GOVERNMENT SENDS FIRST GROUP OF MALAWIAN WORKERS IN ISRAEL AGRICULTURE SECTOR

The Malawi Government, through the Ministry of Labour, has on Wednesday sent off the first group of Malawians to work in Israel under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that the country signed with the State of Israel in April this year. In the MoU, Malawi is expected to send about 3,000 unskilled laborers to work in various agriculture farms for a period of five years. 

This is a significant milestone in the implementation of the agreement signed by the two countries. Israel issued the first job order in June requesting the Malawi Government to recruit 500 out of the 3,000 agricultural workers stipulated in the MoU and that the workers will be sent according to the demand in Israel, until the first job order is exhausted.

One of the candidates, Lumbani Chibaka, said he will use the opportunity to acquire more agricultural knowledge from the Israeli farms and use the same to add value in the mega farms program in the country. “This is an opportunity for us to learn best agricultural practices, bearing in mind that Israel is more advanced in the field of agriculture. It also presents us a chance to make investments back home,” he said.

To better facilitate their smooth stay in Israel, the Ministry of Labour sent a labour attachee who is among other things responsible to conduct regular inspections in the places of work the Malawian workers are attached to, in a bid to ensuring that the agreement is not violated. Before their departure, the group was taken through a pre-departure orientation where they were oriented on their safety in Israel, emerging health issues as well as investment plans back home, among other things.

To finance the group’s travel arrangements and logistics, Government engaged FDH Bank to provide them with loans to be paid back after they have started their work in Israel

Apart from the farm workers, Israel has also expressed plans to come to Malawi to recruit skilled laborers in the construction industry, like builders, carpenters, welders and tile workers, among others. Previously, laborers were sent to work in Israel through private labor agents.