Churches Action in Relief and Development (Card) has distributed 50 goats worth K3 million to 10 households in Traditional Authority (T/A) Chiwalo in Phalombe District.
Speaking during the distribution exercise on Friday at group village head Nambera, Card Jersey Overseas Aid project officer Horace Kiyombwe said the initiative seeks to build resilience among communities living along Lake Chilwa.
He said: “We are working with village natural resources management committees which are protecting biodiversity in their areas.
“The project provides incentives to these individuals to participate in reforestation activities and the goat distribution is one of those incentives.”
Kiyombwe said the people were supposed to pass on the goats to the next cohort of beneficiaries to empower more community members.
One of the beneficiaries, Doreen Matete thanked Card for the gesture, saying it will motivate them to implement reforestation activities along the lakeshore.
“The goat pass-on initiative will promote the sustainability of natural resources as people will not resort to cutting down trees for their livelihood.
“Secondly, people will be willing to plant trees and conserve forests along the lake because they have goats they can depend on for income.”
Matete asked fellow beneficiaries to take care of the animals.
Card is implementing the project with funding from Jersey Overseas Aid and Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund through Trocaire in Phalombe, Zomba and Machinga districts.
