Blessings Mbendera

Blessings Mbendera Email and Phone Number

Food Security Governance Specialist-Titukulane Project (USAID) @ CARE International in Malawi
Malawi
Blessings Mbendera's Location
Malawi, Malawi
About Blessings Mbendera

I am an inclusive governance and civic engagement expert with over 15 years work experience in areas of social research, political economy, project management focusing on decentralization, inclusive governance, social accountability, community Health, education governance, energy policy, and Disaster Risk Management. I have worked with government, local and international organizations projects in Malawi financed by major donors such as USAID, FCDO, EU, Scottish Govt, and Irish Embassy.

Blessings Mbendera's Current Company Details
CARE International in Malawi

Care International In Malawi

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Food Security Governance Specialist-Titukulane Project (USAID)
Malawi
Employees:
139
Blessings Mbendera Work Experience Details
  • Care International In Malawi
    Food Security Governance Specialist-Titukulane Project (Usaid)
    Care International In Malawi
    Malawi
  • Care International In Malawi
    Governance Technical Coordinator-Titukulane Project (Usaid)
    Care International In Malawi Mar 2021 - Present
    Zomba, Southern Region, Malawi, Malawi
    l worked with Titukulane Project as a technical focal point for inclusive governance, social accountability and National Resilience Strategy partners coordination at district level. I was key in generating governance outcomes across all the projects key interventions of Agriculture, WASH, Disaster Risk Management, Natural Resources Management, Health and Nutrition, and other cross cutting issues. I championed development of a customized NRS at district level, the District Resilience Strategy for Zomba and Mangochi with technical support from government ministries, Mangochi and Zomba district councils. Driven the CARE International Inclusive Governance Strategy cutting across all the project sectors. I was the technical focal point for institutional, staff, project stakeholders capacity building on Community Score Card (CSC) methodology. Titukulane is a $75M five-year (2019-2024) USAID-funded Resilience Food Security Activity, implemented by CARE with partners [Emmanuel International, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), NASFAM, Save the Children, and WaterAid]. The Activity aims to support implementation and ensure effectiveness of the Malawi National Resilience Strategy (NRS), which is established to guide investments in agriculture, reduce impacts and improve recovery from shocks, promote household resilience, strengthen management of Malawi’s natural resources, and facilitate coordination between government institutions, civil society organizations, and development partners. The project design are three inter-related domains of change that are fundamental to the elimination of poverty and inequality: (1) The principles of good governance are practiced across the systems receiving support and duty-bearers at all levels are held accountable for their decisions. (2) increase household, community and systems resilience capacities. (3) Greater gender equality, women’s empowerment, and youth opportunities at all levels
  • Dai
    Social Accountability Specialist-Lgap Project (Usaid)
    Dai Mar 2019 - Mar 2021
    Responsible For Southern Regional Office (Malawi)
    I provided technical leadership and steered the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the social accountability component of a USAID activity Local Government Accountability and Performance (LGAP) project in the Southern region of Malawi, a contribution towards implementation of 1998 Decentralization Policy of the government of Malawi. I was key in strengthening the engagement of duty bearers and right holders, expanding and fostering their civic space, enhancing capacity and skills of different democratic governance actors such as local district council sector leads, Members of Parliament (MP's), Councilors, Community radio stations, Civil Society Organizations, District civil society networks, and Area Development Committees in areas of public policy engagement, Public Expenditure Tracking, Public Finance Management, Citizen Budgets, development planning, effective oversight execution, Citizen Voice and Action (CVA), Community Score Card, development of Service Charters among others to deepen improved, service delivery through transparent, accountable, and participatory mechanisms. I was also the regional focal point for production, and monitoring of the "Zilipati za Mphamvu ku anthu", a radio program aired by all national radio stations and selected community radio stations, to provide an engagement platform for duty bearers and right holders on progress, challenges, and challenges on implementation of the decentralization policy and other local governance legislations and how this is affecting service delivery and civic engagement at different levels in Malawi.
  • Population Services International
    District Project Manager
    Population Services International Apr 2018 - Mar 2019
    Blantyre, Southern Region, Malawi, Malawi
    As a district project manager at PSI Malawi l was responsible for providing technical, administrative, and managerial leadership for implementation of adolescent sexual reproductive health, and community outreach family planning services and referrals in Chiladzulu district. I managed a team of health outreach team composed of medical (technical) and non-technical officers delivering nursing, clinical, surgical, DHIS II family planning data capture assistants, demand creation and adolescent youth family planning service providers. I was key is spearheading demand creation for Sayana press, Voluntary Male Medical Circumcission, Bio Tubal Ligation (BTL) for rural women and men in hard to reach areas and triggering demand and provision of other modern family planning services in the district. Administratively and at management point of view l was responsible for managing a fleet of vehicles of the outreach team, managing district project implementation funds, conducting staff, appraisals, developing project work plans and schedule allocations. Supporting national office M&E team in Data Quality Assessments in health centers accurate data refection in the Ministry of Health DHIS II health data management platform. I was also responsible for writing district report and presenting the same to District Health Management team and PSI management. I worked closely with other key district health service delivery partners in the district such as Ministry of Health, Chiladzulu District hospital, Chiladzulu district council, and other non-state actors such as Médecins Sans Frontiers (MSF) World Vision Malawi, and Banja La Mtsogolo (BLM)
  • Rti International
    Community Mobilization & Engagement Specialist-Nrp (Usaid)
    Rti International May 2016 - Apr 2018
    Shire Highlands Education Division
    Under RTI USAID funded Malawi Early Grade Reading Improvement Activity (MERIT) l was entrusted with the mantle of steering the community mobilization, inclusion and engagement component within the Shire Highlands Education Division, where among others l spearheaded framing and implementation of a USAID certified Education based Community Mobilization and and Engagement strategy for attainment of education outcomes of the Government of Malawi, Ministry of Education, National Reading Strategy. My role mainly involved supervising and provided technical advice and leadership for design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of all 4 district coordinators and their field staff for for all interventions under this component. I closely worked with the M&E department, the Capacity building section, Gender, Disability, and Social Behavior Change team in developing customized "Tiwerenge" radio program, jingles and slots of the wider SBCC strategy of the National Reading Program under the MERIT activity. I also worked hand in hand with key Ministry of Education departments, Shire Highlands Education Division Manager, School Inspectors, Senior Education Methods Advisors, Primary Education Advisors, District Council Education Service Committees, education head teachers, education actors at district level.
  • Community Energy Scotland
    Project Manager-Malawi Renewable Energy Program-Scottish Government
    Community Energy Scotland Sep 2012 - Aug 2015
    Lilongwe
  • Nkhadze Alive Youth Organization
    Project Manager-Young People Against Hiv/Aids (Unicef)
    Nkhadze Alive Youth Organization Oct 2010 - Sep 2012
    Balaka, Malawi
    Nkhadze Alive Youth Organization (NAYORG) is a community-based youth organization based in Balaka district serving young people in Eastern region of Malawi. I was hired to implement two projects Youth People Against HIV/AIDS (YPA) a Social Behavior Change project targeting in and out of school youths funded by UNICEF. As a project officer l interacted with groups of young people supporting them in content creation of HIV/AIDS prevention and other health seeking behaviors for young people. I worked in organizing Arts festivals where different artistic expressions were displayed and conveying messages on HIV/AIDS preventions targeting the youth, monitoring and documenting best practices for the project, reporting and partners engagement. I was also key in creating content for various IEC materials which were distributed and shared in different spots for the project. I closely worked with National Youth Council of Malawi, National Aids Commission, UNICEF Youth desk, District Youth Office, Education Office, and District Health Office if Balaka district council, as well as youth clubs in communities and schools.
  • Creative Centre For Community Mobilization (Creccom)
    Community Mobilization Officer
    Creative Centre For Community Mobilization (Creccom) Feb 2007 - Feb 2010
    Zomba, Malawi

