TRADE-SOUTHERN AFRICA: New Zambezi Waterway Planned

Malawi, Zambia and Mozambique hope to navigate the mighty Zambezi river's waterways by 2009 as an alternative and cheap transport route for imports and exports from and to the three southern African countries.

TRADE-AFRICA: EPAs Like ”Irrigation for Economic Growth”

African and European negotiators in the economic partnership agreement (EPA) talks for eastern and southern Africa have refuted criticism from local and international civil society organisations about the possible negative effects of the proposed deal.

TRADE: EPA may ”Destroy” Malawi’s Manufacturing Potential

Economic circles in eastern and southern Africa are abuzz with discussions about the advantages and disadvantages of the economic partnership agreement (EPA) which governments of these countries are negotiating with the European Union (EU).

ECONOMY-MALAWI: Being a ”Good Pupil” Can Be Bad for You

Five years after the famine in which more than 1,000 Malawians died and 8 million of the country's 12 million people suffered from hunger, the bitter memory of bad policy advice still lingers on.

Malawi's Farmers Don't Waste Human Waste

Farmers in six of Malawi's 27 districts are using compost obtained from human excrement to avoid having to buy expensive chemical fertilizers for their fields.

ENVIRONMENT-MALAWI: Waste Not, Want Not

In many parts of Malawi, discussing human excreta is taboo. The mere mention of faeces, in any of the country's 10 official languages, makes those taking part in the conversation uncomfortable. But, excreta could be about to gain respectability.

TRADE-MALAWI: Tobacco Industry Going Up in Smoke

Tobacco prices and production levels are dropping amid pressure from the anti-smoking lobby and the general downturn in agricultural produce markets. But Malawi has still not made adequate progress in promoting crops to replace its primary foreign exchange earner.

POLITICS-MALAWI: ”Two Elephants Trampling the Grass”

The African adage that ‘‘when two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers'' is currently particularly apt in Malawian politics.

DEVELOPMENT-MALAWI: Outlook Remains Bleak for the Poor

Grace Kafere is tired. She has been on her feet for close to five hours, bending over as she moves up and down in a forest gathering twigs and branches to sell as firewood.

HUMAN RIGHTS-MALAWI: Violence Threatens Women’s Meagre Gains

Chanju Mwale is a true role model. Not only does the 28-year-old possess good academic credentials as a lawyer, landing her the job of the Malawi Defence Force’s legal officer, but she is also the only female officer in the force who holds the rank of captain.

CHALLENGES 2006-2007: Malawi Struggles With Environment MDG

Chicken was once considered a delicacy which rarely graced tables in Malawi. Now fish has taken over this position, despite Malawi being famous for its lake - which is the fifth largest in the world by volume and contains an estimated 1,000 fish species.

CHALLENGES 2006-2007: Malawi On Track to Meet Child Mortality MDG

Looking at Patience Ziyenda, 37, one would say that she is a jovial woman. But deep inside, Patience is sad. She is among the many women in Malawi who have been struck by the catastrophe of child mortality.

CULTURE: Malawians Pursue the “Bootylicious”

On a cool evening, a young woman who identifies herself as Yasmin swings her hips as she walks confidently from her living quarters at the University of Malawi campus, towards a hall where a disco is being held.

DEVELOPMENT-MALAWI: Food Security Remains a Distant Dream

Forty years after independence, Malawi is still unable to ensure food security for its population which is growing at a rate of 2 percent per year, according to the country’s national statistical office.