Friday, December 5, 2014

TO THAT MAN WHOSE WIFE IS PREGNANT;BE A GOOD CHEF AND WAITER ,A PROACTIVE HOUSEKEEPER

To all men who ARE excited to the news that their love of their life has missed a period and a doctor says SO.When this was said to me when Hendrina and I were expecting Amina Nadia aka Nanana our first born it was easy she used to wakeup up early and nothing really changed.Very hardworking girl,kept her head high and I wondered if the doctor was right on this one.

All changed on our second pregnancy.The coming of Raiff Mzati aka BIGBIGBOY was strange. Nagging and swearing on absolutely trivialities. Then she became a glutton I have never seen.The elders were warning us that it was a boy coming. I  drank to that statement not because I wanted a boychild than a girl  ah ayi,the fact was now I was to raise kids of two types of gender in one house.I had no experience yet I was very ready to sing lullabys probably in that different tone indeed ;bass(It is thought that tone is masculine)

Over the past five years I was a self styled expert in girlchild issues including the fashion. Looking at Nadia Amina herself she was uinquistive to know why her moms womb was getting bigger that usual. She could stand after a dinner and throw some nasty jokes on her moms protruding belly,”after eating am gonna be like mommy!”.To put this nosense to a stop I hand to do what most African men cannot do.I told her that mommy is carrying another baby.She was excited and was helpful indeed.Instead of climbing mommy on the lap she was so careful incase she can hurt the baby inside.It was so beautiful to see the bond she had with her mommy.We were all expecting.She understood why new little clothes were among the monthly incidentals and grossaries.Instead of clothing Lollipop(a big teddybear she plays with ) we saw them being fold neatly and put on the babycot.

To all men I say;be patient enough to toleralate loads of nosense because this time around she s not alone.I laughed one night I was sent to make a good tea with lots of milk.I through my apron over my shoulders but by the time I balanced my tray to the bedroom to wakeup mayi nkulu she was already waving me back , signaling that the crave for tea is history.This time something new was on demand from this out of blue menu we had.”Go and get apaw-paw!”,she said…….with a cup of cold water……and  some bread …..a thousand items were mentioned to me and  I looked at myself with only two hands and walking on very tired legs.

All I am  saying is you should be patient like a waiter and knowledgeable of food on demand.It can not be many but  from the first trimester you memorise the regular items being asked for, this prepares you not to firefight.Patience,patience,patience and only patience in this nine months
Iam a proud father and hubby for now as we raise the two beautiful people of our life.Life is beautiful!


Tuesday, December 2, 2014

A CATERING OPPORTUNITY FOR MALAWIS OLD AND EMERGING MARKET

In Malawi and other African countries death is not westernized interms of ceremony. There is no such thing as celebration of life really.Death is the cruel beast that takes the life of a loved one.In this regards talking about food is some form of a taboo when death has just reared its ugly head.

In Africa attending funerals is never by invitation.It feels right to do so ,we call it kuwonekera(to be seen that you are with them as they mourn)Actually it has become a norm to show up just for minutes.All you do is you make your way into the mourning crowed and sorrowfully cringe your head as you greet the mourners.You console them and past the maize garden you sneak into your car and leave to continue a report you left at work or probably show up on a date with a mistress if you are taken.God knows its rear to think about food in an official setup because such arrangement are ignored and yet even mourners have to eat,life must go on.

Funeral planning process seems unAfrican but death happens anyway.It should be understood that while it is African to mourn together the attitude of people in this global village has also changed.People are becoming cleverer everyday. Some have expressed sentiments of shortages of food when they attended one funeral of a long distance relation.”I am hungry I wish I stayed put in my house.,I would have had my buffet comfortably” So one can not deny the fact that  apart from  emotional stress, financial decision making and uncertainty surrounding this beast called death availability of food is inevitable.  Funeral life planning may be the way to go but here in Malawi  we are keeping our fingers crossed as to  when that service will heat the market.

