TOTAL LANDCARE MALAWI

Transcription

1 TOTAL LANDCARE MALAWI SUSTAINABLE RURAL ENTERPRISES AND LIVELIHOODS (SURELIVES) ANNUAL REPORT FOR JULY 2007 TO JUNE 2008 Prepared By W.T. Bunderson, Z.D. Jere, H.L.A. Sawasawa and Vikki Kambalame July 2008 Sponsored by Philip Morris USA Implemented by Washington State University and Total LandCare Malawi

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. GENERAL Introduction Objectives and Activities ADMINISTRATION Procurement/Distribution of inputs Staffing ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR Extension and Training Activities Implemented Village/Club Sensitization and Support Farmer Training Demonstrations and Field days Field Results Forestry Program Irrigation and Water Harvesting Sustainable Agricultural Practices Water and Sanitation PROJECT IMPACTS 17 ii

3 1. GENERAL 1.1 Introduction The project to support Sustainable Rural Enterprise and Livelihoods (SURELIVES) commenced in June 2006 with funding from Philip Morris USA. It is being implemented by Washington State University and Total LandCare in 4 Districts and 5 impact areas; 2 in Lilongwe District (Ngwangwa and Ukwe sites) 1 in Dowa District (Chivala), 1 in Nkhotakota District (Mwansambo) and 1 in Salima District (Chinguluwe). The project took over from the foundation built by the Agroforestry Partnership Project (APP) in Lilongwe and Dowa, expanding to Nkhotakota District in 2006/07 and to Salima District in 2007/08. The project was initiated to address the problems faced by rural communities in Malawi. These problems include frequent food shortages, overdependence on maize, environmental degradation, limited access to inputs, acute wood shortages for fuel and building materials, unsafe drinking water, poor knowledge and skills to adopt productivity-enhancing technologies, weak extension services and limited market integration. Collectively, these problems have led to a vicious cycle of increasing poverty that is eroding the productive capacity of agriculture and the natural resource base. 1.2 Objectives and Activities Malawi faces complex social, economic and environmental problems that that resist swift and simple solutions. The challenge is to find viable and sustainable interventions to tackle the challenges described above. Key objectives are: 1. To improve the food security, nutrition, health and the general well-being of rural communities in the target sites. 2. To assist farm households in making the transition from subsistence survival to a market based farm enterprise with the aim of promoting self-sufficiency for sustainable growth. In the context of these objectives, communities are being provided with support to meet their basic household s needs and innovations for diversifying and intensifying the production and marketing of agricultural products. The specific objectives of the program to achieve the stated main adjectives include; Improving the economic use and management of natural resources to supply wood energy and construction materials for tobacco curing and household needs on sustainable basis through reduced deforestation by focusing on: o o o o Tree planting with a concentration at the household level to build self-sufficiency Sustainable management of natural woodlands and trees Introducing live barns and energy-saving kitchen stoves to reduce wood use Planting local bamboo to replace wood for many products and uses thereby reducing pressure on woodlands Increase and diversify farm productivity to improve household food security, nutrition and incomes through low-cost, sustainable systems of irrigation linked to good markets Enhance village and household health standards by introducing low-cost methods to provide safe water and sanitation Develop opportunities to establish small-scale enterprises with strong links to sound markets to increase incomes with greater independence and reduce risk This report presents results of field activities for the second year; work-plan. The progress of the work has generally been good, building on the activities started in the first year. 1

4 2. ADMINISTRATION 2.1 Procurement/Distribution of inputs Most of the inputs were procured during the year on time. However, hand pumps for shallow wells had to be ordered and manufactured in India and hence arrived late which affected implementation. The following materials were procured and distributed to the farmers; Irrigation Supplies: These included treadle pumps and input packs, including improved crop seed, tree seeds, fertilizer, and pesticides. Table 1 shows the contents input packs distributed to irrigation farmers. Forestry Supplies: Tree nursery inputs and equipment which included tree seeds, polythene tubes, watering cans, shovels, etc to enable the communities implement afforestation program Water and Sanitation: Shallow well pumps imported from India and cement for constructing the shallow wells, and san-plats for the eco-pit latrines. Table 1: Irrigation Input Pack for Treadle Pump and Stream Diversion INP UT S S T R E AM DIVE R S ION T R E ADL E P UMP QUANT IT Y QUANT IT Y F ertilis er C AN (kg) :21:0+4S (kg) 9 18 C rop S eed Maize (kg) 1 2 T omato (10g pkt) 1 2 O nion (pkt) 1 2 B eans (kg) 1 2 C hemic als D imethoate (250 ml) Staffing The project maintained the personnel as in the first year and added one officer for the fifth impact area. TLC Directors Trent Bunderson and Zwide Jere oversee the management of the project. Accountant Isaac Alide monitors financial expenditures. Field Coordinators Alubi Mpira, Maxwell Chafuka, Rudolf Usi, Edison Kamwetsa and Brown Kapoloma are responsible for implementation of field programs. Office Assistants Zione Mponda and Isaiah Phiri assist with purchases, photocopying management of the warehouse, and general upkeep of offices. Driver Elias Chitsamba assists with project operations. Security Guard Gordon Kamkwanya ensures the safe keeping of project vehicles and equipment. 2

