The recent harvest season has seen a bumper harvest not only in maize but also in other crops such as cassava and sweet potatoes which are not only a source of protein but an income generator.
Researchers at Bvumbwe Agriculture Research Station banged their heads together for the past years and discovered than millions of Kwacha can be realised from sweet potatoes and seed multiplication of pigeon peas.
During a field day held last week at the research centre, the researchers showcased different crops that can turn around the countries economy if proper farming practice is followed.
According to the researchers commercial varieties of sweet potatoes such as the orange type, if revisited with best practice and spacing can generate K666,000 per hector if spaced at 75cm apart.
The researchers also said that irrigation is another best way of cultivating sweet potatoes and farmers can harvest twice under a year.
According to their findings sweet potatoes can be made into flour which is raw material for making biscuits and selling at K40 per kilogram small scale farmers stand a chance of earning more than K555,000 per hector.
Wednesday, 19 August 2009
USADF Signs Four Grants to Support Thousands of Farmers in Malawi
LILONGWE, Malawi, August 19, 2009/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The United States African Development Foundation has signed four grants that will support grassroots groups in Malawi. The grants will benefit Lilongwe South Smallholder Farmers Association (LLSSFA), Nkhatabay Coffee Cooperative (NBCGC), Misuku Coffee Growers Co-operative Society (MCGCS), and Coffee Growers Co-Operative Society (PCGCS).
Reflecting on the grants, USADF President Lloyd O. Pierson stated, “USADF funds groups at the grassroots level. These grants support farmers in Malawi to produce more goods to sell on markets, increasing their incomes and their quality of life.”
LLSSFA is located in the Lilongwe District in the Central Region of Malawi. An umbrella organization supported more than 6,000 farmers from three farmer associations, LLSSFA works to improve the livelihoods of farmers by providing technical assistance in production and marketing of crops such as soy, maize and beans. The association takes an active approach to create awareness of gender, literacy, environmental, and HIV/AIDS issues. The four year grant will assist LLSSFA construct a warehouse, develop a business plan and marketing strategy, purchase a van, drill a borehole, and enhance working capital.
MCGCS assists farmers to grow and market coffee in Chitipa district. With 727 members, the cooperative grows and raises Arabica coffee to improve the living standards of members and the local community. The three year grant will fund processing equipment, training, a trip to visit organic coffee farms in Tanzania, enhance the revolving loan fund in an effort to increase incomes and create jobs.
With 300 members, NBCGC is a cooperative made up of 11 business centers which operate in four zones in Nkata Bay district. The cooperative grows and markets coffee and provides services and market access to farmers. The four year grant will fund the purchase of processing equipment and a truck, training, and enhance the revolving loan fund.
Located in the Rumphi district of Mzuzu, PCGCS is a coffee cooperative with 534 members, 123 of whom are women. The cooperative seeks to increase the incomes and value of life for its farmer members, their families, and the surrounding communities by increasing the volume of coffee produced and improving the yield of specialty coffee. The three year grant will finance construction of pulper houses and processing equipment, training in agronomic practices and good governance, a truck, and office equipment.
USADF established programming in Malawi in 2008 and began funding projects in 2009. USADF receives co-funding from the Government of Malawi. The country’s current portfolio stands at nine investment projects totaling more than $1.5 dollars. For more information about the portfolio, please visit the country’s quick source page at http://www.adf.gov/USADF-QuickSourceCountryPortfolioPage-Malawi.htm .
The United States African Development Foundation (USADF) is a United States Government agency dedicated to expanding access to economic opportunity in Africa. Currently USADF operates in 20 African nations. Over the past 25 years, USADF has funded nearly 1,500 projects representing in enhance working capitol. excess of $150 million in support of African enterprises and local African communities.
Reflecting on the grants, USADF President Lloyd O. Pierson stated, “USADF funds groups at the grassroots level. These grants support farmers in Malawi to produce more goods to sell on markets, increasing their incomes and their quality of life.”
LLSSFA is located in the Lilongwe District in the Central Region of Malawi. An umbrella organization supported more than 6,000 farmers from three farmer associations, LLSSFA works to improve the livelihoods of farmers by providing technical assistance in production and marketing of crops such as soy, maize and beans. The association takes an active approach to create awareness of gender, literacy, environmental, and HIV/AIDS issues. The four year grant will assist LLSSFA construct a warehouse, develop a business plan and marketing strategy, purchase a van, drill a borehole, and enhance working capital.
