First ever Rehab opens in Malawi

Alcoholism just got its first real challenge - St. John of God (SJOG)

in Mzuzu has established the first ever addiction recovery centre in

Malawi a move that is going to bring hope to families that have

members hooked on the bottle or drugs.

Charles Masulani Mwale, Program Manager at SJOG said in an email

interview that the institution has been motivated by the lack of such

services in Malawi despite addiction being a social problem in Malawi.

“Looking at our clientele, we realise that there a huge proportion of

mental health problems co-occur with substance abuse or that the

problems are secondary to substance abuse. Since our approach to care

is holistic, we felt we could provide a service to meet this need,”

said Mwale

The concept of addiction rehabilitation is popular in developed

nations where people have to be bailed from addictions ranging from

playing video games to dependency on drugs such as heroin. The

interventions range from sophisticated centres to groups of addicts

helping each other out.

Mwale said despite there being no concrete studies on the extent of

the drug and substance abuse problem in Malawi, the fact that other

African countries have the problem shows that Malawi has not been

spared.

He said statistics from other African countries show that the

prevalence of alcohol misuse is about 5 to 30 percent depending on

social factors such as economic status. In most Southern African

colleges, said Mwale, 11 percent of the students use hemp, while the

drug Mandrax is also popular.

“In one local study it was found out that 57 percent of youths aged 12

to 17 agree that obtaining marijuana is easy in Malawi because of its

affordable cost

“…what’s more scaring is that casual as well as chronic substance

users are more likely to engage in high-risk behaviours such as

unprotected sex. The drugs or alcohol interfere with their judgment,”

said Mwale.

Well, Malawi will have to stagger no longer, at a fee of K15,000 the

committed addicted first undergo screening at the centre’s psychology

centre to determine the addiction levels and type of therapy required.

Some hard-core alcohol users have to report early so that their levels

can undergo detoxification before starting the actual therapy.

“We have boarding facilities; we provide lunch as well as foodstuffs

for dinner and breakfast. The program is residential and individuals

are not allowed to go out unnecessarily to prevent relapse while on

the program.”

Mwale assures Malawians wishing to come to the centre saying they will

be housed separate from the acute mentally ill patients that the

institution also deals with.

The program is going to be facilitated by nurses, counsellors, Art

professionals, psychologists, pastoral care staff and occupational

therapists all standing by to kick the addiction out of the patients.

SJOG was established in 1993 by Brothers of St. John of God from

Ireland who were invited by Mzuzu Diocese to establish a community

based mental health care service centre to service the North. It was

initially working with the church’s Primary Health Care Department but

has now grown into a formidable multi-faceted institution that can now

produce graduates in mental health.

SJOG joins the likes Drug Fight Malawi an NGO which is also furiously

fighting alcohol abuse in Malawi and is bent on seeing the enactment

of the National Alcohol Policy.

Police stop party launch, members cry foul; it’s sad for democracy –analyst

Armed Police in Mzuzu on Sunday stopped the launch of the newly registered People's Development Movement (PDM) a move that has angered its members and has attracted condemnation from political commentators.

According to the party's publicity secretary, Msenga Mulungu, police started intensifying their presence at Katoto Freedom Park, where the party was scheduled to launch, early on Sunday morning and at around 8AM ordered the platforms to be disbanded.

"They said they had orders from the Mzuzu City Assembly to stop the launch because the party was not registered and thus not supposed to stage any rally in the city," said Mulungu.

Mulungu wondered why the City Assembly could make such allegations when the party [PDM] has a certificate of registration issued by the Mzuzu High Court, Mulungu further alleged that the City Assembly was dabbling in the affairs of the court.

A letter from the city assembly said in part that the party should not hold any gatherings in the city whether on developed or undeveloped land and ordered all police officer to be on guard.

Mulungu said he tried to talk to City officials but didn't manage to convince them as they argued that the State, through the registrar of Political Parties, was still contesting the legality of PDM to the effect of getting a stay order that will calumniate into a court hearing slated for January six.

"The hearing is on 6 January that mean before that we are a legal party and we have our certificate," said Mulungu.

Mzuzu City Assembly Chief Executive, Richard Hara, refused to answer any questions saying he was on Holiday.

Mzuzu Police Spokesperson, Norah Chimwala also couldn't say anything and said she needed more time to find out what happened.

Commenting on the development, Mzuzu University's history lecturer and political analyst said that the disruption of the party launch was "sad for democracy."

"It is undemocratic and unconstitutional. The Malawi Constitution provides for freedom of association for every citizen after all the party is registered by the court," said Mbowela

Mbowela however said that they may be some procedure that was flouted by PDM that could render the disruption of its registered justified and said PDM ought to have cleared issues with the city officials.

"...but if everything was done then such actions may confirm other people's fears that the country is being governed in an MCP regime style and shows that the current government [DPP] doesn't want other parties coming in and gaining momentum," said Mbowela.

PDM has attracted many members including Harry Mkandawire, Loveness Gondwe and Richard Msowoya and the launch was to be graced by members from across the country.

