By Loness Gwazanga
Blantyre, June 2, Mana: GOAL Malawi, a humanitarian and relief international Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) has finally bid farewell to Blantyre district council after four years of developmental partnership.
The Organization’s Head of Programmes, Janet Mwagomba told the Council’s District Executive Committee (DEC) on Wednesday that the exit marked the official closure of GOAL Malawi countrywide offices due to unfavorable funding landscape.
She said since the organization came to the district, over K8 billion has been used in various developmental activities in conjunction with various sectors at the district council, reaching to about 12, 800 people.
“Our main objective was to help people survive crisis and promote food and nutritional status of the people living in Blantyre. We have worked with the gender and community development office, youth as well as health in lean season response and COVID-19.
“In all this, we have learned that partnership is key in project activities and hence, need for continued learning and adapting to emerging trends to serve the communities better,” Mwagomba explained.
Blantyre District’s Director of Planning and Development (DPD) Tamanya Harawa described the outgoing GOAL Malawi as one of the best implementing partners the council has ever had.
“In terms of involvement, GOAL Malawi was 100 percent and their disclosure of resources was better unlike other partners that we have in Blantyre. It is sad that they are leaving because they assisted in almost all of our activities. Will miss them so much,” he lamented.
Established in 1977 in Ireland, GOAL came to Malawi in 2002 and has worked in districts such as Chikwawa, Machinga, Mangochi, Ntcheu, Balaka and Dowa with funding from from UK Aid, USAID and European Commission among others.
Apart from Malawi, the organization also works in Africa as well as Latin America and Middle East.
