By Kondwani Magombo

Lilongwe, November 23, Mana: Although the 2023/24 growing season was the worst season in most parts of Malawi due to El Nino weather conditions, Edrina Kenamu from Salima had a different story to tell.

Kenamu, together with her family comprising husband and five children, hails from Kandusiwa Village, Group Village Head Mtende, Traditional Authority Pemba in the district.

In the said lean year, the family broke a record by harvesting more than their sizeable family needed for food in a year.

“From our two-and-a-half-acre maize field, we harvested 36 bags of maize, each weighing 50kg,” explained Edrina Kenamu. “Of course, it was not what one would get from a field of that size under normal circumstances, but given the adverse weather patterns, a harvest of 36 bags was a big kill,” she, quickly, added.

Previously, the Kenamu family could harvest between 10 and 15 bags of maize from the same piece of land as the rains hadn’t been that good over the past years.

The 2023/24 growing season ‘bumper harvest miracle’ did not occur to the Kenamu household alone: many a family in Katelera Extension Planning Area (EPA) in Salima tasted it despite the harsh weather conditions.

The trick lied in a new tactic called Participatory Integrated Climate Services for Agriculture (PICSA), a farmer-centric climate service and agricultural extension approach that helps farmers understand climate change and variability, for them to make informed decisions.

PICSA outlines a set of steps to be undertaken by smallholder farmers, supporting them in making own decisions and planning what is best for their individual farms, for improved yields, food security, incomes, and resilience.

Put in broader terms, PICSA emphasizes that each farmer’s situation is unique, and options should be tailored according to their biophysical and socioeconomic context.

Unlike traditional climate information services (CIS), PICSA uses historical climate data (often spanning 30 years or more) to jointly analyze trends with farmers, and develop adaptable strategies well before the season begins.

By incorporating historical data, PICSA improves farmers' understanding of climate variability, and allows them to assess risks, such as rainfall amounts and dry spells, with more relevant and quantitative insights.

Additionally, PICSA supports the interpretation of Seasonal Climate Forecasts (SCF), providing locally precise and meaningful data, helping farmers plan more effectively for the season ahead by considering both climate and local resource.

Thus for the 2023/24 growing season, PICSA helped Kenamu, and many other farmers under Katelera EPA, understand climate variabilities for their area, prompting them to make the right decision on how to go about their farming that growing season.

“After thorough analysis of the available information regarding historical climate data and seasonal climate forecasts for our area, it became evident that we would have less rains in the growing season,” explained Kenamu.

She continued: “With that information, I knew that I did not only need to plant early-maturing maize variety, but I needed to make box ridges, also, to trap and conserve the little rain water that could be there.”

With her family’s limited income, Kenamu also knew that use of compost fertilizer (Mbeya) would be ideal – not only because of its affordability, but also because of the fertilizer’s ability to preserve moisture.

Initially, PICSA was paper-based whereby, small holder farmers were trained – using a manual book and flipcharts – to understand climate change and rain patterns in their respective areas so as to determine what crop(s) to grow to realize bumper yields.

But presently, a digital version of PICSA, E-PICSA, has been developed, replacing the paper-based innovation, and smallholder farmers like Kenamu are catching up fast with the new tool.

According to Geoffrey Chilombo, Senior Agriculture Communication Officer and Coordinator for Climate and Weather Projects in the Department of Agriculture Extension Services (DAES), the application was developed by University of Reading under the Department’s project with GIZ.

The project is being implemented in Kasungu and Nkhotakota, in Malawi, and in Petauke and Chipata, in Zambia.

“Following successful implementation of the project from 2012 to 2014, UNDP asked the DAES to orient extension workers and farmers in Chikwawa, Chiradzulu, Dedza, Salima, Lilongwe, Dowa and Nkhata-Bay, the 7 districts where the Department was implementing M-CLIMES with UNDP from 2017 to June 2024,” explained Chilombo.

E-PICSA application is freely installed in android smartphones, and it comprises an automated system for National Meteorological Services (NMS) that provides quality-checked, locally-specific, historical rainfall and temperature data, and location-specific season and short-term forecast.

“With paper based PICSA, farmers were finding it difficult to calculate probabilities of rains and temperature, as well as coming up with participatory budgets,” explained Chilombo, adding: “On the other hand, with E-PICSA, all a farmer has to do is to command the application on the smart phone and get the calculations.”

The evolution in understanding climatic changes and rains pattern to determine what crop to grow, and when to grow it, has not only excited the smallholder farmers: it has also left them certain of their food security, following accurate predictions they make through E-PICSA technology.

“We are very excited to use our phones beyond making calls, surfing the internet and social media platforms,” explained Kenamu, the happy lead farmer of Katelera EPA in Salima. “The E-PICSA application is user-friendly, with videos for maps, calendar and many extension materials.”

DAES is training lead farmers like Kenamu in the project districts through EPAs on the use of the technology for them (lead farmers) to train more smallholder farmers on the same for meaningful yields.

According to Katelera EPA Agriculture Extension Development Coordinator (AEDC), Lucern Nkanamwali, 2,375 farmers were oriented in the PICSA approach and recently, up to 40 lead farmers have been trained to orient yet more farmers on E-PICSA.

“We expect that the 40 lead farmers will each train 25 farmers who will also train others, in turn, and our target is to reach 15,000 smallholder farmers with the modern tool,” explained Nkanamwali.

He hailed the innovation, saying farmers are now able to interpret weather forecasts in relation to their area and choose what crop to cultivate, or what animal to rear.

“The farmers are equipped with technical knowledge: say, if the weather forecast says the area will receive little rains and they want to grow maize, they will go for a variety that matures early, and apply all the necessary practices in line with the learned forecast,” he added.

