This was done in the spirit of promoting the culture of entrepreneurship.  JICA through a company called One Ehime has embarked on a task to help Malawians manufacture their own Agro-processing machines through its partnership with the Malawi Polytechnic. 

The event took place at the ODL Conference room on Monday, February 24, 2020 where also in attendance was a representative from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Miriam Chiudza.

In the opening remarks before the showcasing of how the machines operate, the Principal of the Polytechnic Professor Grant Kululanga explained that he was happy with the initiative since it fits well with the colleges strategic plan on entrepreneurship.  

“The initiative will help Polytechnic give back to the nation not only by providing the nation with experts in different fields but also by producing machines that will be of low cost and tailor made to suit the needs of the nation,” he said.

In his comment the Japanese team leader of One Ehime, Toshiaki Nakai said that their aim is not to make profits out of this partnership but to promote interaction and knowledge sharing between Malawi and the Japanese government. 

Later the Japanese team which comprised of Nakai himself, Kenji Inoue and the food scientist Mike Kawerama demonstrated to participants how Peanut butter and Sausage making machines that could eventually be manufactured right here in Malawi at the Polytechnic Engineering Department operates.

The project will eventually see two Mechanical Engineers being trained in the manufacture of machines and these will act as trainer of trainers to ensure that the project is sustainable.

Professor Kululanga commended the Japanese company for this initiative and promised to ensure that Polytechnic does its part in ensuring the success of the project.

Later, the delegates toured the Food and Engineering laboratories within the campus.