It is important that Catering solutions must solve the current puzzle by introducing fare packages that dignifies the departed with all the necessary items when it comes to food.Iam not talking about a three course meal no no.Sit down with the family and have a well thought out catering plan that considers the period that they are in.Until such a time insurance companies or other organizations comes up with the whole package,Catering for food should be business opportunity we are all missing out here at home.In the 90s we used to cringe away when we looked at coffins at market place.It was a taboo.This time we are used and loath no more the fact that to bury our loved one in peace and dignity with aready coffin is better that spend the whole day waiting for a carpenter come up with a well designed coffin.

It is not fair to only show a Mfumu and his ndunas, political party representative and/or Religious leaders to the dinning table  and leave the rest yawn to death with hunger.Group them in 5,10,15 just like our forefathers used to do.
Funeral reception catering services may include simple coffee, punch and cookies a light lunch or finger food for a stand up reception or buffet meals. Whatever the choice might be its still money to the business.

Saturday, November 22, 2014

MALAWIS' FUN PACKED ITENERERY MUST ALWAYS HAVE 'ZOMBA PLATEAU' ON IT

MALAWIS’ COMPLETE FUN PACKED ITENERERY MUST ALWAYS HAVE “ZOMBA PLATEAU” ON IT

published in the Kenyan online Magazine-AFRIKAN MBIU
Malawi was named one of the top 10 places to go in 2014 by Lonely Planet, Takulandilani! it’s a common phrase that you will hear in all corners of Malawi which means ‘welcome’.Internantional visitors will always ask the natives about Lake Malawi be it online, telephone and face to face.It seems Malawi as a country has marketed the lake than other places of interest or is it because the Lakeshore has a lot of conference centres thereby flirting with the eye of the international guest is inevitable. Lake Malawi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is popularly known lake of stars and prides itself with huge number of fish species in world. Golden beaches of Lake Malawi makes it one of the best places to never miss on your list of itenerery and destination to visit in your lifetime .
While lake Malawi remains a UNESCO World heritage site.However,Zomba plateau will remain the one of the top places  where the ‘high life ‘will be experienced.Some call this  plateau a place an inch away from heaven. Zomba Plateau is two and Half hours away from Blantyre the commercial city, The Plateau measures 130km2 touching an altitude of 2,087m and plateau reaching up to 1200m. A number of rivers and streams meander across it that’s what defines it as a premier destination so far with Sunbird Ku Chawe as an upmarket accommodation outlet belonging to Sunbird Tourism hotel chain in Malawi.
The indigenous green forest and the Pine tree planted by the Forestry department makes it one of a rare tourist attraction in Malawi and Africa as a whole.A colourful of birds make home in this plateau and those that take bird watching seriously get to rediscover this art with bliss.A variety of animal species and butterflies also make part of this eco-tourism mecca. Seasonal wild fresh fruits are everywhere in the forest.While going up ,nowadays  motorists should be mindful of the hairpin corners that I personally counted to be up to 40 and more and steep slopes that characterize a better part of the 10km distance from the foot of the mountain to the top where accommodation is readily available for   those that opt for self catering and an eye on their budget.

Mulunguzi dam which was constructed by the Ministry of Water development and Irrigation alleviated the short supply of water in the district. This big body of chilled water keeps trout  fish  that is also available at a near by Trout Farm where people can lodge and pick it as a choice at dinner or lunch on its menu.
Part of the Mulunguzi dam in the rainy season
If you have love for trail walking then you have several options to your advantage to choose from: To Trout Farm via Mulunguzi Dam and Mandala Falls. A pleasant walk through indigenous evergreen forest beside the stream, Part of this walk forms the Mulunguzi Nature Trail, Chagwa Dam via Mulunguzi Dam; For 90 minutes, Songani lookout via Queen’s view and Emperors View, a lazywalk through Forestry plantation for 120 minutes. The potato trail is a most popular and enjoyable trail to take .It was named after the regular use of famers who take their potatoes to Zomba Town market place