Nkanamwali’s observation is also shared by Isaiah Julius, Agriculture Extension Development Officer (AEDO) for Lobi EPA in Dedza, where over 34 lead farmers have been trained on the use of E-PICSA for them to train others, too, until a target of 10,000 smallholder farmers is reached.

“When we were using hardcopy books and flipcharts, it was not easy for the farmers to understand probability as they had to draw a graph, count months and calculate the probability,” explained Julius.

He added: “But E-PICSA has simplified everything as it does all the calculations for rains probability, temperatures and participatory budget.”

The E-PICSA evolution is catching on turning more smallholder farmers with smartphones in the project areas into local weather scientists and precise interpreters of forecasts for meaningful and  productive agricultural decisions.

By Benedicto Maguda

Blantyre, November 23, Mana: Vice President, Dr. Michael Usi on Friday participated in voter registration at Namatete Primary School in Blantyre.

Speaking after he registered, Usi expressed joy to have registered on the last day of the second phase of voter registration.

“As a citizen of the Republic of Malawi, it is my democratic right to vote that is why I came to register to exercise this right. I had to register to contribute to the choice of selection of the presidency and other office bearers of the Republic of Malawi,” he said.

Usi urged all Malawians to register so that they can vote in the forthcoming elections despite all challenges they are facing.

However, Usi is in support of the extension of voter registration as it is evident that many Malawians were in long queues in many registration centre and other centres around the city of Blantyre.

“I would agree of this suggestion from what I have seen here there is a big number that has not registered but they would like to register and there were some challenges; therefore, it is not right to live them out. Personally, registration extension is legit, so people should not be negligent,” he said.

Councilor for Chirimba Ward, Dingani Chiwondo, encouraged residents of Chirimba Township to take an example from the Vice President by registering to vote in next year’s election.

“A true citizen of the country must be involved in political participation which leads to development in the country,” he said.

By Zenak Matekenya

Dedza, November 23, Mana: Primary school head teachers in Dedza have praised the Malawi Education Reform Program (MERP) for transforming learning environments for learners.

Speaking Friday when officials from Ministry of Education toured the district to appreciate progress, Kapalamula Primary School Head Teacher Tabitha Sukasuka said the training she underwent through MERP has transformed her leadership skills.

She said together with her deputy they ably motivate teachers by appreciating their work, work closely with community and reduce school dropout.

“Some learners had dropped out due to school fees. The school committee had agreed to support such learners with school uniform using School Improvement Grant. Over 20 learners have benefited so far,” she said.

She also hailed MERP’s construction of a two classroom block at the school which has an enrolment of about 1,600 learners coming to school in shifts due to lack of adequate classroom space.

Milonde 1 Primary School Head Teacher, Godfrey Kulemeka, said before the training he had little knowledge on administrative issues like capturing and keeping records.

“For instance, previously we did not capture learners with physical disabilities and other difficulties in the learning process.

“However, following the training we know how best to identify these learners and incorporate them in the lessons and other school activities so that we move together,” he said.

Secretary for Education, Mangani Katundu, said the ministry is working tirelessly to improve speed at which the project is being implemented to surpass targets for its deliverable on school leadership training and building classroom blocks.

“Out of 10,200 teachers that we were supposed to train by the end of the program next year, I am happy to report that over 10,300 have been trained,” he said.

He expressed satisfaction with retention at Kapalamula Primary School where from the beginning of this term all learners are coming to school.

He said progress on construction of the classroom block at the institution, which started on September 29, 2024, is almost complete noting things are going the right direction.

He said change in procurement process now requires schools to buy constriction materials in groups as opposed to individual schools thereby acquiring higher quality material at reduced cost, as schools are now able to buy direct from the factories.

Deputy Director for the Department of Teacher Education and Development, Rose Kalizang’oma, said the project involved development of modules, which looked into documentation of all school activities, inclusive culture, climate change and supervision of projects.

She said the training sessions, which commenced in 2022 run for 10 days yielding 17 batches of trainees to date.

She added that besides head teachers, the training sessions also targeted female section heads adding that those teachers who benefited from Malawi Education Sector Improvement Project are left out.

She observed that a few schools have lagged behind in implementation of the knowledge gained and that plans are underway to fix the challenge from January next year.

“Some schools need more knowledge on implementation of their plan to be in line with their mission and goal. The other thing is acknowledging of low performing students and the gifted ones. So we want to hit hard on that,” she said.

By Andrew Gondwe

Chitipa, November 22, Mana: Chitipa Police has asked well-wishers to contribute resources it requires to tighten security in the district during the festive season. 

Officer-In-Charge for Chitipa Police, Joshua Mazengela, made the call Thursday during a resource mobilization meeting the station organized with district stakeholders.

Mazengela said the district has been registering high numbers of crime during festive season, which he said prompted the station to call for stakeholders to work hand in hand with the police to curb the malpractice.

He assured the stakeholders that police work day and night to ensure that residents and property are well secured in the district.

"However, we lack some resources that can complement efforts of tightening security in the district," Mazengela said.

He, therefore, requested the stakeholders and well-wishers to assist the law enforcers with the needed resources, which can help them in patrol.

Chairperson for Security Resources Mobilization Committee who is also Secretary for Chitipa Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) Network, Fidelis Kambalame, welcomed the initiative of engaging district stakeholders in resource mobilization drive as one way of reducing crime in the district during Christmas and New Year festivities.

Kambalame said it is the responsibility of everyone when it comes to security issues, saying that nobody can make development in an area where there is poor security.

“Let’s join hands in providing resources such as money or fuel for patrolling. This can assist in strengthening security in the district,” Kambalame appealed.

Chairperson for Kabaza Motorcycle Operators in Chitipa, Reuben Silanga, said tightening security in the district is paramount to every citizen.