There are high hopes that the youth and women from the area of Traditional Authority (T/A) Khosolo in Mzimba district will benefit from the new agricultural technologies that are being introduced in the area through Sustainable Management of Landscape (SAMALA) Project.
This became apparent during a field day event that was held under the project on 16th May, 2023 at Mapira in the district.
During the event, SAMALA Project implementing partners; Total Land Care, YONECO, and International Centre for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF) showcased climate-smart agricultural practices and technologies like various methods of making compost manure, energy-efficient stoves. Community members also had an opportunity to learn modern agricultural practices through demonstration fields for groundnuts, maize and other crops.
The Assistant Extension Development Coordinator (AEDO) for Khosolo Extension Planning Area (EPA), Kingsley Chavula, hailed SAMALA Project’s efforts to restore the degraded landscapes in the area. Chavula lauded the project for its innovative approaches which have contributed to improving the local environment.
“SAMALA project interventions offer incredible opportunities for farmers to generate more income from their agricultural endeavors. This is especially beneficial to women, who have consistently struggled due to traditional customs and lack of inspiration, in their fight for economic independence,” explained Chavula.
28-year-old Sibongile Shaba is a farmer who hails from Mapira Village Mzimba district. Sibongile is among the farmers who are benefitting from SAMALA Project activities. Sibongile explained that the project is helping the youth to respect and take greater responsibility towards environmental preservation.
In his remarks, Group Village Head (GVH) Mapira who was the guest of honor at the event, expressed his deep appreciation to SAMALA Project for the services that are being rendered in his area. In addition to this, the GVH went on to motivate men, women, and youth to actively partake in the implementation of the project.
SAMALA Project is being implemented in eight EPAs across four districts in Malawi: Dowa, Ntchisi, Kasungu, and Mzimba. SAMALA, a project is being funded by Irish Aid and Government of Flanders. The project commenced in 2022 and it will phase out in 2027.