MCGCS assists farmers to grow and market coffee in Chitipa district. With 727 members, the cooperative grows and raises Arabica coffee to improve the living standards of members and the local community. The three year grant will fund processing equipment, training, a trip to visit organic coffee farms in Tanzania, enhance the revolving loan fund in an effort to increase incomes and create jobs.
With 300 members, NBCGC is a cooperative made up of 11 business centers which operate in four zones in Nkata Bay district. The cooperative grows and markets coffee and provides services and market access to farmers. The four year grant will fund the purchase of processing equipment and a truck, training, and enhance the revolving loan fund.
Located in the Rumphi district of Mzuzu, PCGCS is a coffee cooperative with 534 members, 123 of whom are women. The cooperative seeks to increase the incomes and value of life for its farmer members, their families, and the surrounding communities by increasing the volume of coffee produced and improving the yield of specialty coffee. The three year grant will finance construction of pulper houses and processing equipment, training in agronomic practices and good governance, a truck, and office equipment.
USADF established programming in Malawi in 2008 and began funding projects in 2009. USADF receives co-funding from the Government of Malawi. The country’s current portfolio stands at nine investment projects totaling more than $1.5 dollars. For more information about the portfolio, please visit the country’s quick source page at http://www.adf.gov/USADF-QuickSourceCountryPortfolioPage-Malawi.htm .
The United States African Development Foundation (USADF) is a United States Government agency dedicated to expanding access to economic opportunity in Africa. Currently USADF operates in 20 African nations. Over the past 25 years, USADF has funded nearly 1,500 projects representing in enhance working capitol. excess of $150 million in support of African enterprises and local African communities.
Rob in Malawi :Packing tips for future JFs
Hey folks! So this I’m wrapping up my placement, saying farewell to friends and family, and packing my bags for Canada. I’m hoping to write a little bit about my placement impact later this week, but that’s an issue I’m still reflecting on. For now, though, I thought I’d throw out a quick blog post with some packing advice for future JFs in southern Africa.
A tiny camera. I brought my SLR with me, thinking I’d be able to get much better pictures than with a small point and shoot. Was I ever wrong! As soon as you take a camera out in the village, kids go wild. I was taking a picture of my friend Mango on the weekend, and a swarm of children ran at us from across the village shouting “Jambala! Jambala!” (”Picture! Picture!”). Future JFs should make an effort to bring the smallest, most discrete camera possible. You will attract less attention that way!
NO white clothes. This key piece of advice was definitely not passed on to me before coming to Malawi. I showed up with six pairs of white socks, and have regretted it ever since. When I wash most of my clothes, I can usually do a passable job. The dirt I don’t manage to clean is usually pretty unnoticeable, and my family doesn’t mind. However,whenever I hang my white socks up to dry, I can be sure that someone will take them down and rewash them as soon as I go to work. Future JFs coming to Malawi should know that dark fabrics are your friend!
Clothes that make you feel comfortable. Back in Canada JFs were advised to leave flashy western clothing at home, in order to ease the process of integration once overseas. In Malawi, however, most people wear western clothing, and much of it comes from Canada (I’m typing this while wearing a UW Plant Operations shirt I found at the market). Looking back, the type of clothes I have worn while in Malawi were probably the least of my integration worries. As an azungo (white man), wearing local clothing isn’t going to make you stick out any less! Future JFs headed to southern Africa: wear what makes you comfortable, and preferably, what is easy to clean!
USB flash drives. In Malawi, almost all electronics cost a ridiculous amount. At around 2000 Malawian Kwacha ($16.00 CAD) per Gigabyte, USB flash keys are no exception. As owning a computer is something far beyond the means of most Malawians, everyone that uses a computer for work or communication relies pretty heavily on USB keys. And, if you have a few, they make great gifts for friends, family, and co-workers.
Western treats. Bringing some food from Canada can go a long way to making a good first impression on EWB Overseas Volunteer Staff (OVS). When you get off a forty hour plane ride, feeling groggy and disoriented, you might not be your normal self. However, having a ready supply of dried fruit, trail mix, and granola bars will make the OVS forget this very quickly!
If future JFs heed this advice, they should be ready to rock out an amazing placement in Malawi! That’s it for now - look forward to hearing about my placement impact and some post-placement reflections later this week!
A tiny camera. I brought my SLR with me, thinking I’d be able to get much better pictures than with a small point and shoot. Was I ever wrong! As soon as you take a camera out in the village, kids go wild. I was taking a picture of my friend Mango on the weekend, and a swarm of children ran at us from across the village shouting “Jambala! Jambala!” (”Picture! Picture!”). Future JFs should make an effort to bring the smallest, most discrete camera possible. You will attract less attention that way!
