PWS&D – Teaching Farmers Skills in Malawi

June 2023 to July 2026 serving 4,125 people in 750 households with a budget of $135,395 in Year 3.

Food insecurity issues in Lupembe have increased as a result of droughts, limited access to inputs as well as markets for the sale of agricultural products, pests, and farming techniques that have resulted in soil infertility. Gender dynamics due to social and cultural norms are also contributing to food insecurity.

In response to these issues, SoLDEV will work towards improving food production and diversification to meet annual food needs for farmers, improving conservation of the environment by local communities, government and other stakeholders and increased and more resilient incomes for farmers through the self-help groups approach. The project will also promote and encourage women through training.

January 2022 to May 2023 serving 12,500 people in 2,500 households with a budget of $517,487 in Year 1.

In late January 2022, southern Malawi was severely hit by tropical storm Ana which displaced close to two hundred thousand households and led to severe food and crop losses.

This project will provide three rounds of cash transfers allowing participants to purchase immediate food supplies from local markets. Each month, households will receive MK 40,000 (approximately $53 CDN) which is expected to cover the monthly minimum food requirements.

October 2024 to April 2025 serving 8,500 people in 1,700 households with a budget of $723,042.

Balaka is a region in the south that has been most affected by El-Nino-related droughts in 2023-24, which wilted crops and exacerbated food insecurity to an IPC 3 and even 4 level.

The project will provide direct cash transfers of CAD 72 per household per month for five months to allow the participants to purchase food (e.g., maize and pulses) and cooking oil locally.

December 2023 to November 2026 serving 1,200 people with a budget of $330,978 in Year 2.

The project will enhance the capacity of farmers in conservation agriculture within the broader framework of agroecology, emphasizing diversity and synergy. It will promote diversity in crops, livestock, trees, and activities, with a focus on cereal (maize, millet/sorghum), legumes (pigeon peas and cowpeas), and vegetable production under rainfed and small-scale irrigation to enhance their resilience against drought. The project will also diversify agriculture for 900 households through a goat pass-on scheme which will provide a sustainable source of income, food as well as organic fertilizer.

July 2023 to October 2023 serving 12,500 people in 2,500 households with a budget of $700,000.

In mid-March 2023, southern Malawi was severely hit by cyclone Freddy resulting in over 1,200 people dying, displacing close to 600,000 households and severe destruction of housing, assets and food and crop losses.

This project will provide two rounds of cash transfers targeting the most severely hit households. This will allow participants to purchase immediate food supplies from local markets.

For each of the two months, households will receive MK 50,700 (approximately $64 CDN) which is expected to cover their monthly minimum food requirements. 1,500 participants with access to irrigated land will also receive vegetable seeds and sweet potato cuttings to plant during the current winter cropping season and all 2,500 participating households will receive a starter pack containing seeds and fertilizer for the upcoming main cropping season to strengthen their recovery.

January 2020 to May 2023 serving 3,392 people in 750 households with a budget of $127,394 in Year 3.

This project will work with farmers and their households to improve skills in conservation agriculture (CA). CA is a low-cost technology that works to improve soil fertility sustainably. Integration of improved seed varieties will also help increase crop potential.

Additionally, the project will enhance the capacity of farmers to improve value-added agriculture activities, including better storage, package and labeling techniques, as well as create market linkages and farmer associations so that crops have a better potential to be sold in markets.