also support the achievement of national development.
“Yes, it is time for us to make a change and help to grow in terms of how to deal with international donors that have been pulling out due to economic hardship by mapping the solutions for goodness of our civic space and advocate without fear, but we cannot do that ourselves without the government taking part because we believe that government is the main key in as far as improved sustainability for the NGO policies is concerned,”.
He added that policy review will significantly help the standards towards the development since several NGO’s are now mandatory to the community that will be guiding in intervention that’s are contributing to the community as well.
Speaking during the meeting, Chief Economist in the Ministry of Gender Responsible for Policy and Planning, Clement Komwa highlighted that the previous policy for 2019-2024 had some successful stories as well as areas which failed to materialize in terms of positive contribution and based on such experiences drawn from the old policy they’re currently focusing on addressing emerging issues in the new policy in areas such as governance and regulation, strengthening partnership and networking, crosscutting issues, sustainability of NGO interventions and ensuring that accountability is mainstreamed in the NGO sector.
“Recently, we have seen donors adopting a shift in terms of their support by shifting their focus from providing aid due to ongoing developments in the geopolitics which has affected NGO operations in the country.
“But, through this new policy we want to ensure that NGO’s are implementing programmes whose outcomes will indeed benefit Malawians in uplifting their living standard and addressing their economic challenges.” Said Komwa.
Komwa specifically mentioned how the policies will address the compound issues inorder to deal with the circumstances that comes with compliance to some who dont comply to the government policy.
He further added that some of the organisation lacks awareness policies to strengthen their networks.
“If we work together as partners we believe that they’re going to take this policy with compliance and it’s vision with a common interest to develop this country,” explained Komwa.
Among other things the reason behind the consultative meeting was to look after organisation hiccups in terms of shrinking of resources, drawing much emphasis on reviewing the partnership and resource mobilisation.
Ministry of Gender community development and Social Welfare organised the validation meeting in collaboration with Non Governmental organization with funding from Tilitonse foundation.
The review policy which started in Blantyre, will be done in all regions of the country from the district level, from the 2019 policies and restructuring the 2025 draft consultative meeting.
By Nyasa Times.
