Chata, Malawi

Working a cassava field.

Agriculture

• Trained 24 farmers in collective marketing and forming co-operatives, project monitoring and evaluation, and maintenance of cassava ‘chippers’ (machines to make cassava chips). The farmers have formed a group to look into potential markets for cassava and sweet potatoes.
• Trained farmers in livestock production (47 farmers), crop diversification (349), soil conservation (104), agroforestry (294), beekeeping (16) and credit management (416).
• Provided more than six tonnes of peanuts and one tonne of beans to farmers, to help them diversify their crop production.
• Distributed Boer goats and guinea fowl to farmers for animal husbandry programmes. The goats will be crossbred with local varieties for better meat and milk production.
• Distributed more than 190 rabbits to 96 families for breeding. Rabbits are easy for children to take care of, and help families meet economic and dietary needs.
• Held field days to teach farmers about peanut growing, irrigation methods and conservation tillage (a system of cultivation that involves minimal soil disturbance and maintains at least 20 percent of crop residue cover on the soil surface, thus preserving the soil structure).
• Established six demonstration plots to show farmers the yield capacity and potential of different bean varieties. Yields varied from 1000kg/hectare to 3500kg/hectare, encouraging a lot more farmers to try growing beans.
• Distributed maize seed, cassava cuttings, sweet potato vines and Irish potato seeds for farmers to plant under an agriculture recovery project made possible with financial assistance from World Vision UK.
• Provided more than 400 farmers with 55 tonnes of inorganic fertiliser as a ‘loan’. Most of the beneficiaries use compost manure as a basal dressing and inorganic fertilisers for top dressing. A total of 45 hectares have been undersown with Tephorosia vogelli and Sesbania sesban, tree species that improve soil fertility by adding biomass (organic matter) and fixing nitrogen in the soil.

Health

• Distributed chlorine to 125 villages in and around the ADP area to disinfect water. This and the continuing installation of latrine slabs contributed to last year’s nil count of reported cholera cases.
• Sprayed more than 1100 houses to rid them of pest infestations (mosquitoes, bed bugs and ticks).
• Trained five Drug Revolving Fund Committees in how to control common diseases, such as malaria. This will assist in timely treatment, reducing potential complications.
• Provided drugs to Chiwamba Health Centre, a key community health facility that is often understocked.
• Paid the medical expenses of seven children referred to Lilongwe Central Hospital for treatment.
• Held 22 public meetings to educate people about HIV/AIDS. AIDS Day commemorations were held in two villages, and the ADP participated in the World Vision AIDS cycle relay which passed through the Lilongwe District.
• Held 79 public meetings about basic health care. The use of drama groups and local bands attracted thousands of people to the meetings.
• Arranged for 10 ADP customer service facilitators to attend an eight-week ‘Health Surveillance Assistants’ training course at a medical school. The training will enable the facilitators to assess health conditions and make early diagnosis of diseases on their regular visits to sponsored children and their families.

Education

• Completed building a library, office, two classrooms and latrine block at Mbavu school. The ADP also provided 60 desks for the school.
• Distributed 1200 notebooks to schoolchildren.
• Printed and supplied 100 books to adult literacy centres. The books deal with topical issues, such as HIV/AIDS.
• Provided portable blackboards to three literacy centres and paid an allowance for two literacy tutors (approximately NZ$8 per month). A reasonable harvest last year meant more people had time to devote to literacy training. The tutors have incorporated sports into the course to try and attract more people. However, men still are in a minority in the classes. Of 60 literacy students last year, only nine were men.
• Held a sports competition for 14 schools. Indoor games were also included, such as volleyball, table tennis, badminton and board games. Sports programmes have boosted school enrolment by as much as 35 percent, attracting students who had previously dropped out.
• Assisted more than 50 especially needy children with school fees or uniforms.

Environment

• Distributed 78,000 polythene tubes to the community to raise tree seedlings. The Chata community has raised more than 100,000 seedlings, which have since been transplanted along riverbanks, around homes and in communal forest areas. The seedlings help reduce soil erosion.