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USAID/ Malawi - Success Stories
›Linking Cassava Farmers with an Industrial Market
›Helping Farmers Improve Land Management Practices for Sustainable Agriculture
›Treating Sick Children from a Village Drug Box
›Community Member Volunteers to TeachLinking Cassava Farmers with
an Industrial MarketLast year, John Tembo, a smallholder in Malawi, sold his cassava crop to Raiply Wood industry. With revenue from the sale (US$262.50 or $0.08 per kilogram), Mr. Tembo purchased an ox-cart, a bicycle and two dairy cows. This year he expanded his cassava field and expects to sell even more cassava to Raiply. Raiply used cassava and wheat flour as binders, along with wood and synthetic adhesives in the production of plywood and block boards for domestic and export markets. Using cassava flour enabled Raiply to reduce its wheat imports by 40 percent and save US$54,000 (US$0.30 for each kilogram of cassava bought).
USAID has been instrumental in expanding cassava production and linking the farmers with industry. The Southern African Root Crops Research Network (SARRNET), a regional network supported by USAID, initiated cassava multiplication in Malawi. Also, SARRNET made links with private industry to promote various uses of cassava and find out what varieties work best for various uses. Now Raiply and other industries in Malawi are using cassava flour as a filler material for adhesives, as starch in the manufacture of textiles, as a partial substitute for wheat flour in biscuits and as a source of glucose.
USAID/Malawi worked with SARRNET and 17 partner organizations to promote the multiplication and distribution of cassava planting materials. Since the demand for cassava flour is about 7,000 metric tons (dry weight) or nearly seven times the current supply, further increases in production and income are likely. Linking farmers with industry has become a win-win situation for all, increasing incomes for farmers and saving scarce foreign exchange for industry.
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Helping Farmers Improve Land Management
Practices for Sustainable AgricultureWhen Paul Sipachoka started farming in Mantchichi Village in 1971, his newly cleared land was so fertile that he had no need for chemical fertilizers. But through the years, erosion depleted the land and inputs were so expensive that he was barely able to earn enough to support his family. In 1997, through a USAID/Malawi-funded activity, he learned about various land management practices that improve soil fertility. "I didn’t know that certain trees could be effective fertilizer," noted Mr. Sipachoka. Now, with training and seed, he has planted numerous trees on his property and increased crop harvests so that he has surplus to sell for cash.
Flossie Paliani in Kanyimbo Village is another smallholder farmer who has adopted new land management practices. "Until recently, I had a chronic problem of soil erosion and could not afford chemical fertilizer, so crop yields were low," she explained. "I never thought I could change the situation." With assistance from government extension agents partnered with USAID/Malawi, she made several changes. She learned to reduce erosion and runoff by planting vetiver hedgerows and realigning planting ridges on the contour. She planted Tephrosia with maize to restore soil fertility and now gets bumper crops. She also gets firewood from Tephrosia and uses extracts from pounded leaves soaked in water as an insecticide in her vegetable garden. Around her homestead, she has planted other trees for shade, firewood and aesthetics.
Mr. Sipachoka and Mrs. Paliani are just two of the many thousands of farmers in Malawi who are benefiting from improved land management practices. USAID/Malawi works with 40 partner organizations (public, donor, NGO and private sector groups) to promote diverse practices in natural resource management. All the practices have undergone rigorous testing and adaptation with farmers. The most popular include undersowing Tephrosia for improved soil fertility and crop yields, and contour planting of vetiver grass hedgerows to control runoff and erosion. In 2000, more than 30,000 farm families adopted contour planting of grass or shrubs and/or reduced tillage. Altogether, more than 80,000 families adopted soil improving practices; they represent more than 20,000 hectares or farmland. About 30 percent of the families are female-headed households. In addition 105 farmers and 692 NGO and project staff were trained in various agroforestry practices.
The training has enhanced capacity in NGOs so that training and extension activities can continue and many more farm families can benefit from improved natural resource management. These practices increase farm incomes now and enhance the ability of the land to sustain agriculture production in the years ahead.
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Treating Sick Children from a Village Drug Box
Early diagnosis and treatment of minor illnesses, such as malaria, diarrhea, and respiratory and eye infections can stop many young children from losing their lives in Malawi. Most communities are an average distance of eight kilometers to the nearest health facility; therefore, most health facilities are not easily accessible for a majority of rural families. Africare initiated the establishment of Drug Revolving Funds (DRF) in some remote villages to assure an immediate supply of malaria medications and oral rehydration salts to the children living in these rural villages. Through this arrangement, USAID funds are reaching the rural communities where the basic health services are most needed and will have the greatest impact.
In the Traditional Authority Mpando of Ntcheu district, where Africare has implemented a Child Survival Project since 1995, 32 village DRFs have been established. These funds operate on a cost recovery basis where the communities pay for the drugs and services. The 64 volunteers who manage the DRFs were trained by Africare and are supervised by Ministry of Health and Population staff. The volunteers were trained to diagnose and prescribe dosages to various age groups, and manage better records and safe keeping of the medicines in their boxes.
Community participation has been tremendous and encouraging. Although treatment in government hospitals is free, communities with DRFs have demonstrated their support for this program by paying for the drug box services, as they realize that only the people themselves can replenish the medicines. The pricing of the medicine is based on the purchase price from the government-owned central medical stores. The volunteers and the village health committee set prices that are affordable but fair enough to restock and purchase some kerosene for use by the volunteers for nighttime treatment.
Many NGOs have visited Mpando DRF initiatives in order to learn and establish some in their target communities. The DRF have expanded into the neighboring Traditional Authorities of Makwangwala and Ganya, where 50 villages have been organized.
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Community Member Volunteers to Teach
Sangano primary school in Nkhata Bay district is among many schools with inadequate teachers, with only two teachers to teach three classes. Social-Mobilization Campaign for Education Quality Project (SMC-EQ) sensitized the community on their roles and how they would solve their own problems. During the sensitization and focus group meetings, teachers, school committee members, local leaders, and community members resolved that they would identify a person with some qualification amongst themselves to teach voluntarily. Mr. Mtazika volunteered to teach ethics by the two qualified teachers. The community raised a sum of MK4, 000.00 (US$50) to offset any financial hardships he might face by volunteering, as well as working to prepare his farm.
In Malawi, the issue of inadequate teachers is very serious especially in the rural areas. The community at Sangano primary organized themselves to sort out this problem without relying on the government. Over time, there will be significant improvement in the attitude and quality of education at Sangano.
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More about USAID/ Malawi
USAID/ AFR Success Stories
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Updated: Wednesday, January 9, 2002
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Last Updated on: July 19, 2004 |