PDM and government have been at daggers draw since the party applied for legal status. Its initial application was refused because it was openly critical of the Quota system, a revised application was turned down again and the registrar of political parties stopped responding to the applicants prompting them to forcibly register the party through the High Court on November 5 last year.

'JB wanted Bingu dead'

--

Malawians are now bored with the Joyce Banda (JB) firing story.... but wait; they are in for a surprising twist, Goodal Gondwe on Saturday added two more reasons to the ones the ruling party earlier listed for the firing, one of which was the allegation that JB wanted Bingu dead.

Mphepo organised the meet

Goodal was speaking at press briefing at Mary Mount Secondary School Hall in Mzuzu where the Northern DPP faithfulls gathered to issue a communiqué to notify the nation that the party was still strong even without JB and Khumbo Kachali.

“Joyce wanted Bingu dead and Kachali was electing own shadow MP’s a thing that made the party fire them. The party is now new without them,” said Gondwe, who is the Director of Economic for DPP.

Etta Banda - lashed out at JB

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is quoted in the Weekend Nation Newspaper saying that

JB was fired for sabotaging the Nsanje port progress, and refusing to endorse Peter Mutharika which is a deviation from Goodal’s claims.

Minister of Health; David Mphande accused JB of financing anti-government propaganda via Nyasa Times.

“Nyasa Times is Bingu’s greatest enemy, and I am angry at Nyasa Times for alleging that my constituency was not represented at Manolo on Wednesday when the president was launching the tree planting season, on the contrary, there was a lorry full of people from Nkhata-bay south East, this is Joyce’s propaganda,” said Mphande.

Other DPP members also took turns to castigate JB; among those who spoke hard against here were Bessie Chirambo, Etta Banda, Vuwa Kaunda and Gotani Hara.

Gotani Hara said Joyce Banda does not like Northerners and said her hatred manifested with the absence of Northerners while she was Minister of Foreign affairs.

Akim Mwanza, MP for Mzimba Solola, who had once been fired from DPP for criticising Quota System of selecting students to university as discriminatory, said that after what he experienced nobody should dare blunder.

The party also took time to endorse Peter Mutharika’s 2014 presidential bid with the party’s deputy publicity secretary Wyson Mkochi claiming that it was the North’s idea that Peter succeed Bingu because he was the only one they saw as educated and experienced.

Another Mzimba MP, Bofomo Nyirenda, said he supported Peter Mutharika because he has records that Peter was instrumental in Malawi’s fight against Kamuzu Banda’s dictatorial rule.

Vuwa Kaunda - JB is not from the North

The meeting was organised by DPP’s Organising Secretary, Francis Mphepo and had many big wigs of the party in attendance in addition to about 80 faithfuls that had been ferried from across the Northern Region.

The meeting was never short of drama as the reporters that were called to the press conference were never allowed to ask questions a move that saw some respectable reporters like Edwin Nyirongo of The Nation Newspaper walk out in disappointment.

JB wished Bingu dead: Gondwe

Te meeting also come in the wake of mass resignation of DPP member with over 30 people including DPP’s Northern region organising secretary Frazer Chunga, district campaign director Bitton Nyirenda and Phato Theu, the Deputy District treasurer resigning in Mzimba on Thursday.

The 33 said they knew DPP through JB and KK and thus saw no reason of staying in the party now that the two were fired. They however said that they were not forming or joining any parties soon.

Imposing leaders causes intra-party strife-Young Politicians

The young Politicians Union (YPU) on Wednesday organised an anti-violence training for the country's parties' youngsters ahead of the local government elections, who among other issues, identified imposition of leaders as the cause of wrangles and violence in political parties.

The issues were discussed at a workshop held at Livingstonia Synod's Conference Hall in Mzuzu. The workshop was facilitated by National Initiative for Civic Education (NICE).

"We discussed and found that among other causes, intra-party strife is caused by lack of statesmanship among losing candidates, abusive language, lack of civic education and imposition of leaders," said Elena Mpata, who is YPU's Documentation and Research officer.

She bemoaned candidates who fail to bear with loss at primary election level and go on to stand as independents, a move she said causes parties to brawl in wrangle as loyalists get confused.

Asked what YPU discussed on Joyce Banda's alleged mistreatment by the Mutharika regime, YPU's Director, Peter Mumba said that they see the issue as an internal one but called on DPP to put its house together because the party's issues are starting to affect the whole nation.

YPU says this is the first in a series of similar trainings that will target youthful politicians ahead of the oncoming local government elections.

GEN takes activism to Dancehall level

"Dance for yours rights," is this year's 16 Days of Activism theme for the Girls Empowerment Network (GEN) and it is not just theory, as the organisation has engaged dancing groups to vigorously dance as the message is disseminated to the public; and it works.

The dance-based activism started in Blantyre a week ago and every district that is en-route to Mzuzu has experienced the dancing advocates. In Mzuzu, GEN engaged dancers from around the city and there was a dance clash at Katoto Freedom Park where secondary school students vigorously joined the jive while wielding placards bearing messages against gender violence.

