By: Timothy Peter

Dedza, December 7, Mana: Communities in Dedza have expressed gratitude with the positive impact of the Food and Nutrition Security Programme (FNSP) that was being implemented by Self Help Africa (SHA) for ten years in the district.

On Friday, officials from Dedza district council, SHA, GIZ as well as the communities witnessed the grand closure of the programme at an event held at Group Village Head Mgawi of Senior Chief Tambala in the district.

Speaking at the event, one of the beneficiaries, Elida Lyford who has a backyard garden, commended the programme saying it has assisted her family grow healthier and afford different food groups including vegetables.

Concurring with Lyford, Senior Chief Tambala said the programme has improved lives of people in his area as it has helped them grow diversified food crops for their well-being.

The Senior Chief has since promised to encourage his subjects to continue putting into practice what they have learnt throughout the programme implementation period mainly in areas of food diversification for their nutritional growth.

Livelihood Programs Manager from SHA, Blessings Kambombo, expressed satisfaction with the outcomes of the programme in all the project implementation areas in the district.

"We have done significant work jointly with all our partners including the communities in improving nutrition in the district.

"We have seen that communities were committed as they have been practicing conservation agriculture as well as adopting food sanitation facilities to improve hygiene and has assisted a lot in achieving our objectives," he said.

Kambombo also said the programme has helped reduce cases of stunted growth in the district from 52 percent before it started in the last ten years to 42.3 percent at its closeout on Friday.

Apart from commending SHA for their efforts in improving people's lives in the district, Director of Planning and Development (DPD) for Dedza District Council, McPherson Mwakhwawa, said people in the district have acquired necessary knowledge and skills in as far as nutrition and hygiene are concerned.

"We are glad as government that the beneficiaries have used the knowledge gained from the programme to grow different vegetables at their backyard gardens that can boost their nutritional needs at household level," he said.

In her remarks, FNSP’s Team Leader, at GIZ, Dr Martina Kress, said she was impressed with the programme and has since asked the beneficiaries to continue using the knowledge and skills they have gained in changing their lives.

The programme was being implemented with funding from the German Cooperation through GIZ and it was aimed at improving nutrition, agriculture and targeted resilience interventions in areas of Traditional Authority Kasumbu, Chauma, Chilikumwendo and Tambala in Dedza.