01/04/2026
Today, we continue our Gratitude Series, and we want to appreciate Ps Nganiwe Kalinga II 🙌🏽🔥
Ps Nganiwe and his wife Vanessa Karyn Kalinga have been my family friends for over 8 years now. In Dec 2024, their son got sick, and I went to visit him at the hospital (this was soon after participating in the Family Food Festival where we were displaying our products). While there, Ps Nganiwe asked how the event went, and eventually asked about my plans for Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS) certification.
I told him I had just finished setting up the factory, and he immediately said, “I would like to come and see it.” I was like, wow, I would be honoured!
You see Ps Nganiwe has vast experience in quality assurance obtained from his previous job and has worked in liaison with MBS for a number of years. So he is quite familiar with the certification requirements.
He mentioned that he had started offering consultancy services to help businesses create structure and reach their full potential. I said “nde mubwere mudzatichonge” if only I knew what that meant 😂
The day he visited the factory (Jan 2025), he sat and observed my entire production process for 4 HOURS 🥵🙌🏽
Koma kunali mafunso🙌🏼
“How many kgs of tomatoes have gone into your chilli”
“How about chilli, how many grams?”
“How many grams of spices?”
I said, “ndimangoyeza ndi maso ine” 🤣
He said, “That’s not how we do it. You are supposed to know your measurements, know exactly the contents that are going into your chilli.”
He scrutinised EVERYTHING; production, setup, hygiene… mpaka zinthu zina anati “izi ayi, pa standard ya factory, sizikuyenera kukhala mu factory, katayeni” 🥵🙆🏽♀️ Waster imeneyo?😂🙌🏼
Then came the report… He wrote a very detailed report and shared it with me🥵 (see comment section for part of the report he shared😅)
Honestly, it paralysed me for weeks. I didn’t even know where to start from. I thought I was doing okay all along but all of a sudden everything felt upside down😫 Deep down I knew this was for my own good, just that I didn't see it coming, the conversation that started lightly ended into something very serious😂🙆🙌🏼
Zoti we are family friends? Sizinaonekenso 🤣🙌🏽
He was STRICT and focused on his mission.
But he didn’t stop there, he gave me a detailed monthly planner, breaking down weekly targets and deadlines.
Now imagine...after 3 years of being self-employed, working at my own pace… suddenly I have structure, deadlines, accountability 🥵🙆🏽♀️
It felt like I was back in the office 😂
Every Monday, virtual meetings. “Zija munati muchita zija, zili pati?” 🥵😭
Sometimes I would be honest and say,
“I didn’t do anything this week. I feel overwhelmed… or honestly I’m just not in the mood for business.” 🤣
He would understand… but still push me.
And that PUSH? It changed everything.
He even came through to train my staff using MBS manuals, translating everything into Chichewa so they could fully understand 🙌🏽
That level of dedication? Incredible👌🔥
We worked together for about 3 months… and then he let me run with it.
From there, I would go to MBS offices often to ensure everything was aligned and in order.
And today… the story has ended in praise 🙌🏽🔥
Ps Nganiwe, thank you for the BIG PUSH.
Thank you for not accepting “no,” for challenging me, for pouring into my business, and for helping me build structure and discipline.
You didn’t just help me get certified, you helped me grow.
Receive your flowers 🌹🌹
MY BIGGEST LESSONS:
✓When God opens a window, make full use of it, some opportunities are seasonal.
✓When you find people who correct you, guide you, and push you, be open. They usually know better😊
✓ Growth is not always a pleasant process, it demands sacrifice, hard work, determination, resilience, focus and structure.