Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Kang’oma ADMARC comes back to life


By James Masauko




The Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (ADMARC) revived its operations at Kan’goma after a series of community advocacy  meetings in traditional Authority Tsabango in Lilongwe bringing back smiles on people’s faces.  The corporation stopped selling maize and seeds at Kang’oma  for several years and since then, the centre was used for selling subsidized fertilizer which was done once in a year.
Happy community at Kang'oma trading centre
Meanwhile, people walked 15 kilometers to join long queues at Area 23 ADMARC Office and on bad day, they could return home without buying maize. At the heat of maize shortage especially in January and February the issue was deeply felt in the community and it triggered discussions to find a lasting solution.
Kan'goma ADMARC Building

Community structures such as the advocacy, Area Development and the clergy committees organized meetings at deferent intervals and resolved to meet the Senior Chief Tsabango and the Member of Parliament for the area Honorable Rabin Lowe for an interface meeting with ADMARC General Manager at Malangalanga in Lilongwe.
The community    later resolved to write a letter to ADMARC bearing all the people’s concerns. A few weeks later the response was positive and Kang’oma ADMARC received 100 bags of maize and 15 bags of rice. However, the maize was rationed at K10kg per person so that at least every one could access to the staple food.
Lilongwe ADMARC promised the community at Tsabango that the supply maize and rice would continue in the subsequent months.
ADRA Malawi through the Action for Social Change Program has strengthened the capacity of community based groups to be able to advocate for better services and improved quality of life.
The Action for Social Change Program is being supported by Denmark to bring about individual and society change in Mulanje, Machinga, Lilongwe and Mzimba.




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