.a map of the trail walk on the plateau are self explanatory
Horse riding sport is on offer ,the Stables as they call it at approximately USD30 per hour per person .It does not matter whether you are a bigginer,amateur  or experienced horse rider or the three types of visitors will be accommodated with a personalised service.Their owners ,the Parsons Family and Maggie in particular are always happy and ready to go  and lead you on this ride as the impart the skill and underpinning knowledge that make your ride unforgettable and worth your dollars.
Chingwe’s Hole – It’s a bottomless pit on the plateau is rumored to have been used by local chiefs in the old days to get rid of their enemies or those that suffered from small pox.The legend has it that to get down to the bottom a rope was used hence the name “chingwe” which means rope. You can only experience the story and not hear or read about it.Just google trip advisor and you will not wait to visit and witness why they need a rope to enter into this hole,the reviews are breathtaking and beckoning in its own kind.
When you think you are done with all that fun visit KuChawe curio market and you will be astonished with the immense talent that Malawi has when it comes to carvings. Popular curios are Noahs arch, monkeys,the big five and the family frame that explains how the social cohesion mean in Malawi,the larger than life giraffe will make you pull off one into your travelling van.
Moving back to Zomba town you will get all the history you need to know.Drive slowly indeed because the residents are warmhearted and will always wave at you all you need is wave back.Zomba market, University office, African Riffles world war pillar are what makes Zomba a historical destination you should know about. Thank you for staying with us (Yendani bwino) Bon voyage, when are you coming to Malawi ?

Monday, April 14, 2014

POLIOMYELITIS: EQUATORIAL GUINEA





GUEST BLOGGER:Zizwani Chilinda.
Health Services Manager (Central Health Limited, Lilongwe).
BA Health Systems Management,Dip Nursing/Midwife
Was one of my few bright Primary School classmates back at Embangweni.He writes on his own personal Capacity





The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed a case of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) from Centro Sur Province in Equatorial Guinea. Onset of paralysis occurred on 28 January 2014 and genetic sequencing indicates that this isolated virus in Equatorial Guinea is linked to transmission in Cameroon. This case was reported from close to the border with Cameroon and is the first reported polio case in Equatorial Guinea since1999.
It is highly recommended that all travellers to Equatorial Guinea should have completed a primary vaccination course for polio. 
In addition, a booster dose of a polio-containing vaccine is recommended for travellers if they have not received one in the previous 10 years.
Further details on the world polio situation can be found on the‎ Global Polio Eradication Initiative and World Health Organization websites. 

Thursday, April 3, 2014

TRAVELLERS, HEALTH WORKERS ON MIDDLE EAST RESPIRATORY SYNDROME CORONAVIRUS (MERS-CoV)


GUEST BLOGGER:Zizwani Chilinda.
Health Services Manager (Central Health Limited, Lilongwe).
BA Health Systems Management,Dip Nursing/Midwife
Was one of my few bright Primary School classmates back at Embangweni.He writes on his own personal Capacity

TRAVELLERS, HEALTH WORKERS ON MIDDLE EAST RESPIRATORY SYNDROME CORONAVIRUS (MERS-CoV)
As of 25 March 2014, the total number of cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) reported globally is 199, including 84 deaths. To date, all cases have either occurred in the Middle East (Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE), have had direct links to a primary case infected in the Middle East, or have returned from the Middle East. A few cases have been confirmed in Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Oman and United Arab Emirates.
Person-to-person transmission has occurred both among close contacts and in healthcare facilities. Infections acquired in health care facilities currently account for more than half of secondary cases.
Recent studies in several countries indicate that animals could be a possible source of infection, or the intermediate hosts, however the virus reservoir remains unknown. Most primary human cases do not have a history of direct exposure to animals.


ADVICE FOR TRAVELLERS The risk of Malawian residents contracting infection in Malawi remains very low. The risk to people travelling to Middle Eastern countries may be slightly higher than within the Malawi, but is still very low and does not warrant a change in travel advice. Travellers returning from the Middle East and surrounding countries within 14 days, with mild respiratory symptoms, are most likely to have a common respiratory illness such as a cold. However, if more severe respiratory symptoms develop, such as increasing shortness of breath, within two weeks of returning from these countries, medical advice should be sought from their medical professionals. Returning travellers should mention which countries they have visited.
 
