By Prince Henderson
While most men would prefer spending their time watching football and patronizing drinking joints, Catholic men under the banner Catholic Men Organisation (CMO) from St. Patricks Catholic Parish in the Archdiocese of Lilongwe last Sunday spent their time off discussing Entrepreneurship at a get-together dubbed “Macheza a abambo” (Men’s Chat).
Over 100 men including the State Vice President, Saulosi Chilima who is also a member of the organisation and Parishioner for St. Patricks Catholic Parish, Parish Priest Fr. Maxwell Kubalasa and guest speakers Welford Sabola and Augustine Bobe attended the function.
The aim of the gathering was to motivate, encourage one another and look at the challenges related to entrepreneurship as Catholic Christian men.
According to Bobe, who owns Lilongwe Academy, entrepreneurship is one aspect that Catholic men should consider venturing into as one way of improving their individual and the country’s socio-economic status.
“Despite being professionals in different fields and work in various private and public sectors but we should still dream of becoming entrepreneurs as it is crucial to the development of this country and in our families as well,” said Bobe, an economist by professional.
He said both sole and partnership businesses are good but rather opted for partnership businesses saying there is a room to share ideas and professionalism at all times.
“Doing business on your own Yes is good because you accumulate all the profits as an individual but the risks are so huge and the best way forward is to do joint businesses,” he said.
He said challenges are there in every business especially when you are venturing in it for the first time but; however persistence in every business is crucial for its success.
Adding his Sabola, an indigenous Malawian who is into Tourism, construction industry, material supply and property development said the development of the country needs the active participation of indigenous Malawians who have the welfare of their country at heart.
“This can best be done and achieved if many Malawians can take the challenge to venture into entrepreneurship and establish their own businesses,” said Sabola who is also the Chairman and Managing Director for Wamkulu Trust, owners of Wamkulu Paris.
Sabola however, faulted government that most Malawians fear to venture into businesses because there are no deliberate policies put in place to promote indigenous Malawian enterprises whom most of which are small medium enterprises so that they can grow.
“It is sad to say that indigenous Malawians are marginalized in the award of business opportunities, tenders and contracts, acquisitions of land and the provision of tax incentives. Access to finance is another barrier for indigenous Malawians to mobilize capital for the operation of businesses,” said Sabola.
He said foreigners or Malawian citizens of foreign origins are the ones being favoured saying they are easily supported and find life easy to do business in Malawi and they progress.
Contributing to the discussion, Chilima said patriotism, integrity and honesty is what is lacking in most of Malawian business persons which is a cultural problem hence people including indigenous Malawians must have a changed mindset.
“For instance, the cultural issue of not repaying loans from banks and other lending institutions is a big challenge in this country. Similarly, you find a Malawian indigenous person failing to deliver in a contract awarded either by government or private institution which is one setback to be trusted on,” said Chilima while calling for a changed approaching in the way we handle businesses.
The Vice President then commended the Catholic Men Organisation for spending their time off discussing important issues that are crucial to the development of Malawi. He urged other men to emulate from what the Catholic men have done.
Meanwhile, the organization’s Chairman, Dalitso Sambo says plans are underway to have as many gatherings as possible to discuss pertinent issues that affect men at large.
“We already engaged a Doctor from Kamuzu Central Hospital who enlightened us with various health tips and now here we are with entrepreneurship topic. Apart from these kinds of gatherings, we also plan to do some charitable works like donating in hospitals for example,” said Sambo.