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Linking Cassava Farmers with
an Industrial Market
Last year, John Tembo, a smallholder in Malawi,
sold his cassava crop to Raiply Wood industry. With revenue
from the sale (US$262.50 or $0.08 per kilogram), Mr. Tembo
purchased an ox-cart, a bicycle and two dairy cows. This year
he expanded his cassava field and expects to sell even more
cassava to Raiply. Raiply used cassava and wheat flour as
binders, along with wood and synthetic adhesives in the production
of plywood and block boards for domestic and export markets.
Using cassava flour enabled Raiply to reduce its wheat imports
by 40 percent and save US$54,000 (US$0.30 for each kilogram
of cassava bought).
USAID has been instrumental in expanding cassava
production and linking the farmers with industry. The Southern
African Root Crops Research Network (SARRNET), a regional
network supported by USAID, initiated cassava multiplication
in Malawi. Also, SARRNET made links with private industry
to promote various uses of cassava and find out what varieties
work best for various uses. Now Raiply and other industries
in Malawi are using cassava flour as a filler material for
adhesives, as starch in the manufacture of textiles, as a
partial substitute for wheat flour in biscuits and as a source
of glucose.
USAID/Malawi worked with SARRNET and 17 partner
organizations to promote the multiplication and distribution
of cassava planting materials. Since the demand for cassava
flour is about 7,000 metric tons (dry weight) or nearly seven
times the current supply, further increases in production
and income are likely. Linking farmers with industry has become
a win-win situation for all, increasing incomes for farmers
and saving scarce foreign exchange for industry.
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Helping Farmers Improve Land Management
Practices for Sustainable Agriculture
When Paul Sipachoka started farming in Mantchichi
Village in 1971, his newly cleared land was so fertile that
he had no need for chemical fertilizers. But through the years,
erosion depleted the land and inputs were so expensive that
he was barely able to earn enough to support his family. In
1997, through a USAID/Malawi-funded activity, he learned about
various land management practices that improve soil fertility.
"I didn’t know that certain trees could be effective
fertilizer," noted Mr. Sipachoka. Now, with training
and seed, he has planted numerous trees on his property and
increased crop harvests so that he has surplus to sell for
cash.
Flossie Paliani in Kanyimbo Village is another
smallholder farmer who has adopted new land management practices.
"Until recently, I had a chronic problem of soil erosion
and could not afford chemical fertilizer, so crop yields were
low," she explained. "I never thought I could change
the situation." With assistance from government extension
agents partnered with USAID/Malawi, she made several changes.
She learned to reduce erosion and runoff by planting vetiver
hedgerows and realigning planting ridges on the contour. She
planted Tephrosia with maize to restore soil fertility
and now gets bumper crops. She also gets firewood from Tephrosia
and uses extracts from pounded leaves soaked in water
as an insecticide in her vegetable garden. Around her homestead,
she has planted other trees for shade, firewood and aesthetics.
Mr. Sipachoka and Mrs. Paliani are just two
of the many thousands of farmers in Malawi who are benefiting
from improved land management practices. USAID/Malawi works
with 40 partner organizations (public, donor, NGO and private
sector groups) to promote diverse practices in natural resource
management. All the practices have undergone rigorous testing
and adaptation with farmers. The most popular include undersowing
Tephrosia for improved soil fertility and crop yields,
and contour planting of vetiver grass hedgerows to control
runoff and erosion. In 2000, more than 30,000 farm families
adopted contour planting of grass or shrubs and/or reduced
tillage. Altogether, more than 80,000 families adopted soil
improving practices; they represent more than 20,000 hectares
or farmland. About 30 percent of the families are female-headed
households. In addition 105 farmers and 692 NGO and project
staff were trained in various agroforestry practices.
The training has enhanced capacity in NGOs
so that training and extension activities can continue and
many more farm families can benefit from improved natural
resource management. These practices increase farm incomes
now and enhance the ability of the land to sustain agriculture
production in the years ahead.
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Treating Sick Children from a Village
Drug Box
Early diagnosis and treatment of minor illnesses,
such as malaria, diarrhea, and respiratory and eye infections
can stop many young children from losing their lives in Malawi.
Most communities are an average distance of eight kilometers
to the nearest health facility; therefore, most health facilities
are not easily accessible for a majority of rural families.
Africare initiated the establishment of Drug Revolving Funds
(DRF) in some remote villages to assure an immediate supply
of malaria medications and oral rehydration salts to the children
living in these rural villages. Through this arrangement,
USAID funds are reaching the rural communities where the basic
health services are most needed and will have the greatest
impact.
In the Traditional Authority Mpando of Ntcheu
district, where Africare has implemented a Child Survival
Project since 1995, 32 village DRFs have been established.
These funds operate on a cost recovery basis where the communities
pay for the drugs and services. The 64 volunteers who manage
the DRFs were trained by Africare and are supervised by Ministry
of Health and Population staff. The volunteers were trained
to diagnose and prescribe dosages to various age groups, and
manage better records and safe keeping of the medicines in
their boxes.
Community participation has been tremendous
and encouraging. Although treatment in government hospitals
is free, communities with DRFs have demonstrated their support
for this program by paying for the drug box services, as they
realize that only the people themselves can replenish the
medicines. The pricing of the medicine is based on the purchase
price from the government-owned central medical stores. The
volunteers and the village health committee set prices that
are affordable but fair enough to restock and purchase some
kerosene for use by the volunteers for nighttime treatment.
Many NGOs have visited Mpando DRF initiatives
in order to learn and establish some in their target communities.
The DRF have expanded into the neighboring Traditional Authorities
of Makwangwala and Ganya, where 50 villages have been organized.
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Community Member Volunteers to Teach
Sangano primary school in Nkhata Bay district
is among many schools with inadequate teachers, with only
two teachers to teach three classes. Social-Mobilization Campaign
for Education Quality Project (SMC-EQ) sensitized the community
on their roles and how they would solve their own problems.
During the sensitization and focus group meetings, teachers,
school committee members, local leaders, and community members
resolved that they would identify a person with some qualification
amongst themselves to teach voluntarily. Mr. Mtazika volunteered
to teach ethics by the two qualified teachers. The community
raised a sum of MK4, 000.00 (US$50) to offset any financial
hardships he might face by volunteering, as well as working
to prepare his farm.
In Malawi, the issue of inadequate teachers
is very serious especially in the rural areas. The community
at Sangano primary organized themselves to sort out this problem
without relying on the government. Over time, there will be
significant improvement in the attitude and quality of education
at Sangano.
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