ADVICE FOR HEALTH PROFESSIONALS The level of risk in those who come to Malawi from, or return from, the Middle East and meet the case definition for a “case under investigation” is very low but warrants testing for novel coronavirus infection.

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

WARNING !:TEN SOLID REASONS NOT TO VOTE FOR ATUPELE AUSTIN MULUZI

That headline bove this sentence may excites a number of people and has definitely annoyed the other yellow group of people.Who cares.Is this not what they call democracy or is it democrazy to express my views in this world of cyber madness.I for one I cannot vote for this lad who is preaching the agenda for change.Change my foot!.What change ? Some of us especially the youth are used to be told what to do when the sunrises until it falls down the  mountains  and rivers of  our land.
Wait aminute folks! You will agree with me by the time you read the here under  ten  reasons to never think about  ticking on the ballot PAPER  bearing the face of this  young man come this fast approaching month  of May.
1.”I will not vote for this son of the former president because of sins committed by his father”, really.You should really question what you stand for as an individual-I do not subscribe to that line of reasoning .He has said it before that he is his own man.Its archaic thinking in this modern world when we should transfer credibility of human beings to another. You should spare sometime and listen to his speech.This guy brings to the political landscape what commentators call “issue based politics”.You cannot liken Atupele to the senior Muluzi called Acheya
2.I cannot vote for Atupele Austin Muluzi because this young man has revolutionalised brand new politics.If this is a good reason not to vote for  him then he has lost one vote already, from me!.This guy will never and has never castigated any soul  on the podium.May you kindly save your arguments because I will tell you to shutup if you makeup stories about this baby Muluzi.He will always tell you what he thinks about taking Malawi to cloud nine…….kiki, I mean,he is such an inspirational man given the opportunity  to run this country things will really change for the better.
3.This guy is not a celebrity ,Atupele is rather  a CEREBRAL Leader, he thinks and analyses issues using his brains not emotions or heart.Some of these leaders are just academicians who have read for years .THIS GUY is an intellectual of his own standing. What do you want in the world that is short of leaders?.If a scarce resource is made available do you throw it away? .The country should not stop for a minute  to wait for Political scientists the DULANIs,CHINSINGAs to dictate to the masses whos better than the others,who is practicing smart politics. The world does not need preachers to become politicians and we think they will treat our government coffers like Sunday offerings.Do we need musicians to become politicians to trust their leadership style just because we can sing along to their songwords and beautiful lyrics,lead vocalists-cum politicians are not automatic leaders in the real world.We do not need a professor to run acountry we just need a leader.After all proffessors can only be better teachers, don’t you think. ? Ask Ministry of education or Ministry of justice .
4.Youngest  Idea generator:The first guy in the history of politics to comeup with a PARTY POLICY CONFERENCE! That is another reason I can never vote for this brilliant young man. Transformation leadership must showcase new thinking.All the social stakeholders were involved.
5.Apart from PP, The ruling party.He came second to unveil their parties manifesto………….sizoopa kuti ,angatitengere.
6.He is not promoting the culture of handouts.All lazy bones like me ,we are annoyed.
7. He is an INFLUENTIAL figure. When he said  this is the time for the youth to take the leading role .Many of us laughed at  him , probably with him.He insists this is our time.We thought people don’t take him seriously.We only foundout when the leaders of different parties started  showing off their runningmates.He has influenced  other parties decisions to pick their runningmates.The PP and DPP realized that the youth have a good share of the electorate.Chilima for DPP and Gwengwe for PP came into the picture.This is because what Atupele is standing for is real.The facebook and tweeter generation must rise and shine.Atupele has successfully influenced the decision of our politicians to consider the youth in the top leadership.The question I should repeat is did we ever say we need youthful runningmates or youthful president.?I will not waste my time discussing MCPs decision on the kind of runningmate they have chosen.The wind of change has not blown towards MCP yet for the leadership to realize that they need the youth too to govern.
8.He has proved that Malawi has a crop of young talent of transformational leadership right at managing  the affairs  of his party.
9. He is an experienced politician than the newcomers we know.He has been a long time serving MP than Peter Mutharika or he is politically older than Lazarous Chakwera.Our leaders must first understand our politics because through this complex platform they can make an informed decision about anything.He has never failed to run any Ministry ie Ministry of Education or Ministry of justice.
10.He is the only President in waiting who worked with the JB administration to contribute ,initiate and implement the Economic Recovery Plan at the helm of Ministry of Economic and planning.
I thought there were enough reasons not to vote for this guy, now  I know who not to vote for.

