By Wanangwa Tembo

Kasungu, April 19, Mana: Jesuit Centre for Ecology and Development (JCED) on Friday donated 70 bicycles worth K32 million to champion lead farmers and other groups in Kasungu District to ease mobility challenges in the provision of extension services.

Presenting the bicycles, which were procured with support from Irish Jesuits International, Deputy Director for JCED, Martha Phiri, said there have been serious mobility challenges for champion lead farmers under the institution's Tasintha Mlimi Project to ably provide extension services to fellow farmers.

"We work with the most marginalized and vulnerable farmers, building their resilience to effects of climate change such as food insecurity. We use the farmer to farmer approach whereby we train the local farmers to provide technical agricultural extension services to their fellows.

"These are the people that have contributed less to climate change yet they are the ones that suffer most from the effects of this changing climatic patterns. So, to smoothen the provision of extension services, we thought of distributing the bicycles to ease mobility for the service providers," Phiri said.

She said through the Tasintha Mlimi Project, JCED has helped vulnerable communities to cope with challenges brought by climate change.

She expressed hope that activities under the intervention will be sustained when the project phases out in 2026.

President for champion lead farmers, Frazer Phiri, expressed gratitude for the support which was also extended to patrons for environment clubs under the Green Schools Initiative and village agents who supervise village savings and loan groups under the Tasintha Mlimi Project.

He said: "We work with so many farmers and the catchments are big, requiring the use of bicycles like these.

"We mainly teach them about climate smart agricultural practices like manure making, environmental conservation and the establishment of orchards and tree nurseries. So, we are excited that we have received these bicycles because they will ease our mobility," he said. 

On his part, a representative of the Extension Methodology Officer at Kasungu District Council, Kelvin Siti, advised the groups to use the bicycles for the intended purpose of promoting provision of extension services in the communities.

He called for seriousness in climate change interventions saying the changing weather patterns are a threat to food security.

Kasungu is one of the districts that suffered prolonged dry spells last growing season, putting over 50, 000 people on the line of starvation.