By Vincent Gunde
The Dowa District Council has asked partners implementing various interventions in the district to sign Memorandum of Understanding [MoU] with Council to enhance cooperation, transparency and accountability for projects which are being implemented.
Dowa district has over 35 Non-Governmental Organizations [NGOs] working on the ground but the impact is less, many people still lack basic social services making many wondering the impact of NGOs in the district.
Members of Parliament [MPs] and councilors have from time and again been calling for a meeting with NGOs to know where they are working in the district and their budget line after noting with great concern that some NGOs tend to by-pass Area Development Committees in implementing their projects.
In one of the previous full council meetings in 2015, former Minister in the DPP led government who was Dowa Central constituency legislator, Dr. Jean Alfazema Nachika Kalilani lamented that a lot of Malawian pictures are being displayed in America and Europe for donors to support but when the support comes, it doesn’t go to the intended beneficiaries.
Speaking during a District executive committee [Dec] meeting held at the boma on Tuesday, the Council’s Director of Planning and Development, Loveness Nkunika-Silungwe, said signing MoUs with council will improve their working relationships for the good of the communities in the district.
Nkunika-Silungwe asked partners to always submit monthly reports to the council’s Monitoring and Evaluation Officer noting with great concern that there are some partners who do not want to share their reports.
“Let’s share reports, be it monthly or quarterly, so that all follow what you are implementing to the communities in the district,” he said.
She also advised NGOs to make sure that they register with the NGO Board. She reminded them that the NGO Board has an officer in the district.
Earlier, Nkunika-Silungwe appealed to NGOs of the district to support training of youth networks in their respective work areas for them to work effectively in supporting fellow youths.