A group photograph in front of the donated motorcycles
The Malawi Police Service has today, August 31, 2022 received 52 motorcycles which are part of a donation of 152 motorbikes that United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), under the Spotlight Initiative, has given to the Malawi government.
The handover ceremony took place at National Police Headquarters in Lilongwe and was presided over by Minister of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare, Honourable Patricia Kaliati.
Spotlight Initiative is an European Union (EU) funded program being implemented in the country by UN agencies whose main goal is to eliminate violence against women and girls.
The initiative is being implemented in six selected districts of Dowa, Machinga, Mzimba, Ntchisi, Nkhatabay and Nsanje and it is geared towards the elimination of Sexual and Gender Based Violence (GBV) the country.
Also present at the function were Inspector General of Police, Mrs. Merlyn Yolamu, EU Head of Delegation to Malawi, His Excellency Ambassodor Rune Skinnebach and UNFPA Officer In-Charge Ms. Miranda Tabifor.
In her remarks, Kaliati said the donation will go a long way in promoting service-delivery towards the elimination of all forms of GBV and harmful cultural practices.
"There is need for partners to collaborate so that we can combat these harmful practices that continue to expose women and girls to these SGBVs and harmful cultural practices," she said.
In her remarks after receiving the donation, Inspector General of Police, Mrs. Merlyne Yolamu said the motorcycles will ease mobility challenges that police officers are experiencing in some areas across the country.
"Sometimes, survivors of SGBVs are found in hard-to-reach areas which can only be accessible by motorcycles.
"This donation will therefore go a long way in helping our officers to timely respond to calls on cases of SGBVs in the districts that they will be distributed," she said.
The motorcycles will be distributed in all the six districts under the Spotlight Initiative to enhance police interventions in the implementation of the initiative's agenda.