By Andrew Phiri

Balaka, October 5, Mana: Malawi Watershed Services Improvement Project (MWASIP) on Friday handed over MK38 million through Community Environmental Conservation Fund to 21 village level committee that restored 72 hectares of degraded land in Balaka district.

Project Technical Team Leader, Oswald Mulenga therefore urged MWASIP participating community members to be game changers in catchment conservation by adopting prudent use of financial gains beside practicing climate resilience and modern farming practices.

Mulenga, made the call on Friday at Group Village head Chiyembekezo, Traditional Authority Nsamala when handing over the MK38 million.

The project team leader expressed optimism that the MK38 million shared among members of the 21 committees will help members to generate more money by venturing into small scale businesses and organizing themselves into Village Savings Loans (VSLs) groups that will empower them economically other than indulging in charcoal production and other human practices that are not environment friendly.

“Research shows that every year we lose over 30 tons of fertile soil per hectare as evidenced by water gullies that are all over our fields and siltation in our rivers. All these are signs of deforestation and poor farming practices.

“Balaka is also one of the districts in the country that frequently experience dry spells and it is our plea that farmers here should use these funds prudently to get alternative sources of income rather than destroying the forests," he said.

He added that apart from the financial component in MWASIP, the project also provided extension officers with motor cycles to address mobility challenges during their extension work.

One of the Catchment Management Committee members from Namikombe area, Steven Banda, said that it was pleasing that MWASIP mobilized communities to adopt climate resilience and modern farming practices citing marking of swales, box ridges and check dams as measurers to regulate water flow.

“Chiyembekezo village level committee is among the 21 structures that managed to appreciate importance of restoring over 72 hectares of degraded land, We have received MK4.3 million and we pledge to use money prudently,” he said.

Chairperson for Balaka District Council, Pharao Kambiri, said was delighted to see active community participation in catchment conservation and applauded MWASIP for empowering the community members financially.

He said Balaka District Council will work closely with community leaders to enforce laws that shall stop further environment degradation.

MWASIP was introduced in Balaka in 2022 to restore over 10,000 hectares of degraded land in the Shire River Basin.