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Project benefits 250 000 households in NE, CK and BT

About 250 000 households in Nsanje, Chikwawa and Blantyre will benefit from United in Building and Advancing Life Expectations (Ubale) project.

The aim of the project is to reduce chronic malnutrition and food insecurity, and build resilience among vulnerable people in the three districts.

An official demonstrates modern way of planting seeds for better yields

On Thursday, one of the organisations involved in the project, Care Malawi International, distributed vouchers for buying seeds from local agro-dealers to beneficiaries at Bangula, Nsanje.

Speaking during the function, Magoti Extension Planning Area (EPA) agriculture extension development coordinator (Aedc) Frank Nakwanje said the assistance has come at a right time, when many farmers are facing problems.

“Many people in the district have suffered a lot because last year there was drought while this year we had floods.

This has resulted in successive loss and the farmers have no money for buying seeds,” said Nakwanje.

He said farmers are taught conservation agriculture, which will see them realise high yield.

Nakwanje said although the district benefitted from the Farm Input Subsidy Programme (Fisp), not all were lucky to benefit from it, so some will benefit from the Ubale project.

One of the beneficiaries, Bob Tsamvu from Alaina Village, Traditional Authority (T/A) Mbenje in the district said he lost everything to the floods.

“I did not dream of having seeds because of financial problems. I will plant all that I got [maize, beans, and tomato and rape seeds] so that my family can come back to its feet,” he said.

Care Malawi International is carrying out the project in Nyachilenga, Zunde, Magoti, Mpatsa and Makhanga EPAs in Nsanje whereas Catholic Development Commission (Cadecom) and Save the Children are carrying out similar projects in Chikwawa and Blantyre respectively.

Funding for the initiative came from United States Agency for International Development (USaid).

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