Members of the Lunthwe Irrigation Scheme from Kachere Village in Mchinji district in Malawi report that poverty levels in their households are decreasing due to the advanced irrigation systems they have adopted.
They learned these systems from the Norwegian Church Aid (NCA)/DanChurch Aid (DCA) Country Joint Programme’s Faih in farmers: boosting local production for food security in Malawi Project, which is being implemented in their district by Total Land Care with support from Norad through Nansen grant.
Mikayele Kauma Banda told the media that the scheme can now grow crops throughout the year after digging a water canal that supplies water for irrigating crops like maize, onions, okra, and others.
“We sell the yields and use the money for our daily needs,” said Kauma Banda.
Sterphano Gabriel concurred, adding that the success is a result of the project’s orientation, which also encouraged them to commercialize their farming.
Agness Kaponda, the scheme’s secretary, applauded the one year project for incorporating women into its activities, enabling them to lead independent lives.
“We initially relied on our men as our sole source of income, but now we can support ourselves and provide our families with food and other basic needs,” she said.
The scheme, which started last year, has 50 members.
