Henry Chimbalu, a motorcyclist at Malawi’s Chigwirizano Trading Centre leads a tough life as a commercial motorcyclist.

Born in 1970, he runs his family with the support of ferrying passengers using a motorcycle, “I have been doing this since 2004,” he said.

He is among dozens motorcyclists operating from Chigwirizano, a bustling market centre outside the capital Lilongwe. “I am a pioneer of passenger motorcycle business at this marker because there was no one the time I opened my business here.”

Henry says, at peak he makes around K10,000 “From this business, I send two children to school. This business is my economic lifeline.”

However, Henry says poor road condition is the biggest challenge in the business. Motorcycles are vulnerable on such roads.

“The road is dusty and leaves both the riders and passengers dirty, by the time we arrive at destination, we are all covered in dust,” he added,

“Additionally, riding on the road is tougher when it rains, the soils are loose and clay, so they become slippery. Most cyclists easily fall together with the passengers and goods we carry.”

Henry’s story is just one among many stories users of this road can tell. It is against this background that hopes are high in this area that a new all-weather road is planned for construction.

Malawi government secured US$350 million from the US’s Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC); part of the funds is for the construction of the 53 kilometre tarmac road from Chigwirizano to Chileka along the Lilongwe -Mchinji road.

In total MCC through Millennium Challenge Account-Malawi II will construct over 300 kilometres of paved roads.