By Chisomo Phiri
The Mulhako wa Alhomwe board has announced that the 17th edition of the annual cultural festival will take place on October 19,2025 at its traditional home, Chonde in Mulanje District.
In an interview with Malawiana Times,Mulhako wa Alhomwe board chairperson Muchanakwaye Mpuluka said this year’s celebrations will focus on trying to alleviate the socio-economic challenges the country’s youths are facing.
He said this is in line with the theme of this year’s festival’Enduring spirit: overcoming challenges together.’
“If you look at the rising cases of drug abuse and suicide, it tells you how much the youths are having to deal with. Through the various cultural displays that we showcase at the festival, we believe we can reach out to them. That is the spirit of our theme this year,”said Mpuluka.
He said preparations for the event are already underway as they strive to beat the standards they have set in the previous years.
Mulhako Wa Alhomwe was established in 2007 by former president Bingu Wa Mutharika with the aim of promoting Lhomwe culture by among other objectives, instilling a sense of pride in its people.
The formation of the organization revived some of the cultural practices that had been on the death bed.
The Lomwe are one of the four largest ethnic groups living in Malawi.
They are located primarily in the southeast section of Malawi with the largest concentration being in Phalombe district.
Others live in Mulanje, Thyolo, Chiradzulu, Zomba, and Liwonde.
Smaller numbers are scattered throughout the southern region of Malawi.
In Mozambique, the Lomwe are found almost entirely in the Zambezi Province.