NO white clothes. This key piece of advice was definitely not passed on to me before coming to Malawi. I showed up with six pairs of white socks, and have regretted it ever since. When I wash most of my clothes, I can usually do a passable job. The dirt I don’t manage to clean is usually pretty unnoticeable, and my family doesn’t mind. However,whenever I hang my white socks up to dry, I can be sure that someone will take them down and rewash them as soon as I go to work. Future JFs coming to Malawi should know that dark fabrics are your friend!
Clothes that make you feel comfortable. Back in Canada JFs were advised to leave flashy western clothing at home, in order to ease the process of integration once overseas. In Malawi, however, most people wear western clothing, and much of it comes from Canada (I’m typing this while wearing a UW Plant Operations shirt I found at the market). Looking back, the type of clothes I have worn while in Malawi were probably the least of my integration worries. As an azungo (white man), wearing local clothing isn’t going to make you stick out any less! Future JFs headed to southern Africa: wear what makes you comfortable, and preferably, what is easy to clean!
USB flash drives. In Malawi, almost all electronics cost a ridiculous amount. At around 2000 Malawian Kwacha ($16.00 CAD) per Gigabyte, USB flash keys are no exception. As owning a computer is something far beyond the means of most Malawians, everyone that uses a computer for work or communication relies pretty heavily on USB keys. And, if you have a few, they make great gifts for friends, family, and co-workers.
Western treats. Bringing some food from Canada can go a long way to making a good first impression on EWB Overseas Volunteer Staff (OVS). When you get off a forty hour plane ride, feeling groggy and disoriented, you might not be your normal self. However, having a ready supply of dried fruit, trail mix, and granola bars will make the OVS forget this very quickly!
If future JFs heed this advice, they should be ready to rock out an amazing placement in Malawi! That’s it for now - look forward to hearing about my placement impact and some post-placement reflections later this week!
Mercy Madonna of Malawi
It was 19th-century European missionaries who brought the Madonna to Malawi, but it's a very different Madonna who has hit the headlines in recent months with her desire to adopt a four-year-old Malawian girl called Mercy (not even her real name). In Toby Gough's musical, the queen of pop is played by a 6ft black man in a blonde wig, who is seen wandering through a Malawian orphanage with a shopping trolley on the lookout for a likely child.
But don't let the exuberant vulgarity mislead you – for all the singing, dancing and terrific drumming, there's real anger bubbling beneath the surface of this little show. So there should be: the average life expectancy in Malawi is only 37. No wonder the lyrics of one of Madonna's most famous songs get changed to: "People are dying in a Malawian world, and I'm a Malawian girl."
At the moment, the show is conflicted between its desire to make a strong political statement about Western attitudes to developing nations and being an all-singing, all-dancing African extravaganza of the kind that always goes down well in Edinburgh. It would benefit from being far more satirical and hard-hitting: it seems a little scared about alienating its audience and backs away from putting us on the spot, particularly in the courtroom scene where members of the audience are asked whether Mercy should stay or go. The final sequence, which projects forward in time to when Mercy is a medical student at Edinburgh university, is a bit lame, too.
It's an entertaining enough experience, but also a missed opportunity.
But don't let the exuberant vulgarity mislead you – for all the singing, dancing and terrific drumming, there's real anger bubbling beneath the surface of this little show. So there should be: the average life expectancy in Malawi is only 37. No wonder the lyrics of one of Madonna's most famous songs get changed to: "People are dying in a Malawian world, and I'm a Malawian girl."
At the moment, the show is conflicted between its desire to make a strong political statement about Western attitudes to developing nations and being an all-singing, all-dancing African extravaganza of the kind that always goes down well in Edinburgh. It would benefit from being far more satirical and hard-hitting: it seems a little scared about alienating its audience and backs away from putting us on the spot, particularly in the courtroom scene where members of the audience are asked whether Mercy should stay or go. The final sequence, which projects forward in time to when Mercy is a medical student at Edinburgh university, is a bit lame, too.
It's an entertaining enough experience, but also a missed opportunity.
Use condoms-Malawian women told
Women in the district of Chiradzuru in southern Malawi have been asked to sexually empower themselves using female condoms.
District AIDS Coordinator for the district, Chris Nawaka made the request to the women through state controlled Malawi News Agency (MANA) last week saying female condoms can protect women from contracting HIV and AIDS if they use them.
“Women and girls should now feel safer with the introduction of female condoms on the market because if they don’t trust a man, they will be free to use a female condom when having sex”, said Nawata during female condom promotion campaign by Chipere Community Based Organization (CBO) Chiradzuru adding,“Apart from using the female condom as a means for preventing HIV infections, it’s also important as a family tool.”