"As you know we are in the 16 Days of Activism and our message is to bring in more action and not just words," said GEN's Project Officer, Yamikani Banda, "after we dance we stop to sensitise the masses against gender based violence."

The network has since slated a girl's conference for the 8^th of December in Mzuzu and another in Blantyre on the 10^th, to mark the end of the 16 days of activism.

St. John of Malawi?

...how one institution is managing to keep Mzuzu free from/of street kids

Genesis

Thirteen year old John Banda’s (not real name) world turned topsy turvy when he was accused of being a witch. His parents labelled him persona non grata and teachers shunned him. Ching’ambo Township had failed him so he moved to the streets of Mzuzu.



Umoza Dance Troupe, captured at a rehearsal



St. John of God (SJOG) Community Services spotted John and he was soon transformed into a responsible boy his community and parents never thought he would ever be.



Many children of John’s fate are not as lucky but in the middle of it all is the Umoza outreach project by SJOG which has so far managed to keep kids away from Mzuzu‘s streets, I went to find out more about Umoza Project.



Aidan Clohessy, SJOG Director said his institution saw the problem as early as 1996 and only commissioned Umoza after the stakeholders initially drafted in the community response team lost steam and enthusiasm.

Under Umoza scouts from SJOG patrol the streets for any signs of children. Once identified the kids are invited to the institution’s drop in centre where they are either repatriated or rehabilitated.

Part of SJOG

“If they are from around Mzuzu, we contact their parents or guardians to try to validate their story before we can start rehabilitating the child,” said Clohessy, “If they are from outside Mzuzu we arrange for repatriation of the kids.”

The problem



Clohessy believes the problem of street kids stems from poverty as exacerbated by HIV, alcohol abuse, gender violence and cultural practices with some kids being accused of witchcraft.



ALex Nkosi, SJOG Umoza Cordinator



“Here [North] in the patrilineal system, the problem comes when a father remarries. He is likely to chase and ignore the step-children who then go onto the street,” he said, “In the street, they can be raped, exploited by businessmen and they are likely to take up crime.”

Clohessy said the problem gets compounded when society rejects the kids as vermin chasing them and calling them names as if it [society] wasn’t responsible for the children’s plight.

Said Clohessy, “They say ‘sweeping kids off the street,’ what impression does that give? Are the kids dirt?”

Intervention and Restoration

The kids once coaxed into SJOG are encouraged to go back to school, this after undergoing counselling in behaviour change. Religious and psychological counselling is also conducted apart from the medical care that they kids get.

With 95 percent of the children wanting to go back to school, SJOG prepares them for integration into conventional schools around Mzuzu and provides basics such as uniform and fees as the children advance in their education. The programme boasts of 65 and 16 children in primary and secondary schools respectively.

A special need teacher is always on standby to follow up their progress in terms of academics and behaviour and to provide remedial lessons and counselling.

For those that cannot go back school, SJOG instils vocational skills into them. They can take up carpentry, horticulture, brick-laying or homemaking (tailoring). Vocational skills are also taught to the rest during holidays to cultivate an earning culture to kill the dependency that might have set up camp in the children when they roamed the streets.

The project also furthers personal talent in the children. Various sports disciplines are available for the children to indulge in, in fact, the 2010 Champion of the under-15 Bingu Table Tennis Cup is from Umoza. A cultural dance troupe also sees the children raise their esteem and vent their energy by performing at high level functions.

Everybody is taught how to cook and personal hygiene emphasized, the result of which is neat looking children that make kids that stayed at home want to go into the streets just to join Umoza.

The project has seen a steep decline in the number of street kids on the streets of Mzuzu - actually there are no street kids in Mzuzu. Umoza currently has 95 students on the register but has rehabilitated about a thousand since the project’s initiation in 2003.

Looking ahead

Alex Nkosi, Project Coordinator of the Umoza Children’s Program said it is difficult to win cooperation of the parents and to change the attitudes of the community towards street children. He also bemoaned lack of support from government.

“The City Assembly can do more by regulating alcohol and video shows. The Social Services department should also try to help us more, we are strained,” Nkosi said, “The community should also do something and not expect SJOG to do everything for them.”

Nkosi further said that teachers in schools that absorb Umoza children should stop stereotyping the children as troublesome just because SJOG mainly focuses on mental health.

Mchengautuba, Salisbury and Masasa being the main suppliers of street kids have been earmarked as targets of a community based approach that SJOG is rolling out early next year. Centres will be opened where kids will be tamed before they even think of the street and parents taught positive parenting.



One of the rehabilitating kid in a vegetable  field



SJOG was established in 1993 by Brothers of St. John of God from Ireland who were invited by Mzuzu Diocese to establish a community based mental health care service centre to service the North. It was initially working with the church’s Primary Health Care Department but has now grown into a formidable multi-faceted institution that can now produce graduates in mental health.

As John Banda finishes his plate of porridge and prepare to start hitting the drum for Umoza dance troupe, many enjoy the rhythm without a thought of what could have become of the kid if he was left on the street.