The project aimed at addressing food insecurity and building resilience of the disaster risk and affected communities in Karonga district, Northern Malawi by providing vulnerable families improved sweet potato and cassava cultivars, Cowpea seeds to plant in their fields as these crops were capable of withstanding harsh environmental conditions like floods and drought. In addition, the project also provided livestock support for goats and chickens.

The project reached an estimated 2553 direct households (360 in year 1 and2193inyear 2). The assistance helped affected households to meet their immediate and long-term food and cash needs, as well as provide appropriate capacity building to the target communities. Interventions involved livestock support, management using the FEAST tool to address feed constraints, disaster risk reduction, promotion of climate resilient crop varieties.

This project empowered a total of 1,683 women (66%) directly with skills, knowledge, livestock and crops which is improving their household food security, increased household disposable income, improved the households’ savings and also affecting the development of the community as a whole. It was implemented in Karonga district in the villages of A.B. Mwakabanga, S.C. Mwangwebo, Mwenitanga II, Mwambetania, Miyombo, Mweningolongo and Gwebe.

The project provided 1000 dual purpose chickens to 100 farmers in 8 villages in Karonga. The beneficiaries were trained in poultry farming, housing, disease control and management and got 10 chickens per farmer. The chickens have grown and were laying eggs which the farmers were selling and some were being used as relish for the family. A total of 46 farmers got 3 goats each after attending and building the standard Kraal as trained. The goats were growing fast and hopefully will soon have our first pass on program circle. The chicken and goat beneficiaries applied manure to their fields from their livestock which helping to retain water in their fields and crops were doing very well. Cowpea was distributed to 826 female beneficiaries in 8 villages in Karonga. The beneficiaries received training on cowpea production practices, management as well as 1Kg of Cowpea seed. Significant success was made in the Cowpea support program as most farmers fields survived the difficult rainy season and it was nutritious relish for the family.