Sunday, February 9, 2014

DESTINATION RE-BRANDING FOR MALAWI ,NOW!

Lonely Planet, the largest travel guide book publisher in the world, has recently ranked Malawi as the fifth top country in the world for travelers in 2014 .Where do we go from here? , must we relax and let it sell itself via the generous Lonely planet  friend. Time is ripe to take our marketing strategy to another level. Marketing this destination has to feature a more creative touch of packaging our product and service  to maintain relevant in the eyes of the consumer  beyond this 2014 accolade in the ranking. Malawi must   consider a more placed strategic destination branding.

Destination branding; according to  Liping Cai of Purdue University describes it as a continued process of  creating  unique tourist experiences and build a sustained image that emotionally bonds with the host community, stakeholders and resonates with target market. This definition may be short or longer than we think but touches on the real functions of what should or can be done in branding a country such as Malawi. It should help us drive in more tourists traffic , promote the  bond that is created once they taste the product and service  and influence their decisions of destination choices among African countries in the future to them or be Melawi’s walking, talking billboards wherever they go.

To date I view Malawi as a paradise that at fifty years old is still intransit, enroute to comprehensively putting together a good selling plan. Malawi still tells the same storyline of selling itself as a destination without changing a word. The warm heart of Africa, yes, with Lake Malawi with fresh waters, bilharzia free zone and unique tilapia fish called (Chambo) you will never find anywhere in the world, with Mulanje Mountain-an island in the sky ranked the seventh in tropical southern Africa region, the big five and friendly people-thanks to our slogan “warm heart of Africa”. It sounds  a brand leader own its own amongst Zambias’”the real Africa” slogan so far . Malawi as destination has overused some of these words that they have lost meaning over the years. That might be a challenge to most destinations in the branding task but we have an opportunity to fix this marketing fallacy ingrained in our system.  Bill Baker (2007) has listed some of the words that are used to make a marketing buzz in different so called “branding exercise’; Discover, enjoy, explore, friendly, gateway, historical and natural among others. One or two words on this list, if not all must have been appearing on our short-lived adverts or our neglected websites, blogs and other social networks. All those efforts may lack what destination branding professionals call values such as or not limited to being;creative,credible,contrasting,passion,charming,vibrant,quality,soulful just to name a few. We should move from a brand that just designed a logo and catchword to it. Destination branding must go beyond a graphic design and slogan. Malawi is still in the comfort zone, with numbers of consumers in trickling in from foundational efforts of marketing soon after independence, as a beginner and infant in making inroads to the world market. Malawi should not wait for another Madonna to put it on world market.


This is the time for Malawi as a destination to justify why it says its the Warm heart of Africa in 2014 than fifty years ago when it started to smile to the world. One would agree if the statistics from 2000 to 2005 are anything to go by.In five years Malawi only managed to grow by 209,784 and yet by year 2010 out of 746,129 non-residents guests only 189,239 were holiday makers (Quarterly Statistical Bullen 2011 pp 27). We all know what kind of country politically as well as the economic terrain turned into in 2010 ,the fact that our politics is unpredictable Malawi can find solace in destination branding to let it beckon the tourism consumer without  much ado from the political heads’bureacratic ,retrogressive agendae. There are only doable  five phases of branding that will and can transform the way we view and sell Malawi in a couple of years. Firstly market analysis, investigation and strategic recommendations, Secondly develop the brand we have chosen among the available options in the mix, then brand Launch and communication, lastly monitoring and evaluation and improvements.(Morgan and Pritchard 2002 pp 26-30)Sounds academic? It’s a model that has been applied by the now leading brands in the tourism industry.

