By Sylvester Kumwenda

March 19, 2024

If you would literally take how a conversation between a man and his wife would be based on Paul Subili and Rod Valamanja's song “Taononga dziko,” it would sound something like this:

“Bambo a Ju, we do not have relish today,” the wife tells her husband. “But” he takes a pause thinking of how to respond. “I do not have any money on me today,” he replies.

A brief silence vents. Eyes lock.

“What are we going to do,” she asks,” seemingly worried for a moment.

“Do not worry my dear. I know what to do. Just get that big pot cleaned, I am going to the forest now”. The dialogue would end with the wife heading towards the kitchen, smiling, knowing the family will eat meat that day.

Of course, in many areas, that would be decades ago when forests and mountains like Chisudzi hill in Goma village in Traditional Authority Msakambewa in Dowa, were in their prime, blossoming with natural vegetation.

Unfortunately for Kennedy Kambani, chairperson of Tovi catchment, he did not get to see the glory Chisudzi hill once bathed in. He only witnessed its degradation.

“It was a sorry and deplorable site. You could barely believe the stories from our parents that preceding the 80s, this mountain was full of life,” he says.

Full of life, Kambani says the mountain once boasted of rich natural resources like indigenous trees, bushes, grass, creating a natural habitat for wildlife.

To the surrounding communities, it was not only a source of beautiful scenery, but the trees also provided fresh air, protection from strong winds, and prevented soil erosion.

People, he said, would go to the mountain to source mushroom, wildlife, and fruits.  When in abundance, these were also a source of income for communities.

However, the curse of the mountain was not to be a spiritual one but rather, man-made.

“Since the beginning of the early 90s, there were uncontrolled levels of wanton cutting down of the trees for firewood and charcoal that the mountain almost lost all its trees.

“As a result, during rainy seasons, there used to be high levels of running water from the mountain which affected cultivation of crops on the peripherals of the mountain as crops could easily get washed away.

“Also, soil erosion was high, washing away nutrients. There was low water infiltration resulting into little moisture to sustain natural regeneration of trees,” he said.

This he added also raised high risks of flash floods as there was little vegetation to reduce water velocities during rainy seasons.

However, realizing the dangers this environmental degradation posed, people started thinking of how they could reverse the situation.

“A few years ago, there was one donor funded project, which was followed by another project under Public Works Program, which all aimed at reforestation of the hill.

“But we started recording huge changes with the coming in of the Climate Smart Enhanced Public Works program (CS-EPWP),” he said.

The CSEPWP is a component under Malawi governments Social Support for Resilient Livelihoods Project (SSRLP).

It is funded by the World Bank and the Multi Donor Trust Fund and facilitated by the National Local Government Finance Committee in all the 28 district councils in the country.

Its main aim is to empower communities in land conversation activities.

Kambani said in 2022, they had 12 projects under the CS-EPWP aimed at restoring some of the degraded environment within the catchment. During the period they constructed 3600 contour ridges, 5470 check dams, 4920 infiltration pits.

They also had a nursery of 15000 seedlings, planted 14000 trees of which 11000 survived.

“But one hotspot for us was this hill, so we intensified planting trees across the hill, constructed infiltration pits harvest rainwater to maintain soil moisture.

“As we speak a good part of the hill is now covered with trees which was last seen decades ago,” he says.

Secretary for the group Kenneth Thunde said since inception of the program, over 50000 trees have been planted under the project within the catchment area. He said community participation has been crucial in making sure tree survival rate is high.

“Within the project, there is a component which requires participants to work on a contributory basis for 10 days of which we always do with dedication.

“But we also encourage each other that whatever we do is for our own and future generations benefit. So, protection of the trees does not end when a cycle is completed. Anyone is always on guard. And we established bylaws to punish violators,” he said.

Thunde adds that in 5 years, they envision the hill will be fully reforested.

Amongst other sub projects to be implemented in the third cycle include construction of 2365 infiltration pits, 31 kilometres of swales, and 31 kilometres of contour marker ridges.

Anjela Chauluka, one of the members of the catchment says implementation of projects had been successful because of cooperation amongst members.

Dowa district land resource conservation officer Tarmerson Mhone said it was encouraging to note that there is mind-set change amongst communities in land conversation activities.

Participants he said receive K28800 upon completion of a cycle but said despite the financial incentives, people are partaking in the project because of the knowledge they are getting.

