By Lisa Lamya
Blantyre, September 12, Mana: At least 26,000 rural households in Mulanje have gained financial literacy and agriculture expertise from the “Strengthening Systems for Financial Inclusion in Rural Malawi project surpassing the initial 24,000 targeted households.
This was disclosed Wednesday in Mulanje when implementers of the project, Opportunity International Malawi held an end-of-project learning workshop.
OIM Country Director, Richard Chongo, told Malawi News Agency (MANA) in an interview that the project has exceeded their expectations and they are pleased with the impact made in the district.
"The project trained farmers in good agricultural practices, regenerative farming, and business diversification. Additionally, it linked them to financial service providers to ensure they could access necessary financial services," Chongo explained.
Beatrice Kholowa, a smallholder farmer, who is among the 80 percent of women that have benefited from the project shared her success story, highlighting how the project has transformed her farming practices.
"Through the project, I have learned that farming is diverse. In the past, I only planted maize, but now I have diversified to beans, and tomatoes, among others," said Kholowa.
She said she now earns at least K1.5 million annually from her farm produce, enabling her to cater for her family's needs.
Ministry of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare Principal Secretary, Dr Nertha Semphere Mgala, commended the project’s impact on women and rural communities, particularly in improving financial literacy essential for agribusiness.
“The project worked with farming agents and other locally established structures, ensuring its sustainability,” Mgala noted.
Despite the challenges posed by Cyclones Freddy and Ana, the K3 billion project, funded by Jersey Overseas Aid (JOA), achieved significant results in transforming the lives of rural farmers.
The project was implemented from September 2021 to August 2024 in Mulanje, Zomba, Nkhotakota and Dedza Districts.