Blessings Mbendera Skills

Grant Writing Community Development Capacity Building Training Workshop Facilitation Leadership Project Planning Project Management Change Management Management Analysis Human Rights Program Management Personnel Management Software Documentation

Blessings Mbendera Education Details

  • University Of Malawi
    University Of Malawi
    Doctor Of Philosophy In Development Studies- Phd Student
  • University Of Malawi
    University Of Malawi
    Master Of Arts In Development Studies
  • Malawi School Of Government
    Malawi School Of Government
    Project Management
  • University Of Malawi
    University Of Malawi
    Bachelor Of Arts - Ba

Frequently Asked Questions about Blessings Mbendera

What company does Blessings Mbendera work for?

Blessings Mbendera works for Care International In Malawi

What is Blessings Mbendera's role at the current company?

Blessings Mbendera's current role is Food Security Governance Specialist-Titukulane Project (USAID).

What schools did Blessings Mbendera attend?

Blessings Mbendera attended University Of Malawi, University Of Malawi, Malawi School Of Government, University Of Malawi.

What skills is Blessings Mbendera known for?

Blessings Mbendera has skills like Grant Writing, Community Development, Capacity Building, Training, Workshop Facilitation, Leadership, Project Planning, Project Management, Change Management, Management, Analysis, Human Rights.

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