ADRA Malawi joins the school feeding initiative

By Elias Banda

ADRA Malawi has joined a band wagon of other organizations to implement the community based school feeding program targeting 40 primary schools in 23 education districts of Malawi, responding to the nutrition challenges faced by learners in schools.  The project, which officially started in November 2013 under the name Nutrition and Access to Primary Education (NAPE) is being funded by Deutsche Gesellschft Fur Internationale Zusammenarbueit (GIZ) , through GOPA   Consultants.

 Out of the 40 schools, ADRA Malawi is targeting 12 located in 6 districts of Phalombe, Mulanje, Machinga, Mwanza,  Chiradzulu and Balaka.  Other organizations implementing the project are CADECOM and Total Land Care targeting 14 schools each. The NAPE project would span for 9 months as a pilot phase until September 2014.

NAPE staff under going project orientations in Blantyre

According to Emma Jakobo ADRA Malawi Action for Social Change (ASC) Program Manager, the objective of the project is to empower communities to develop, establish and operate on a continuous basis a sustainable school meal program at the primary school with resources generated within the community. She said the community would be responsible for the provision of food while the project would give them farm inputs and build their capacity for them to provide the school nutrition requirements.
At ground level of implementation, the project would collaborate with school committees, teachers and parents while at district level the project would work hand in gloves with district education authorities and nutrition coordinators.

Mangamba HC in clinical MC breakthrough

By Lino Limbithu and Elias Banda
Mangamba Health Centre in Machinga has achieved a clinical male circumcision breakthrough after registering 182 referred cases, defying the traditionally operated circumcision by herbalists known as angaliba in local language.  In 2012, the centre registered 134 cases and according to Aubrey Kambalame, Clinical Officer at the health centre, the rise in the figures was attributed to the intensified campaign on clinical circumcision campaign conducted in the area. Mr kambalame hinted in an interview that last year three boys were referred to the clinic while unconscious due to excessive bleeding after a botched circumcision operation at one of the traditional initiation ceremony camps. Kambalame said the situation triggered a spate of fear in the community as it was reported that apart from their lack of knowledge on clinical procedure, the ngalibas used old and blunt knives when cutting foreskins and the boys were not given any pain killers after the operation and they were left to endure the pain without proper care.
ADRA Malawi through the Action for Social change Program collaborated with chiefs and health workers in the area and launched a campaign against traditional circumcision. ADRA Malawi also facilitated a series of community dialogue sessions involving all sections of the society to find a lasting solution on the matter and community members resolved to take their children to the clinic for a safer and clinically administered circumcision.

The Ngaliba and the boys captured at the Ndagala last year.

In September 2012, it was reported that over 60 boys were detained in the initiation ceremony camps known as Ndagala for a month after schools were opened for them to complete the initiation ceremony which included circumcision, putting education in the area at stake.
A radio program facilitated by ADRA Malawi  called Nzatonse was recorded at Mgundiwa where community members condemned the practice and called on chiefs to take drastic measures on the matter.  When the program was aired on the Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) last year in September, it attracted a wider condemnation as callers participating in the program wondered why people in Machinga highly valued culture than education.
Nevertheless, a spot check in the primary schools around Mangamba Health Centre conducted by ADRA Malawi in September this year revealed that all boys within the initiation age were in school, signifying a tremendous change in the community perception towards value for education.
The Action for Social Change Program is being supported by Denmark to bring about individual and society change in Machinga, Mulanje, Lilongwe and Mzimba.

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ADRA ASC Program meets stakeholders

By Elias Banda
ADRA Malawi through the Action For Social Change Program (ASC ) held a meeting with government stakeholders in Zomba to strengthen collaboration.
The meeting was held at Annes Lodge from 13th to 14th  November and brought together government officers, especially those aligned with program activities from Machinga and Mulanje. Participants included district directors of planning.

