Illovo Sugar Malawi engages Chikwawa community leaders in GBV behavior change campaign

The traditional leaders in Chikwawa

Maravi  Express

Illovo Sugar Malawi Plc, in partnership with Red Cross Malawi, has called for community leaders in Chikwawa to join the noble cause of eliminating gender-based violence among communities in Malawi.

Illovo partnered with Red Cross Malawi in observance of the 16 Days of Activism to enhance the awareness against gender-based violence and inculcate the fight amongst traditional leaders.

The two partners have also reached out church leaders and Anakungwi (women advocate groups) under T/A Lundu, T/A Maseya, T/A Katunga in the district.

Illovo supported the campaign through financing the activities which were aimed at influencing behavioral change. 

The campaign also draw up plans with the traditional leaders for further engagement with their communities to drive the necessary behavioral changes. 

Illovo Managing Director, Lekani Katandaula stated that the importance of eliminating violence against women cannot be overemphasized.

“Women play a key role in the work places, communities and families,” he said. “This is why Illovo is fully supporting the campaign to end violence against women and create a better Malawi for all.”

He further said as a company, Illovo is dedicated to playing its role in creating a thriving Malawian community and this includes taking part in tackling social issues such as gender-based violence.

Illovo supported the 16 Days of Activism on the heels of a recent incident where, a 12-year-old girl was defiled in Chikwawa.

“This incident has shown that there is need to work with the communities in eradicating gender-based violence and the best partners are the community leaders themselves. 

“We shall continue to work with the communities as we continue to fight the vice both internally and externally,” Katandaula said.

This year’s 16 Days of Activism was observed under the theme ‘Unite to End Gender Based Violence: Prevent, Report, Respond, Fund’.

Illovo Sugar Malawi group is listed on the Malawi Stock Exchange (MSE) and Illovo Sugar Africa Proprietary Limited (Illovo), through Sucoma Holdings Limited.

It holds 76% of the issued share capital with the balance of the shares being held by the public and other institutional investors. 

Illovo Sugar Africa is the continent’s largest sugar producer with extensive agricultural and manufacturing operations in six African countries – Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania and Zambia. 

Illovo Sugar Africa is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Associated British Foods (ABF), in the United Kingdom.

Illovo Malawi has developed considerable agricultural and milling assets at the Dwangwa Estate in Central Region district of Nkhotakota and at the Nchalo Estate in the South in Chikhwawa.

Both factories produce raw and refined sugar with the Nchalo factory also manufacturing value-added speciality sugars. 

All Illovo sugar sold into the local direct consumption market is fortified with Vitamin A to help eliminate micronutrient deficiency particularly in children under-five years of age.

Illovo Sugar Malawi spends K1.1 billion for the fortification programme benefitting an estimated two million people. 

The company also contributes significantly to the socio-economic development of Malawi through the payment of both direct and indirect taxes to the fiscus and through its stakeholder and community creating shared value and corporate social investment activities.

It is one of the country’s largest single private-sector employer providing direct employment for over 9,427 people and creating a total of 14,100 jobs.

Illovo is also a major contributor to the Malawian tax authorities through direct and indirect taxes and generates valuable foreign exchange through export sugar sales. 

Many local industries are dependent upon Illovo for their viability and the employment created by these businesses provides an income base for many more families than are directly employed. 

The company further supports an estimated 2,746 smallholder cane farmers through various smallholder schemes.