Training doesn’t stop at the top.

With just a few months to go before Malawi heads to the polls in September 2025, the countdown is on not only for voters but also for election observers and their trainers.

Preparing for election observation in Malawi goes beyond logistics. It’s about making sure those who train observers are up to date and ready to lead in the field. This is precisely what happened at the Training of Trainers workshop led by the Electoral Support Network for Southern Africa (ESN-SA) and its member the Catholic Commission for Peace and Justice (CJJP) in Lilongwe (Malawi), from 8 to 11 July.

From fighting disinformation to walking citizens through legal options and voter education, they built their skills to inform and inspire. Amid declining public trust in democratic institutions, as noted by Grace Mganga, representative of the European Union Delegation in Malawi, and rising electoral conflicts, as explained by Louis Msiyadungu, National Coordinator at CCJP Malawi, this wasn’t just about passing information; it was about building a resilient network of grounded, informed, and relatable local leaders ready to keep Malawi’s elections peaceful, inclusive, and democratic.

32 election observation trainers were transformed into messengers of peace, inclusion, and informed participation, who:

• Began by exploring Malawi’s electoral history, diving into the root causes, dynamics, and key players behind electoral conflict, and learned to map conflicts and pinpoint key intervention moments to prevent violence, on day 1.
• Deepened their understanding of regional and international standards on elections, principles of electoral integrity, negotiation and mediation strategies, and early warning systems, on day 2.
• Brought theory to life by applying what they had learned to resolve real-world electoral conflict scenarios in groups, on day 3.
• Distinguished between civic education, voter education, and information, and developed peace messaging skills and strategies tailored to diverse audiences, enhancing their ability to deliver impactful and inclusive outreach, on day 4.

Because even the best trainers need a little training, refreshing, and retooling. Ready to carry on their knowledge, these 32 trainers will now empower election observers across Malawi to be the eyes and ears of the integrity of the September elections.