“Participants are also learning of various ways they can protect their environment. For example, how contour bands can reduce running water and soil loses for soil productivity, how swales can improve drainage, the importance of infiltration pits in water harvesting and moisture retention.

“Through the CS-EPWP, people are getting to realize that any act of environmental degradation be it cutting down of a single tree will have consequences and that it is important to protect the environment,” said Mhone.

Mhone added saying with the knowledge being imparted to the communities, he was hopeful that if the project would in the future come to an end, communities would still appreciate the need to conserve the environment.

He then commended CS-EPWP participants, communities, and stakeholders in the district for collaboration in ensuring gains being recorded under the project are sustained.

Bakaya Yohane Mtsitsi is the Acting District Forestry officer for Dowa whose office coordinates all forestry related activates in the district.

He commended the CS-EPWP for the afforestation initiatives within the project and said his office is committed to ensure high tree survival in all programs including the CS-EPWP.

“We encourage communities and help them in formulation of committees which will be governing the protection of trees, and how they can select leaders with good qualities and interests in this. The committees establish by-laws which suit them as regards tree protection.

“We also work with the Area and Village Development Committees in disseminating messages on tree protection. But we also have extension workers across the district who provide readily available technical guidance and assistance to communities wherever necessary,” said Mtsitsi.

For Kambani, he hopes he will tell a different story to his grandchildren unlike the one he heard from his elders.

“I hope the only story to tell my grandchildren is how through the CS-EPWP we managed to bring back to life Chisudzi hill and how we stood up to end environmental degradation in our community,” said Kambani.

By Solister Mogha

Zomba, March 19, Mana: Zomba District Council through the Malawi Watershed Management Programme (Mwasip) has procured a motorbike for its extension worker as part of easing mobility challenges facing many extension workers in the district.

This is the third motorbike purchased for an extension worker and plans are underway to buy more in the coming years.

Speaking on Tuesday during the handover ceremony of the K6 million Yamaha YTZ 125 model, District Commissioner for Zomba, Reighnard Chavula said extension workers have numerous tasks to perform, most of which, demand their mobility.

Chavula observed that lack of transport has contributed to challenges in provision of extension services in the country, describing the new bike as a boost to the council.

"Practically extension services depend on availability of transport. This therefore means without mobility; we cannot deliver as expected. As a council we have many extension workers who do not have motorbikes and this is a big challenge," she said.

Chavula added: " But with support from our partners, we shall surely address this challenge."

Director of Agriculture and Natural Resources for Zomba District Council, Linda Mphande said there are about 40 extension workers who need motorbikes.

Mphande, however, appealed for more support for improved extension workers.

"Our extension workers are in dire need of transport. Mobility is key in extension services because without monitoring and supervision by extension workers, we would be doing nothing," she said.

Limbani Thangata an extension worker from Chingale Extension Planning Area and recipient of the new motorbike said the motorcycle would help him reach more areas easily.

"I am excited to receive this motorbike, my area is vast and its terrain requires one to have reliable transport," he said. He thanked the council for the consideration.

By Vincent Khonje

Mchinji, March 19, Mana: The commencement of payment parade for participants in the second cycle of Climate Smart Enhanced Public Works Programme (CSEPWP) has brought excitement among participants who had endured a long wait for their wages in Mchinji.

The pay parade started on Monday at Nathyola Catchment and will proceed to the remaining 19 catchment areas in the district.

Cecilia Zulu from Tsamphale Village in Traditional Authority (TA) Mlonyeni said she was happy to have finally received her wages saying some of the problems in her household will be solved.

“We are now facing hunger but with this amount I will buy some maize and the remaining amount I will support my daughter’s education who is in standard eight,” said Zulu.

Another participant Francis Mwanza, from Chamveka Village in the same TA, said he was very excited to have received the money and that some of the basic needs for his family will be acquired.

“The feeling is good now that we have received the wages. Despite the money being little I will be able to support my family with some basic needs including food,” said Mwanza.

Mwanza however, said there is need for authorities to consider revising upwards the wages as the K28,800 they get after working for 24 days is not enough now.

Chief accountant for Mchinji Council Fedderick Muyaba said he was impressed with the start of the exercise.