Malawi can learn how countries like Seychelles, India,Spain, Australia and Newzland successfully managed to rebrand their destinations. Malawi is not entirely unique from other neighbouring African destinations all we need to do is recraft what is communicated by the forefronters of tourism.
The reputation that will be created from this activity of branding should be centered on the principles such as communication of the brand itself, how do we tell a unique story for Malawi and not the obvious .The things that we cannot change about Malawi must not be juicy story to tell aver and over again .It should be something that will make Malawi different from the rest of its peers in Africa. However, people ,environment, places of interest remain the bits and pieces among others that will aid a destination to brand perfectly, how to do it is the question that should be left to our marketers to answer professionally or risk lowering numbers of our tourism consumers from whatsoever segment years to come. Naturally God will never give us another Lake, mountain or people hence we must polish the stone that we have to shine like a sparkling diamond.

The challenge that destination branding pose for Malawi is that it demands sound policy and leadership of Destination Management Organisation(DMO). In this case it should start from the political heads and government institutions mandated to run this rewarding show.Malawi to date is short of that resource.Corrupt leaders, lack of reliable security system and unpredictable economic policies will keep dogging Malawi from attaining its highest potential of prosperity. All the work of mounting mammoth billboards abroad and within, run rich content slots of adverts on the international media like CNN and BBC can propel consumers of tourism from business to holidaymakers if the hostility and fragility of our politics cease to be. Malawi should encourage transformational leadership that looks at issues objectively and its sustainability rather than geared to only score political points. Malawi may not grow in terms of tourism because it’s not only a product that is packaged for a dollar, service is another massive intangible thing at stake. As we go to the polls this May 2014 each leader must not let go of Tourism and destination branding apart from agriculture, education, health, infrastructure and industry.


Wednesday, January 29, 2014

EDUCATION OR EXPERIENCE ?

This subject seems to attract a lot of endless debates but it depends on the Human Resourses and their Managers to decide which way to go. A few friends and colleagues I asked told me they believe in Education and build the experience on.We do not hire like desperate company with no strategic direction and staff growth and systems to support and fill up gaps created by the  outgoing staff. It is only those that have either no any Degree let alone Certificate in this industry that sounded and felt insecure that responded YES! To experience only ………to hell with education.You do not need a Degree to carry bags, cook in the kitchen or sell beer in the bar?............

One experienced Manager in my circles and connection of Linkedin has this to write in our topics of the day:”Obviously, there are specific cases where the question is moot. If you need a registered professional engineer to approve plans, the degree requirement is a given. If you're a hospital looking for a surgeon, you're probably seeking someone with a PhD in medicine. However, the scope of positions that may or may not require a degree gets gray pretty fast, and the span is pretty wide. And, no industry is immune to this issue.

I don’t not think there is a better argument than that to me ,more specific and clear enough to be understood.Why do we have drivers who drive  a vehicle have licence to have that kinda funny gear shifting job.
I should be in this paragraph state that I may and indeed like both.Education should be the first thing to consider.In that way we are sure to have someone with credible qualification of a job.Its a matter of fitting someone to ajob and not viceversa.Someone with a Degree is by all means:able to solve complex problems,time factor considered,They are able to do/conduct aresearch etc.
Brand-new graduates are not considered without experience.This is where government should come in and have a clear policy on graduates and internship programmes that will convert these energetic young men and women into productive employees.

Lastly it is illogical and stupid to encourage experience only way to the top-prommotion channel(more years than 1-2 )if it’s a senior position yet we know these guys with a paper can learn fast.This tendency is discouraging young people to look and shape their career via furthering their education.It is thus important to encourage education through incentives of those that want or are furthering their education.

Saturday, January 25, 2014

IN THE NAME OF PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS :CUSTOMER CARE OR CUSTOMER SCARE ?

