National Initiative for Civic Education (NICE) Public Trust has challenged Malawians to embrace the spirit of self-reliance in the implementation of the Malawi 2063 (MW2063).

NICE District Civic Education Officer (DCEO) for Lilongwe Rural and Dedza, Daniel Malango, made the sentiments during an orientation for NICE volunteers at M'bwatalika ADMARC in the area of Traditional Authority Mbwatalika.

Malango said it is high time Malawians learned to be self-reliant by doing some tasks on their own without waiting for government's interventions.

"Some people up to now have not started preparing their land in readiness for the forthcoming growing season because they are waiting to know if they are among the beneficiaries of the subsidized farm inputs," noted Malango.

Malango added that some people have the capacity to buy some farm-in puts such as seedlings even fertilizer but they are still waiting for the subsidized fertilizers.

He further explained that over reliance on subsidized farm inputs cannot contribute to the pillar number one of the MW 2063, which aims at enhancing agricultural growth and sustainability.

Malango also discouraged the tendency of depending on handouts from politicians especially during the elections period.

"As we are going into the elections period, let us sensitize the people to be refraining from getting handouts from the politicians," explained Malango.

Malango explained that the political parties act prohibits the hand out and there are punishments attached to it.

However, Area Civic Education Coordinator for Mbwatalika Zone, Rodrick Phula, complained their team is failing to reach out to many people with different messages because the number of the volunteers has gone down in the area.

"Some of our volunteers are nowhere to be seen but we know they will resurface when we are approaching the elections period because they know they will be getting a stipend," explained Phula.

Mbwatalika zone had forty registered NICE volunteers but currently only twenty of them actively participate in the awareness programs.

NICE, with financial support from the Malawi Government, is sensitizing Malawians on the MW2063 development strategy.