* We are a big community, and it is important that we document and protect our history for future generations—Board of Trustees chairperson Muchanakhwaye Mpuluka
By Patience Longwe, Malawi News Agency (MANA)
Mulhako wa Alhomwe Cultural Herotage has launched its website, https://alhomwe.mw/, which is set to connect Lhomwe people worldwide and preserve the tribe’s history for future generations.
The launch was held at a fundraising dinner at Sunbird Capital where the organisation’s Board of Trustees chairperson, Muchanakhwaye Mpuluka, said announced that the website will serve as a central digital archive for Lhomwe culture, traditions and heritage.
Muchanakhwaye Mpuluka
“We are a big community, and it is important that we document and protect our history for future generations,” Mpuluka said — adding that the platform will enable people to learn the Lhomwe language, access the tribes’s history and follow its activities online.
It will also serve as a bridge for Lhomwe people in the diaspora, enabling them to stay connected and allowing others worldwide to learn about Lhomwe customs.
The fundraiser is towards the cost of preparations and support of the much-anticipated annual Mulhako wa Alhomwe Festival, scheduled for October 18 at Chonde in Mulanje.
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The proceeds will also go towards the cultural heritage’s various community development programmes such as education for vulnerable children and welfare programmes for the elderly.
Mpuluka thanked individuals and partners who have already contributed to the fundraising drive that aims to raise K280 million and present at the gala was Paramount Chief Kaduya, who called on Malawians to prioritise unity and mutual support in nation-building.
She said these values reflect Malawi’s cultural identity and are essential for national progress, saying: “When we stand together and support each other, we build a stronger nation.”
She also commended management of Mulhako wa Alhomwe for launching the website, describing it as a vital step in safeguarding and showcasing Lhomwe traditions to both local and international audiences in the digital age.
Other dignitaries present were Minister of Gender, Children, Disability & Social Welfare, Mary Navicha, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources Chipiliro Mpinganjira, and Apostle Clifford Kawinga of Salvation for All Ministries International (SFAMI).
The annual Mulhako wa Alhomwe Festival at Chonde Culture Heritage Centre is a boisterous moment that celebrates the Lhomwe tribe’s tangible and intangible cultural heritage.
The event, that attracts thousands of people across the country — which include representatives from various cultural heritages in Malawi and neighbouring countries — also celebrates the Lhomwe history through celebration of rituals, customs, traditional dances, songs and folklore.
It also includes art exhibitions that showcases cultural dressing, pottery, craftsmanship, warfare, traditional cuisine and medicine.—Editing by Duncan Mlanjira, Maravi Express
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