Steven Mayeni (45) is the Chairperson of Mposa Area Development Committee (ADC) in Machinga district, who believes in leading by example in a bid to address various socioeconomic challenges that people face in his area.
Steven is among the community leaders whom YONECO trained to champion climate change adaptation and help communities manage health risks associated with climate variability. The training was conducted under the ‘Making Communities Resilient to Climate-Induced Health Challenges project’, which is being funded by Foundation S.
Before conducting awareness meetings in his area, Steven planted over 20 trees on his land and then started encouraging others to do likewise.
In readiness for the 2025/2026 farming season, Steven engaged agricultural extension workers who trained him and other lead farmers as trainers of trainers in organic fertilizer production. After the training, Steven and the other trained farmers have been producing organic fertilizers and passing on the knowledge and skills to other community members.
“By mid-September 2025, I had already produced enough organic fertilizer for my hectares of farmland,” explained Steven.
Organic fertilizers help farmers adapt to climate change by improving soil fertility while safeguarding people’s health by reducing health risks that are linked to excessive chemical use and often worsened by climate shocks like floods.
In the last three months, Steven has managed to equip a total of 24 subsistence farmers with the skills for making organic manure.
Thanks to the financial support of Foundation S, which has seen many subsistence and commercial farmers around Mposa adopting various strategies for confronting climate-induced challenges.