Nawata further praised United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) for funding the CBO to conduct the female condom promotion campaign.
According to a study by the United Development Programme (UNDP) in Malawi female condoms promotion has received less attention and their use has been minimal.
“They [female condoms] are expensive than male condoms and consequently, have not been readily available. This discourages their use and places women at higher risk of infection, especially for those unable to persuade their partners to use male condoms,” reads the research report in part.
It adds that other factors contributing to low female condom use in Malawian society where women also lack the courage to negotiate with men before engaging in sex on religious and cultural grounds include inadequate knowledge, poor attitudes about what constitutes sexual pleasure and the association of condom use with promiscuity and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs).
District AIDS Coordinator for the district, Chris Nawaka made the request to the women through state controlled Malawi News Agency (MANA) last week saying female condoms can protect women from contracting HIV and AIDS if they use them.
“Women and girls should now feel safer with the introduction of female condoms on the market because if they don’t trust a man, they will be free to use a female condom when having sex”, said Nawata during female condom promotion campaign by Chipere Community Based Organization (CBO) Chiradzuru adding,“Apart from using the female condom as a means for preventing HIV infections, it’s also important as a family tool.”
Nawata further praised United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) for funding the CBO to conduct the female condom promotion campaign.
According to a study by the United Development Programme (UNDP) in Malawi female condoms promotion has received less attention and their use has been minimal.
“They [female condoms] are expensive than male condoms and consequently, have not been readily available. This discourages their use and places women at higher risk of infection, especially for those unable to persuade their partners to use male condoms,” reads the research report in part.
It adds that other factors contributing to low female condom use in Malawian society where women also lack the courage to negotiate with men before engaging in sex on religious and cultural grounds include inadequate knowledge, poor attitudes about what constitutes sexual pleasure and the association of condom use with promiscuity and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs).
Monday in Malawi
This week jump started at 7am on Monday morning as Jeffrey and I piled into a vehicle packed with seven other Clinton Foundation staff heading out to rural health facilities scattered about the rural district of Machinga in southern Malawi for another days work. We arrived at a health center around 9:00am, and by 10:00am Jeffrey and I are in the middle of a counseling session with our supervisor, two “Expert Clients” (Clinton Foundation-trained HIV/AIDS peer counselors), and an HIV positive woman who had just returned to the clinic to receive her test results to determine if she was eligible to start treatment for HIV.
As the counseling session unfolds, I learn bits and pieces of this young woman’s life as Jeffrey translates her story. She is 22 years old and HIV positive. She already has three children- ages 9, 5, and the 3 month-old she is currently carrying on her back. She started walking from her home at 4:00am this morning to arrive to the clinic by 8:00. She had learned of her HIV status when she tested HIV positive during an antenatal visit for her most recent pregnancy. She is married to an older man, and he refuses to get HIV tested. She has not told him about her HIV status because she fears he will abandon her. He doesn’t even know that she or the baby is taking any medicines. I almost have to take a step back to realize where I am. This young woman is telling her personal story, but it is echoing of the stories that I have heard in news stories, in books, in movies or in articles so many times.
By the end of the counseling session, she is crying, and I can’t even come up with words to provide any comfort- let alone in Chichewa (the most common local language in Malawi). And unfortunately, this is the story of so many women in Malawi. Thankfully, this woman had the courage to come to the health center and to take medications to prevent HIV transmission to her 3- month-old child. So far, the baby is looking very healthy, and we are all hopefully she will be HIV negative. Thankfully, this health center has Expert Clients who can help support and counsel this woman throughout her efforts to keep her baby healthy and her struggles to disclose her status to her husband and convince him to come for testing. Many woman and children in Malawi do not have access to these kinds of services. This was just the first patient we saw that day; there are many others waiting on the benches of the clinic, each with their own story.
Jeffrey and I are going to be spending a major portion of this year supporting the Expert Client Program, which is what led us into that counseling session on Monday morning. The goal of the Expert Client Program is to engage and train people living with HIV/AIDS to be role models, counselors, and mentors (Expert Clients) in order to increase the enrollment of HIV positive individuals, especially HIV positive mothers and children, in care and treatment while maintaining the same level of healthcare workers in an overburdened healthcare system. These Expert Clients are mothers and caregivers themselves who exemplify positive lifestyles, strong adherence to treatment plans, and have been trained by Clinton Foundation in HIV/AIDS education and peer counseling. Expert Clients work in their own local health clinic M-F during clinic hours and spend their days doing one-on-one counseling sessions with HIV positive pregnant women and mothers, mother and caregivers of HIV positive children, and even HIV positive children. The Expert Clients help patients navigate the health system and ensure they receive the care and treatment they need. In the past, as many as 50% of clients are lost between testing and enrollment on treatment!
