Embracing self-reliance

Self-reliance is what Malawi aspires to achieve by 2063. That is 40 years from now.

It is hoped this will be achieved through some pillars which make the Malawi 2063 (MW2063), the country’s long-term development agenda which succeeded Vision 2020.

The pillars in the development agenda entail creation of inclusive wealth and self-reliance in increasing productivity, commercialising the agriculture sector and industrialisation to ensure value addition and urbanisation.

This is why the Hunger Project Malawi has been supporting various communities across the country with sustainable community-based programmes that in the long-term result in those particular communities becoming self-reliant.

One such community is Nsondole in Traditional Authority Kuntumanje in Zomba District, which attained a self-reliant status in June this year.

The Hunger Project Malawi, which has been implementing its programmes in the district since 2003, set up an epicentre and an irrigation scheme, among other infrastructure.

Among others, the epicentre has a learning centre, maize mill, storage centre, processing unit and microfinance and savings centre.

The five-hectare irrigation scheme was built at Chilambe Village and community members formed a cooperative comprising 26 women and 24 men.

Chilambe Irrigation Scheme chairperson Kinilosi Makaika says the five-hectare scheme has assisted community members to harvest multiple crops with ease throughout the year.

He says this has helped people in the district to avert hunger.

Makaika says through the cooperative, members contribute K1 000 monthly to pay a guard at the scheme and for maintenance as well as other needs.

“This is part of by-laws that we set and every member agrees to it because they are for our benefit,” he says.

Makaika says some of the crops are sold for profit while others are consumed in homes. Apart from maize, other crops grown using irrigation are tomatoes and vegetables are grown using irrigation farming.

Members of the cooperative are allocated piece of land to plant their crops and their farming calendar begins on May 5 annually.

One of the cooperative’s members Evelyn William says she has benefited a lot through the cooperative.

She says: “I am able to buy fertiliser and support my family. I no longer go around begging.”

William touts the irrigation scheme and epicentre where she managed to save money realised from the sale of her crops.

Following attainment of the self-reliance status, Nsondole community members formed Nsondole Community Development Organisation that was duly registered and will run all development initiatives in the community.

Nsondole Community Development Organisation board chairperson Shaafie Ntalika says they will continue implementing development activities started by the Hunger Project Malawi.

“We may have a bit of fear of how we move forward, but we have learnt a lot since 2003. So, as a board of trustees, we will take full ownership and steer everything in the right direction,” he says.

Ntalika says the board of trustees will maintain a good working relationship with the organisation’s management for a smooth running of affairs to ensure development is well-fostered.

The Hunger Project Malawi country manager Grace Chikowi says through their sustainable community-based programmes, people have developed themselves and become self-reliant.

She says: “We define self-reliance as a process where we see that a community has achieved a lot in terms of developing themselves and is able to lead that development agenda.

“So, we have seen people achieving food security at household and community levels. We have seen people doing microfinance and banking services and we have seen people earning an income and using it to educate their children and buy basic necessities.”

Chikowi says people have also moved from mud houses to cement and iron-roofed houses while a majority have also acquired skills on maintaining good and proper nutrition for pregnant and lactating women as well as for children under the age of five.

She credits the support the Hunger Project Malawi has been receiving from its partners in Australia that has helped communities become self-reliant.

One of Hunger Project’s Australian partners is Bared Footwear.

Head of Marketing for the Australian retail shoe company, Sarah Colman, says it is amazing how communities are getting transformed through programmes being implemented through the Hunger Project.

Colman says this is a motivation to keep supporting the Hunger Project so that more communities benefit.

“We are absolutely going to continue supporting the Hunger Project to in turn support the communities.

“So, we actually do sneaky collaborations every year with the Hunger Project where we sell shoes and raise funds that go towards support,” she says.

The Hunger Project Australia chief executive officer Philippe Magid says it is incredible how communities develop themselves and become self-reliant in the long-term.

He says: “I get an incredible sensation and happiness and I am so impressed with what the communities have delivered on.

“In regard to self-reliance, I don’t really observe gaps but what I always see is potential and the potential is always for improvement; the potential is for women to assume leadership roles and to champion their future. But I think there is always hope for that.”