Malawi council worker’s placement

Gomezgani Nyasulu (Gome) arrived in the area at the beginning of March, just weeks before coronavirus restrictions came in to force.

The placement aimed to provide a valuable insight in to all aspects of Environmental Health along with Building Control and Waste Management which Gome has responsibility for in his role with Zomba City Council.

His time here began with Council’s Food team, where he accompanied officers to a variety of different establishments including cafés, fish and chip shops, primary school kitchens, a wholesaler and a manufacturer of charcuterie, where he got to sample some of the produce. He found this very interesting and informative and was impressed with the standards in the premises and the way in which officers carried out their work. In particular he was surprised at how much detailed paperwork both the inspecting officers and the food business operators have to complete and how we focused in depth on all areas of food hygiene and standards, not just on how clean the building was.

Part of Gome’s programme was to report back on a weekly basis to his management team in Zomba sharing his experiences and how the learning outcomes could be developed and applied on his return to work. As well as the practical aspect of shadowing the officers, Gome also carried out a review of the various policies, procedures and codes of practice used by the food team on a local and national level. Through this, he identified many areas where similar documents would be beneficial. In particular he was impressed with the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme and thought this would be very influential in driving forward standards for businesses in Zomba.

Through the Commonwealth Partnership Programme which funded his placement and travel, Gome eventually returned safely home in mid-June. He is currently contemplating a return trip next year with the hope of a more ‘new normal’ experience next time around.