Capacity Building and Training

Profile

Laeticia is a PhD in Economics student at the University of Strathclyde. She is also an Economics Lecturer at the University of Malawi.  Interested in development economics, her research agenda has span a range of topics in applied microeconomics including health, agriculture, nutrition and energy.

Prior to joining UNIMA, Laeticia worked as a Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Lead at One Acre Fund- Malawi. Previous to her work with One Acre Fund, she was a Global Health Corps fellow and worked as a Monitoring and Evaluations Consultant for ArtGlo.

Profile

Felistas Mpachika-Mfipa is a dedicated and driven PhD fellow at the Centre for Reproductive Health at Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (KUHeS). 

With a profound passion for adolescent sexual and reproductive health research she embarks on her academic journey with the aim of making significant contributions to this field. Her research intends to shed light on the interventions that support very young pregnant adolescents with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs).

The objectives are to assess the prevalence of ACEs among very young pregnant adolescents, understand the pregnant adolescents’ lived experiences and assess the acceptability and feasibility of evidenced based interventions that support very young pregnant adolescents with ACEs.

This research has the potential to contribute valuable insights to adolescent friendly health service delivery and beyond.

Profile

Monica has six years’ experience in health research. With a Master of Arts and Bachelor’s in Economics, Her interests are in health policy and systems research, and evaluations of health interventions.

She is also a PhD student in Public Health and Policy where she is evaluating healthcare priority setting and resource allocation processes in Malawi.

Profile

Velia Manyonga is the Head of the Research and Library Division at the Parliament of Malawi. Her role
involves spearheading efforts to access, synthesize, and appraise evidence crucial for members of Parliament
in their decision-making processes regarding legislation and policy-making. Her dedication to providing
parliamentarians with well-informed data has been instrumental in shaping effective governance and policy
implementation within Malawi. Velia is a mixed methods researcher and has published from both qualitative
and quantitative studies. She has many years of experience in carrying out qualitative and quantitative
research with various target groups such as young people, men, and men.

Velia is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Social Policy at the University of Strathclyde. She is focusing her
research on exploring young people’s perceptions of wellbeing, with a particular focus on Malawi. She
chose a career in research because she believes that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) can only be
achieved if legislation, policies, interventions, and strategies are informed by evidence generated directly
from the population they are designed to serve.

Driven by a passion for societal improvement and a commitment to evidence-based policymaking, Velia's
academic and professional endeavors intersect seamlessly. Her deep understanding of both research
methodology and the practical application of evidence in policy formulation positions her as a trusted
advisor to policymakers and legislators alike.

Velia's contributions to academia and governance extend beyond her immediate roles. She actively engages
in scholarly discourse, sharing her insights and findings with fellow researchers and policymakers. Through
her dedication to bridging the gap between research and policy, Velia is playing a pivotal role in advancing
the development agenda in Malawi and beyond.
As she continues to pursue her Ph.D. and expand her research portfolio, Velia remains steadfast in her
commitment to empowering decision-makers with the knowledge and evidence needed to enact positive
change for the betterment of society.