Emma Jakobo addressing stakeholders

Speaking during the official opening of the meeting Emma Jakobo, ASC Program Manager said ADRA Malawi was complementing government efforts and it was imperative that stakeholders were updated  at all levels of implementation and that their input would be crucial to help improve the delivery of services.  
The meeting created a platform where ADRA Malawi shared reports on achievements and success stories. ADRA Malawi Also shared the ASC mid-term review report and a research draft findings on Fertilizer Subsidy Program (FSP), conducted by Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), supported by the ASC Program.   The meeting also looked at common challenges hampering implementation of activities such as low involvement of men in the activities and how to sustain volunteers in the activities.
It was reported that low male patronage in development activities was a general problem and was attributed to the fact that men would participate in activities which had quick results.  To draw the attention of men in the projects it was resolved that future project designs whether undertaken by government or non- governmental organizations, should consider reaching men where they are mostly found. The meeting also resolved that a common approach through district civil society organizations should be reached on how to handle volunteer incentives in order to avoid a situation where some organizations would give more incentives than others, thereby negatively impacting on the sustainability of activities.

Participants during the meeting

The meeting also agreed on joint monitoring of activities between the district councils and ADRA Malawi. It was resolved that councils would be free to contact ADRA Malawi or any other partner for monitoring of activities.
The meeting also discussed best practices on exist strategies that included community empowerment and linkages with relevant government departments.
In 2012,  a similar meetings took place in Blantyre and Lilongwe where ASC  program strategies were reviewed.
A similar meeting would take place in Salima involving stakeholders from Mzimba and Lilongwe.

VSL magic; women dreaming big in Lilongwe

By Levie Chiwenda
The Village banking system commonly known as Village Saving and Loan (VSL) continues to unleash magic spells as women in Tradtional Authouty Tsabango in Lilongwe are now dreaming big after accumulating huge sums of money.
During the last share out event at Group Village Nkhulawe in 2012, Chikondi  VSL Group accumulated K580, 000 ( about $1, 450) and Elizabeth Lemani  got the highest share of K62, 000 (about $155) and the second highest share went to Rose Shaibu, who got K60,000 (about  $150).

Elizabeth and her cow

Elizabeth, 50 and divorced bought a cow for milk and four bags of fertilizer which she used to harvest 40 bags of maize during  the 2012 and 2013 agriculture season, the highest achievement for a single woman at an advanced age. Rose shaibu, also divorced bought six bags of fertilizer and harvested 48 bags of maize and she has kept some to be sold during the anticipated hunger period between December 2013 and February 2014 when maize price goes up.

Rose Shaibu at her house

During the 2013 share out cycle, the 20-member VSL group had K925, 520 to share (about $2, 314)and again Elizabeth and Rose hit the highest with K90,000 and K75, 000 respectively. At the close of the share out event, Elizabeth’s joy was over pouring and she said in an interview that she was planning to invest more in future in order to buy a maize mill.  In a separate interview, Rose hinted that she would buy more land and invest in farming.

ADRA Malawi, through the Action for Social Change Program has facilitated formation  and is supporting 56 VSL groups in the area and with success records reported, more VSL groups are mushrooming through  village agents. On average, women membership in the groups constitutes 90%.

Members of Chkondi VSL display cash during share out

The Action for Social Change Program is being supported by Denmark to bring about individual and society change in Lilongwe, Machinga, Mulanje and Mzimba districts.
  The outlook of the village communities is now changing as the banking system has revived hope for quick economic recovery and is seen as the best method of rising women self esteem.