On friday ,January 17,President Joyce Banda launched kapichira II worth 55 million US dollar.She verilly appealed to Escom to stop the business as usual approach to issues of energy supply.One does not mind whether its 'towards power all day everyday' but she emphasised that there should be light every home and every village.Escom is just one of the many institutions that is still bankrolled by the taxpayers money.Howerver Escom is not different from other institution in its league.We have all once or twice ,if your are unlucky ,recieved electricity ,Water or City Council bills that literary do not belong to you let alone disconnection notices that are  bloated or wrongly addressed to you or your neighbours.The manner in which  personels from these reputable institutions  behave one wonders if you are a customer or a  mere  begger.Sometimes they disconnect ones electricity in your absence and only to realise its not yours,All am saying is public institutions staff  have to be desciplined to channel their attitude  towards their clients within fair scope of latitude.It should be clear,from the directors to the rank and file of these institution that their focus should be never in a lifetime solely on  the product they offer. Service culture should be of paramount neccessity.This must be the reason behind the government wish to offer these services itself so that every citizen should be reached in every corner of our small country with affordability  of such services as its watchword.

A  relationship that deliberately functions to link product and service will inturn change the image of organisations and plough in alot of revenue because the value of a human (not arobot) customer is comfortably put in the centre of their mission and vission.
Our institutions should know that human beings ought to be treated in a way they will feel like humans when purchasing any kind of service in the public institutions.It is a bunch of many little bits in service that our institutions ought to improve in this 21 century namely;queing time on either bill payment or just an enquiry and giving workable solutions to customer complaints.Public institutions staff should know that there are broad range of dynamics that a customer expects regardless of their being quasi-gavernmental institution or private institution.To be treated with respect regardless of age ,gender and or religion,expectation of superior service interms of solutions to problems,cycle of time it takes to satify that need and if its worth ones kwacha.Sometimes one tends to overlook the situation here;it is not the expectation of customer to be mistreated hence lack of fair treatment becomes an issue because they are not doing you a favour to go in the comfort of their offices asking for a service thats boldly displayed in their mission statements on the walls of the lounges and offices.

One friend of mine booked a District assembly conference room  town  and paid a 50% deposit upfront to secure space on the dates fixed on his private trainning sessions.When the dates nearedby he went to the authorities to finish the balance and do final spotcheck in the room.The booker did not know where she put the details of the booking that even the recipt book was nowhere to be found.She fumbled through the dilapidated shelf behind her with no trace of effort at all.The gentleman seemingly senior walked in and knew that their was a booking .It was no good news at all.He said the wives of staff were organising a get together and my friend should reschedule the trainning dates.This is one of the numerous stories of how unsuccessful public institutions are run.The consultant friend had already registered almost 30 participants all paid up and ready for the day,the next day.This was adisaster to his business and only God knows what sort of miracle was needed to fall and sweep away this mess.The logistics to go through were a headache.
Firstly revenue was lost into government coffers.A more creative solution should have been looking for another room for either the consultant friend or the staff spouses or better still maintaing the dates of an already realised revenue that could pay for their utility of somekind.Secondly customer loyalty was one risk factor that could have been handled in a more professional manner to avoid losing this client forever. This is how public institutions scare their customers because their mindset is bent on believing that being funded is the most sure way to have activities run. What if Public institutions were run like business in their service delivery? What if 'time is money' expression existed in our important public sector?.The what ifs can fill up this page but there is one befitting answer to it ;more revenue enough to pay staff would be realised.

We realize and appreciate how these institutions paternership with mobile service providers have yielded indescribable results in customer service. Paying bills on your mobile is the way to go.These innovations fill the gap and partly lifts the horrendous burden off  the shoulders of public institutions customers.The queing time no longer an issue,distance has been dearly covered and attitude problems may no longer exist. One may say its a step ahead of which i entirely agree.However,bill payment is just the last thing in the service process.Statistics forcasted in 2013 by Budden.com on Mobile and internet users in Malawi reveal that only 33% use mobile phones and 5.7% use internet .This shows that a number of customers still walk to these institutions for services. It should be accepted with a great sense of objectivity that there are  more complex issues to be delt with between customer and service provider to reach the level of satisfaction that is needed and no superior service can be substuted with  the human element.The moment of reality still exist when we have lost internet connectivity ,explain our situation or need these institution staff on site. Publi institution must stop this customer scare campaign because or is it because we have no where to turn to for power and water ?