Jeffrey and I are going to be acting as program managers, doing everything from assisting in the design of the reporting system to visiting the Expert Clients at their sites and helping to build their capacity to act as mentors and counselors to helping the program expand to more clinics. I’m excited, overwhelmed, and already diving in! Here we go…
As the counseling session unfolds, I learn bits and pieces of this young woman’s life as Jeffrey translates her story. She is 22 years old and HIV positive. She already has three children- ages 9, 5, and the 3 month-old she is currently carrying on her back. She started walking from her home at 4:00am this morning to arrive to the clinic by 8:00. She had learned of her HIV status when she tested HIV positive during an antenatal visit for her most recent pregnancy. She is married to an older man, and he refuses to get HIV tested. She has not told him about her HIV status because she fears he will abandon her. He doesn’t even know that she or the baby is taking any medicines. I almost have to take a step back to realize where I am. This young woman is telling her personal story, but it is echoing of the stories that I have heard in news stories, in books, in movies or in articles so many times.
By the end of the counseling session, she is crying, and I can’t even come up with words to provide any comfort- let alone in Chichewa (the most common local language in Malawi). And unfortunately, this is the story of so many women in Malawi. Thankfully, this woman had the courage to come to the health center and to take medications to prevent HIV transmission to her 3- month-old child. So far, the baby is looking very healthy, and we are all hopefully she will be HIV negative. Thankfully, this health center has Expert Clients who can help support and counsel this woman throughout her efforts to keep her baby healthy and her struggles to disclose her status to her husband and convince him to come for testing. Many woman and children in Malawi do not have access to these kinds of services. This was just the first patient we saw that day; there are many others waiting on the benches of the clinic, each with their own story.
Jeffrey and I are going to be spending a major portion of this year supporting the Expert Client Program, which is what led us into that counseling session on Monday morning. The goal of the Expert Client Program is to engage and train people living with HIV/AIDS to be role models, counselors, and mentors (Expert Clients) in order to increase the enrollment of HIV positive individuals, especially HIV positive mothers and children, in care and treatment while maintaining the same level of healthcare workers in an overburdened healthcare system. These Expert Clients are mothers and caregivers themselves who exemplify positive lifestyles, strong adherence to treatment plans, and have been trained by Clinton Foundation in HIV/AIDS education and peer counseling. Expert Clients work in their own local health clinic M-F during clinic hours and spend their days doing one-on-one counseling sessions with HIV positive pregnant women and mothers, mother and caregivers of HIV positive children, and even HIV positive children. The Expert Clients help patients navigate the health system and ensure they receive the care and treatment they need. In the past, as many as 50% of clients are lost between testing and enrollment on treatment!
Jeffrey and I are going to be acting as program managers, doing everything from assisting in the design of the reporting system to visiting the Expert Clients at their sites and helping to build their capacity to act as mentors and counselors to helping the program expand to more clinics. I’m excited, overwhelmed, and already diving in! Here we go…
Overloaded boat sinks in Lake Malawi
Maputo - A boat overloaded with passengers, many of them children, sank in the middle of Lake Malawi off the Mozambican shore on Tuesday, killing at least 16 people, police said.
The boat, which had a capacity of 12, was carrying four times that number when it went down offshore from the northern Mozambican town of Meleluca in the lake known locally as Lake Nyassa, said Jose Mahunguele, the provincial police commander.
"Of the 48 people aboard, 16 died and three are considered missing. Twenty-nine were saved," Mahunguele told reporters.
He said the accident happened on Tuesday morning as the boat carried a group of adolescents to a traditional initiation rite, a common practice in northern Mozambique.
Mahunguele said he did not know the ages of the victims, but that initial reports indicated many of those aboard were children.
The boat, which had a capacity of 12, was carrying four times that number when it went down offshore from the northern Mozambican town of Meleluca in the lake known locally as Lake Nyassa, said Jose Mahunguele, the provincial police commander.
"Of the 48 people aboard, 16 died and three are considered missing. Twenty-nine were saved," Mahunguele told reporters.
He said the accident happened on Tuesday morning as the boat carried a group of adolescents to a traditional initiation rite, a common practice in northern Mozambique.
Mahunguele said he did not know the ages of the victims, but that initial reports indicated many of those aboard were children.
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