Backyard vegetable gardening changing lives in Salima

By Mercy Chakoma
Life is changing for better among women in Salima after the backyard gardening innovation by ADRA Malawi through the Tsogolo Labwino Project.
Backyard gardening was considered after ADRA Malawi assessed that many women in Salima were not economically empowered and they depended on men as sole bread winners.
A case in point is that of Rosmary Jetifala who slipped into poverty after her husband, Mathias Jefitala was involved in a car accident and he eventually became incapacitated.  Speaking in an interview, Rosmary narrated that life became unbearable for her family when her husband got injured and she almost became a beggar in order to provide for the needs of her seven children and her husband.
Before her husband got injured, the family survived on basket weaving, a trade that Mathias had undertaken for 15 years.
In April this year, a ray of hope manifested when Rosmary joined Tsogolo Labwino backyard vegetable gardening training. She said the training was an eye opener for her and she realized she was sitting on gold within her 15 square meter garden in her plot after harvesting high quality vegetables. She said she sold the first harvest and earned K1, 700 (about $4) a week in June this year. She said that since many people had realized her quality vegetables, her market base had increased and she would be earning enough to look after her family.
Rosemary has since joined the Tiyamike Savings and Loans Group in her village where her earnings are expected to double through her shares.
Her lifestyle changes are sending a glimmer of hope to many women in her community. Rosemary hails from Kumwala Village in Traditional Authority Kambwili where the Tsogolo Labwino is being implemented.
Tsogolo Labwino is being supported by the Australian Government through Australian Aid (AUSAID) to improve the quality of life for people in Salima District.

FBS formed in ASC program targeted districts

 By George Kamanga and Elias Banda
Seven farmers business schools (FBS) have been formed in Lilongwe, Mzimba, Machinga and Mulanje to enhance capacity of local farmers to produce quality crops through the use of conservation agriculture and other modern technologies.

Gift Mwnda ASC Lilongwe District Coordinator addresses FBS members at Dima irrigation site

The FBS concept was initiated by the Malawi Government through the Ministry of Agriculture and Food security to improve food security through quality crop production. ADRA Malawi is complementing government’s efforts by mobilising farmers into FBS.
In Lilongwe the FBS has been formed with members drawn from Chambala,Santhe, Tsabango, Chimono, Chingira, Mdondwe, Khundi and Dima group village communities. The school comprise 25 members of which 5 are women and it has special interest in soy and groundnuts.
 In Machinga, four FBS have been formed at Nanyumbu and Mbonachela with special interest in groundnuts, poultry and cotton. 

FBS members share ideas at Chambala demonstration site

In Mulanje a school has been formed at Chimwamezi in Traditional Authority Juma, comprising 22 members with special focus on pigeon pea. In Mzimba the school has been formed at Choma, focusing on soy and beans.

ADRA Malawi through the Action for Social Change Program (ASC),  is collaborating with government extension workers to ensure that the schools are strengthened and sustained. Skills acquired through FBS are expected to help small holder farmers to penetrate the wider market with quality and well packed products.
The ASC program is being supported by Denmark to bring about individual and society change in Machinga, Mulanje, Lilongwe and Mzuzu.

ADRA Malawi to continue food aid in Phalombe

By Elias Banda

ADRA Malawi has been selected among shortlisted agencies and organizations by the World Food Program (WFP) and the Malawi Government Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) to continue food aid activities in Phalombe District. The project starts in October this year and will wind up in February 2014.

According to the Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee (MVAC),  Phalombe is one of the 21 districts of Malawi seriously hit by the hunger situation and it is estimated that between April 2013 and March 2014,  about 1.4 million do not have food. The hunger situation has been aggravated by recurrent dry spells and flooding in the 2012/2013 agriculture season which resulted in low yields.

  Speaking in an interview, Hastings Lacha, ADRA Malawi Emergency and  Relief Coordinator said the program  would be implemented in traditional Authority Nazombe and Nkhumba, targeting 12, 912 households, representing about 71, 016 people.

The project is being funded by UKAID, USAID, WFP and

The DFID and Malawi Government teams addressing beneficiaries in Phalombe last year.

the Malawi Government. Last year between October and March, ADRA Malawi distributed food to over 12 thousand households in Phalombe district under the Emergency Food AID Program (JEFAP) funded by the Malawi Government and the British Department for International Development ( DFID)

Mr Lacha said that under the current program, targeted households would receive a food basket on monthly rotational basis comprising 50kg of cereal, 5 kg of corn soya blend, 2 liters of cooking oil and 10kgs of pulses.

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