5 3. ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR 3.1 Extension and Training Activities Implemented Activities implemented during the year focused on community empowerment. Most were based on consultations and meetings with communities to address their needs and interests in the context of project objectives. To ensure smooth implementation of the project activities, 162 meetings were conducted with communities in the targeted areas involving 4,622 community members (3,184 men and 1,438 women). Results led to action plans for implementing agreed activities. Overall participation involved 768 villages and 25,016 villagers, 36% of which were women. 402 new villages were involved comprising 12,737 villagers, a result based on 96 sensitization meetings with 3,338 villagers of which 40.5% were women. Training of communities followed these meetings to equip communities with the knowledge and skills to implement agreed activities for the desired impact Village/Club Sensitization and Support Community meetings with local leaders and households were conducted to explain the concept and nature of the project. Communities were encouraged to maintain groups or to form new ones as a means to facilitate effective implementation and monitoring. Planning meetings were then held to produce individual group action plans. Demonstrations and trainings were conducted to ensure timely and proper implementation. Extension support encouraged villagers to work hard and to strengthen group structure and organization Farmer Training Trainings were conducted with all participating farmers. They centered on technologies selected by the communities to build capacity. Community extension workers were also trained to support implementation under the guidance of the field coordinators. Irrigation plot layout farmer training 3

6 Table 2 shows the type and number of trainings conducted and the number of people involved broken down by gender. Women showed special interest in tree planting as they are responsible for collecting firewood and for cooking. Table 2: Trainings Conducted in 2007/08 Type of Training Participants Male Female Total Soil & Water Conservation Tree Nursery Establisment 9,577 3,470 13,047 Tree Outplanting 3,991 3,165 7,156 Treadle Pump Irrigation Stream Diversion Drip Irrigation Other Trainings ,191 Only 8 people were trained in the use and management of drip irrigation systems. These people received drip kits in the first year of the project. Other trainings conducted included soil fertility management (planting and management of Tephrosia vogelii), compost manure making and application, construction of mud and ceramic stoves, management of irrigated crops, and bean seed multiplication. All trainings involved practical community/village sessions to instill and develop knowledge and skills among farmers. Demonstration on treadle pump operation 4

7 PROGRAM ELEMENTS Targets Results % Achievement Targets Results % Achievement Overall Program 1 Villages (#) % % Participating Villagers (#) 4,000 13, % 10,000 25, % % Female Participation % % Sustainable Agricultural Practices 2 Soil & Water Conservation Contour Ridging (ha) % % Gully Control (#) % % Vetiver Grass Nurseries (#) % % Vetiver Grass Hedgerows (ha) % % Agroforestry for Soil Improvement Dispersed Systematic Interplanting (ha) % % Tephrosia Intercropping/Fallows (ha) % % Forestry 3 Table 3: SURELIVES Results vs. Targets for 2006/07 and 2007/ / /08 Nurseries (#) % % Tree Seedlings Raised (#) 900,000 1,573, % 1,800,000 1,876, % Bamboo Seedlings Raised (#) 100,000 53,454 53% 200,000 20,829 10% Out-Planting Trees (#) 765,000 1,501, % 1,530,000 1,863, % Bamboo (#) 85,000 49,817 59% 170,000 20,918 12% Total (#) 850,000 1,551, % 1,700,000 1,884, % Regeneration of Natural Woodlands (ha) % % Improved Wood Stoves (#) % 1, % Low Cost Irrigation 4 Treadle Pump Irrigation Villages (#) % % Households (#) % % Treadle Pumps (#) % % Stream Diversion/Water Harvesting Villages (#) % % Households (#) % % Drip Irrigation Villages (#) NA NA NA NA 6 NA Households (#) NA NA NA NA 24 NA Water and Eco-sanitation 5 Villages (#) % % Shallow Wells with Hand Pumps (#) % % Households Impacted (#) 1, % 1, % Eco-Pit Latrines Constructed and in Use (#) % 1, % Notes on R es ults by P rog ram 1 Participation much higher than anticipated due to high interest by communities, even after increasing the targets in 2007/08 2 Results exceeded targets due to high interest. Systematic interplanting produced the best results 3 Tree planting on target, but bamboo planting was affected by lack of seed as native stands have not set seed since 2005 Allocation of land for Natural Regeneration of Woodlands was limited due to lack of land and high results from 2006/07 Introduction of wood stoves has been low due to focus on other interventions, but will increase in coming seasons. 4 Achievements for irrigation exceeded targets due to strong interest from impacts on food security, nutrition and incomes Drip irrigation was introduced on a pilot basis because of its water use efficiency. Evaluation will continue. 5 Installation of shallow wells was low due to delays in shipping pumps from India, but will pick up due to high interest in clean water Introduction of pit latrines has been low due to a) focus on other interventions, and b) cultural barriers, but will increase in time. NA = Not Applicable as the practice was not targeted 5

