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FUKO is published
with financial support
from Tilitonse Fund
SPECIAL PULLOUT
APRIL 3 2015
StreNgthening Citizen
Voice and action
FUKO newspaper
is distributed by
Fuko Impact
SPECIAL ESSAY BY
BRIGHT KUMWENDA, FUKO EDITOR
be.
Neither is it easy to find
suitable words to express
gratitude to a friend for his/
her warmth, goodwill, fairness
and magnanimity.
In such times, some
embrace while others break
down to express deep-seated
emotional contents.
Such a time came on Monday
when Tilitonse Fundwho
has been a friend indeed to
Nation Publications Limited
(NPL) since April 1 2013
bade farewell to Misa Malawi
Print Media House of the Year
after a two-year stint in cofinancing of FUKO Project.
Under the project, whose goal
is to strengthen citizen voice
and action for institutional
change that will lead to better
inclusivity,
accountability
and
responsiveness
Tilitonse Fund committed to
contributing about 14 percent
and NPL about 86 percent of
the total production costs of
FUKO.
Grant amount
By Monday, 30 March
2015 when the co-funding
arrangement came to an end,
Tilitonse Fund had committed
over K94 million to the
project.
This is not a small amount
considering
economic
challenges faced worldwide
and
NPLpublishers
of
FUKOshall always remain
indebted to people of the
United Kingdom, Ireland and
Norway (major contributors of
Tilitonse Fund) for supporting
more inclusive, accountable
and responsive governance in
Malawi.
Achievements
With financial and technical
support from Tilitonse Fund,
FUKO has achieved a lot which
time and space cannot allow
us to chronicle everything in
detail.
During this time, FUKOa
fortnightly
publication
grew exponentially from a
circulation of 10 000 to 30
000 copies and its readership
soared from 100 000 to 300
000.
A copy of FUKO is estimated
to be read by, at least, 10 people
since readers are encouraged
to pass on the newspaper to
others.
Through the partnership,
FUKO became the potent force
for community mobilisation;
provided a robust platform
for free expression; increased
citizens access to credible and
Towards strengthening
citizen voice and action
PHOTOGRAPH: NATION
idding farewell to a
friend has never been
easy and it will never
FUKO is geared towards promoting a more inclusive, accountable and responsive governance in Malawi
well-balanced information;
initiated debate on topical
issues such as the May 20
2014 Tripartite Elections,
Marriage Bill, Land Bill,
Access to Information Bill,
feudalism, Jetgate, Cashgate
and mining management.
The
free
vernacular
newspaper also facilitated
diffusion of technologies in
rural areas, close literacy
gaps
in
schools
and
influenced public strategies
and policies such as the
Alcohol Policy, empowered
citizens, especially the poor
and the marginalised to
claim their rights through
provision of information
on rights, entitlements and
responsibilities.
In
pursuance
of
its
investigative role, FUKO kept
duty-bearers on their toes
to ensure improved quality
of public services, good
management and equitable
distribution
of
public
resources such as drugs in
public hospitals at both local
and national levels.
Through FUKOs watchdog
role, a lot of malpractices
in the public and private
ARCHIVE FAST
FACTS
SPECIAL ESSAY
Fluidity of local languages was
also a constraint.
Lessons
FUKO Project was full of
lessons and chief among
them was the power of unity,
collaboration and networking
in achieving the shared
goalmaking Malawi a more
inclusive, accountable and
responsive society.
No
institution
or
organisation can achieve this
single-handedly.
It
needs
concerted efforts.
Distribution
Although NPL publishes
FUKO, distribution is done
by strategic partners such
as Malawi Human Rights
Commission
(MHRC),
National Initiative for Civic
Education
(Nice)
Trust,
Concern Universal (CU), Find
Your Feet, Total Land Care
(TLC), Pride Malawi, Soldev,
Youth Net and Counselling
(Yoneco), Fambitsa Network
CBO, Church and Society
Programme of the CCAP
Synod
of
Livingstonia,
National Smallholder Farmers
Association
of
Malawi
(Nasfam),
Malawi
Carer,
National Association of People
Living with HIV and Aids in
Malawi (Napham), Farmers
Union of Malawi (FUM), Finca,
Fincoop, Creative Centre for
Community
Mobilisation
(Creccom),
Chisomo
Childrens Club, Adventist
Development
and
Relief
PHOTOGRAPH: NATION
Commitment
NPL will continue financing
and publishing FUKO, a
newspaper it established six
years ago as part of its nationbuilding initiative.
Although this may not be at
the same weight, voltage and
tempo as it was with funding
from Tilitonse.
A cord of two strands is
stronger than that of one
and two are better than one
because they have a double
reward for their labour.
Recommendations
As long as there are citizens,
a need to strengthen citizen
voice and action will always
arise.
There is need for more
funding, more collaboration,
more
networking
to
consolidate and sustain the
achievements of the project.
Conclusion
Although it is painful to say
bye to a friend, such times are
inevitable sometimes and NPL
anxiously looks to the time
PAGE 2
Fuko Impact
Fuko Impact
Turning point
FEATURES
footsteps.
It was this story,
published in FUKO of 10 to
23 July 2013 in a style some
human rights activists
would call naming-andshaming,
that was the
last straw
that broke
the camels
back.
Stephen
was not only
ashamed
but also
devastated
with the bad
publicity
he received
as he was
ridiculed
wherever he
went.
This was his turning
point.
He vowed never to molest
his wife again.
Two years down the line,
My husband was
a difficult man.
He would punch
me like a bag
for petty issues.
