Chakwera inaugurates 2022 MACOHA Flag Week

Malawi: President Lazarus Chakwera today presided over the inauguration of the 2022 Malawi Council for the Handicapped (MACOHA) Flag Week, with the theme 'Vocational Skills Acquisition: A Means of Empowering Persons with Disabilities,' and purchased a flag for MK2 million at his residence, Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe.

He said that this year's Flag Week is yet another opportunity for the country to stand in solidarity with people with disabilities and provide full support as a means of empowering them.

Chakwera stated that the theme is well-aligned with the Malawi 2063 Vision, which aspires to use human capital development as an enabling vehicle for job creation, giving all citizens the opportunity to become self-sufficient.

Agnes Mkusankhoma, Deputy Minister of Gender, Community Development, and Social Welfare, stated that people with disabilities can fully participate in the country's social and economic development if they are given the opportunity and adequate resources.

In his remarks, Dr. Chiwoza Bandawe, the board chairperson for MACOHA, stated that their goal for this year's Flag Week is to raise MK60 million, the majority of which will go to vocational skills and a large portion of which will be used to purchase business start-up tools for 60 people with disabilities in Karonga district who have already been trained.

This year's Flag Week aims to raise awareness among stakeholders, including the general public, about the importance of each of us playing our part in levelling the playing field and equalising opportunities for people with disabilities.

MACOHA was established by an Act of Parliament, the Handicapped Persons Act of 1971 Cap 33:02, to enable them to actively participate in socioeconomic development activities for their communities and country.