Card hails livelihood project in Mchinji

Churches Action in Relief and Development (Card) has hailed its livelihood programme, saying it is geared to ensuring that people in Mchinji District have enough food and income.

The organisation’s programmes manager Arthur Lichenyasaid this in Mchinji on Monday during a tour of activities Card is undertaking in the district with funding from Bread for the World.

“We have introduced irrigation farming here because we want people to have enough food throughout the year. This will enable them to grow crops twice or thrice a year,” he said.

Lichenya said while irrigation farming is mostly for food security, there are other activities such as fish farming which help to bring income to the people.

He called on the community to focus on farming which, he said, can transform their lives.

Lichenya said Card also provided solar pumps which farmers use for irrigation.

“I can foresee some farmers buying their own [irrigation] pumps. We want more farmers to be involved to deal with hunger,” he said.

Loveness Samuel, a farmer from Nkhulande Village, Traditional Authority Kapondo in the district, is one of the people who is engaged in irrigation farming.

“Farming has become simpler and there is no need to worry about rains because we have irrigation equipment. In fact, this is different from rain-fed agriculture where the rains are unpredictable,” she said.

Samuel said since she started irrigation farming three years ago, her family is food-secure.

Mchinji is one of the districts affected by the El Nino phenomenon in the 2023/24 growing season and irrigation farming is touted as an alternative to improve food security.

Card is implementing Promoting Agro-Ecology Transition for Enhanced, Resilient Agriculture Project in the district