My husband is now a
member of a village forest
management committee. In
the past, he was unwilling
to participate in any
development work.
Stephen concurred with
his wife.
Since that incident, I
have never lifted my hand
against my wife. I cannot
do that. Wife battering is
bad. Husbands should love
not batter their wives, he
said.
Both Equips Project
coordinator Reuben Kainga
and Village Head Herani
also heaped praises on
FUKO, saying the story has
reduced cases of genderbased violence in T/A
Makwangwala.
Cases of wife battering
have dramatically gone
down in my area following
the publication of
Stephens story and civic
education that different
FEATURES
Fuko Impact
STRENGTHENING CITIZEN VOICE AND ACTION
BRIGHT KUMWENDA
oncern Universal
(CU) has
described FUKO
Project impact on
Enhancing Quality
and Inclusive Public
Services (Equips)
Project as phenomenal.
FUKO is a
governance and
development
newspaper published
by Nation Publications
Limited (NPL) with
financial support from
Tilitonse Fund.
FUKO whose
project goal is to
strengthen citizen
voice and action for
institutional change
that will lead to
better inclusivity,
accountability and
responsivenesshas
so far received over
K94 million from
Tilitonse Fund to run
FUKO Project.
Our interaction
with Nation
Publications Limited
as both a contributor
of news items and
distributor of FUKO
newspaper copies have
had a phenomenon
impact on Equips
Project, said Reuben
Kainga, CU Equips
Project coordinator.
He said FUKO has
created awareness and
strengthened citizens
voice on their rights,
entitlements and
responsibilities.
FUKO has not
only increased
citizens access to
information on their
rights, entitlements
and responsibilities,
it has also
strengthened their
voices on governance
issues, said Kainga.
Some wife-batters
whose stories were
published in FUKO
were not only
ashamed but they
also reformed.
So, you can
see how FUKO
deterred people from
committing genderbased violence.
Most people are
now aware that
if they commit
crimes community
journalists who live
in their villages will
referring to a story
of Stephen Kalulu
of Herani Village,
Traditional Authority
Makwangwala in
Ntcheu, who was
fined seven chickens
for beating his wife,
Estere.
Stephen is now
a changed person
following the
publication and
campaign CU
through Equips
Projecthas been
running in the
vil lage on rights,
entitlements and
responsibilities.
Equips Project
is also funded by
Tilitonse Project.
That aside,
FUKO has also
increased visibility
of Concern
Universal projects
and activities across
the country, said
Kainga.
Published in
Chichewa and
Chitumbuka, FUKO
is distributed for
free by its strategic
partners such as
CU, Malawi Human
Rights Commission
(MHRC), Total Land
Care (TLC), Pride
Malawi, Farmers
Union of Malawi
(FUM) and other
organisation s.n
community development,
good
governance,
womens rights, gender,
youth development and
empowerment, health,
education, agriculture,
environment and others.
I like reading FUKO
d v e n t i s t
Development and
Relief
Agency
(Adra)
Malawi
has
spoken highly about
FUKO as a teaching
material in their adult
literacy programme.
FUKO is a governance
and
development
newspaper
published
by Nation Publications
Limited (NPL) and is
distributed for free by
different organisations,
including Adra Malawi.
Adra Malawi adult
literacy
programme
officer, Jaffer Kachule,
said the organisation
uses FUKO as a teaching
material in their schools.
Learners like FUKO
because it is readerfriendly in that it is
published
in
local
languagesChichewa
and Chitumbukaand
Fuko Impact
Fuko Impact
FEATURES
case
What do others say Mwanza
judgement April 14
about FUKO?
Auspicious Ndamuwa,
Chisomo Childrens
Club centre manager,
says: FUKO helps our
community-based care
centres (CBCCs) access
information on child
rights child protection,
youth empowerment,
youth development,
gender and good
governance. The
advantage of newspaper
stories as opposed to
those aired on radios
is that you can archive
and refer to them in
future.
Noel Msisha,
Association of
Progressive Women
(APW) acting
executive director,
says: FUKO is a good
tool for community
mobilisation. APW
is running a project
aimed at mobilising
people to participate
in community
development and
FUKO was handy in
as far as coverage and
mobilisation were
concerned.
Tukombo
Dispensary opens
after 15 years
GEORGE SINGINI
PHOTOGRAPHs: NATION
Victor Makwinja,
Christ-Citadel
International
Church pastor,
says: Currently,
our adult literacy
classes in Bangwe
use FUKO as a
learning material.
It excites students
to learn how to
read and write.
PHOTOGRAPHs: NATION
Chikumbu: I am satisfied
Fuko Impact
PICTORIAL
Old habits
die hard
Kapeni School
opens
PHOTOGRAPHs: NATION
Treating rabies
with chamba
FUKO of July 1-15, 2014
carried a story which
revealed that lack of
anti-rabies drug caused
some people in Karonga
to resort to using chamba
(Indian hemp) to treat the
disease. FUKO established
that most hospitals in the
country had run out of
anti-rabies drug and some
people were accessing it in
private hospitals at a cost
of K25 000 which was out
of reach for most people.
When FUKO published the
story the Ministry of Health
moved in to supply the
affected hospitals with the
drug. FUKO is published by
NPL with financial support
from Tilitonse Fund.
JOHN CHIRWA
fUKO
eDITORIAL
tEAM
Bright Kumwenda
Editor
Hlulo Nyirenda
Copy Editor
Watipaso Mzungu
Reporter
John Chirwa
Reporter
Rachel Kachali
Reporter
Chimwemwe Sefasi
Designer
Fuko Impact
Fuko Impact
Fuko Impact