Malawi: MIJ dominates summit awards

Blantyre, 8 June: Malawi Institute of Journalism (MIJ) FM Radio was the talk of the day at the SADC Gender Protocol Awards Gala held on Wednesday night at Sunbird Hotels in Blantyre.

MIJ scooped the Most Resourceful Media Centre of Excellence (COE) Award and Media Centre of Excellence Award. Journalist from the institution Chikondi Kasambara emerged overall winner in the Media Content for Radio category followed by a workmate Lloyd Kaisi Phiri.

Commenting on the achievement, MIJ Executive Director, Daliso Nkunika said it was very encouraging that MIJ had again excelled in this year’s awards.

She says that the development means the radio has set a pace which others would want to dilute next year, but she maintains that as it stands the radio, will make sure they retain the honour.

“Definitely, this is very good news to us. We must say that as MIJ we are grateful that our media house has done so well in the awards. As a way of holding on to this success, we will double the work we have done, in promotion of gender issues in the country” Nkunika beams with smiles.

In 2014, MIJ also set the same national record and won the SADC Media Centre of Excellence Award after outclassing all SADC media houses.

Media COE, runners up, Radio Maria Malawi, through representative, Fungai Mutsinze, said they intend to come with more improved entries next year so that they become winners. Radio Maria also came as runners up in the previous awards.

“For us at Radio Maria, this is another milestone. We intend to come in a new style next year and we hope that someday, we will emerge winners in this category”. Mutsinze promised.

Below is the table of the Full list of winners.

During the Awards Gala, the Minister of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare, Patricia Kaliati called on the winners to represent Malawi well at the Regional Summit in August and told the others who did not make it to quadruple their gender mainstreaming efforts to ensure success at the next national summit.

The summit which gathered people from various sectors that promote gender equality aims at serving as a springboard to call for a stronger framework for gender equality aligned to the Sustainable Development Goals whilst the region takes the final stock of progress made to fulfil the 28 targets of the SADC Protocol before the 2015 deadline.

This article is part of the GL News Service special coverage of the SADC Gender Protocol Summits underway across the region, offering fresh views on everyday news.