“The exercise has started very well as there are only few problems that are being encountered compared to last cycle where names were missing on the log and pay sheets. This time everything is going on smoothly,” said Muyaba.

On the issue of wages being too low Muyaba said the issue will be presented to central level and he is hopeful it will be considered.

District Commissioner for Mchinji Lucia Chidalengwa led council officials in witnessing the start of the payment parade.

CSEPWP is a component of Social Support for Resilience Livelihood Programme (SSRLP) supported by the World Bank and Social Support Multi Donor Trust Fund.

By Priscilla Phiri

Lilongwe, March 18, Mana: Principle Secretary for the Ministry of Natural Resources and Climate Change, Dr Yusuf Mkungula, has urged Aquaculture Value Chain Project (AVCP) beneficiaries and stakeholders to sustain the intervention and impact the project has made over the past six years.

Mkungula said this during the closing of the 2018 to 2024 AVCP Learning, Sustainability and Networking Workshop that took place on Monday at Bingu International Convention Centre in Lilongwe.

In his speech, Mkungula said his ministry is satisfied with the success of the AVCP in the sense that the project has contributed to the development of the fishing industry in the country.

“The AVCP has made tremendous progress and impact as it has achieved a number of targets of the project, some of which include providing capacity to our fish farmers and stakeholders in the value chain of the fishing sector, producing quality fingerings and fish in large quantities to ensure that we are producing enough fish,” he explained.

He further urged fish farmers and stakeholders to develop mechanisms that will sustain the project’s interventions and impact to realize more benefits of the project.

“Now that the project has ended, we are pleading with all the beneficiaries and stakeholders of the project to devise strategies that will help sustain the impact of the project.

“When a project phases out, we try as much as possible to replicate and scale up the intervention and impact to ensure that farmers are benefiting from the interventions and one of the mechanisms is by ensuring that extension services are still flowing in the households and communities,” he said.

He also mentioned that the Ministry is aware and is responding to the challenges that the fishing industry has been facing by developing the aquaculture and procuring the necessary feed meals for fish production, among others.

On his part, representative of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, Knut Gummert, said realizing the importance of fish in Malawi, the German Government commissioned GIZ to implement the AVCP.

“Since 2018, the German Government has worked closely with the Government of Malawi to improve access to affordable fish for Malawians but faced dwindling fish stock from Lake Malawi and other water bodies,” he said.

Gummert further highlighted the project’s notable achievements which he said include providing skills development to more than 4,500 aquaculture enterprises and creating more than 450 jobs along the value chain.

Also present at the workshop was the Principal Secretary for Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and Cooperatives in the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Francis Zhuwawo, who was also the guest of honour.

Zhuwawo said the Ministry, as a political partner in the project, will create a market to limit importation of fish in the markets to conserve forex.

The AVCP project, which commenced in 2018 and has finalized its operations in March 2024, was funded by the German Government and implemented by GIZ.

By Manasse Nyirenda

Rumphi, March 18, Mana: Director of Agriculture for Rumphi, Malumbo Nyirongo, says a new office in Chiweta Extension Planning Area (EPA) will help his department to effectively reach out to over 4,000 farming households in the EPA and surrounding areas.

In an interview on Monday, he said before they occupied the new office built with funds from World Bank-funded Governance to Enable Service Delivery (GESD), the rented office they were using had limited space.

"We normally do what we call agriculture demonstrations at the office which is practice so that farmers may be able to witness what we teach them.

"These demonstrations could be about crops such as maize or others. We could not do this because we did not have enough space. Now we will be able to do that because we also have a conference room at the new office," he said.

Traditional Authority Mwamulowe said he was looking forward to quality agricultural extension services for his people which will enhance food security in the area.

Agriculture Extension and Development Coordinator for Chiweta EPA, Farewell Mkandawire, said the office will motivate them to work harder in provision of extension services as they now have a conducive working environment.

Director of Planning and Development for Rumphi, Frank Mfune, said GESD projects guidelines ensure that a project is initiated by communities themselves which ensures ownership and sustainability of the projects.

"GESD clearly outlines that all projects implemented using such funds should emanate from the community and it should be able to be traced from the village action plans (VAPs) of the area and District Development Plans (DDF).

"This therefore means that GESD really addresses the needs of the communities, and there is no room to impose a project on the community," he said.

GESD is a performance based Malawi Government project funded by the World Bank.