8 3.1.4 Demonstrations and Field days Demonstrations and field days were conducted to enhance adoption and implementation of activities. Demonstrations were mainly aimed at exposing farmers to different technologies and to explain proper practices for establishment and management. 465 demonstrations were conducted with 9,514 villagers (4900 men and 4914 women). 12 field days were mounted involving 1,235 villagers (731 men and 504 women). 34 community based trainings were conducted involving 12,845 people. 3.2 Field Results Details of the results vs. targets are summarized in Table 3 for all interventions for 2006/07 and 2007/08. Notes are provided below the table on over and under achievements Forestry Program a) Nursery Establishment The tree planting program started with nursery establishment early in the year. After sensitizing communities, nurseries were built, followed by delivery of tree seed, pots and tools, pot filling, sowing of tree seed, then sowing of tree seed followed. A total of 634 nurseries were established in 842 villages, 491 of which were old villages. The whole program involved 13,047 villagers raising a total of 1,825,181 seedlings. Table 4 summarizes results achieved. 1,825,181 seedlings were successfully raised against a target of 1,800,000. Some communities had insufficient water as their water sources dried up. This affected germination and seedling survival. The number of bamboo seedlings raised was much lower than the target due to insufficient seed. This was caused by the fact that the local bamboo in Malawi all flowers and seeds at the same time, which occurs once in a lifetime at the age of 20 years. Flowering took place 3 years ago, and although 5 tons of seed was collected at that time, the supply has been depleted from high demands for planting. In addition, many bamboo seedlings were destroyed by rodents in the nursery, which reduced the seedlings available for out planting. Table 4: Nursery Results Activity Result Nurseries (#) 634 Tree Seedlings Raised for Wood (#) 1,825,181 Faidhberbia albida Seedlings Raised (#) 51,386 Bamboo Seedlings Raised (#) 20,829 Total Seedlings Raised 1,897,396 6

9 b) Tree Out-planting Tree out-planting began with the first rains, but some farmers in Chivara started planting early. By the end of the season, 1,863,286 tree seedlings had been planted. This figure is slightly more than raised in nurseries because some communities collected and planted seed from other sources. Most tree seedlings were planted in woodlots around homesteads and on boundaries (51.14%). Live fencing was used mainly to protect irrigated gardens. 20,918 bamboo seedlings were out-planted. This was slightly higher than the number of seedlings raised because TLC supplied some seedlings from its Lilongwe nursery. Fruit trees distributed to farmers were limited and most were grown by the farmers themselves. Table 5 shows a breakdown of the number of seedlings out-planted in different formations. Table 5: Tree Out-Planting Details for Forms of Planting Number Homestead/Woodlot/Boundary Planting (#) 952,956 Communal/Graveyard Enrichment Planting (#) 487,628 Dispersed Systematic Interplanting (#) 44,793 Streambank Planting (#) 101,864 Roadside Planting (#) 187,324 Live Fencing (#) 88,721 Fruit Trees (#) 158 Bamboo (#) 20,918 Total Seedlings Out-planted 1,884,362 c) Natural Regeneration This intervention is becoming popular because it is restoring the natural biodiversity of the area. It is also providing many valuable uses from trees including fruits and medicinal remedies for common illnesses and infections. Activities involved identifying, demarcating, and managing village and individual forest areas. Management practices include harvesting dead wood, selective thinning of scrubby or malformed trees to give space for better stronger trees, and trimming shoots of young regenerating trees to promote vertical growth. Communities were also taught in the formulation bye-laws to regulate the use of resources from the village forest areas. 42 ha of land were demarcated this year against a target of 100. Although lower than expected, this was affected by limited land and the high results in 2006/07. d) Improved Wood Stoves 118 mud-stoves were constructed this season for a total of 147 stoves to date. Two villages were involved in constructing and selling 85 ceramic stoves. 7

10 Homestead Planting of Trees for Fuel and Building Material Farm integration of natural trees perfectly compatible with crops at low densities to improve soils and to provide tree products for multiple uses 8

11 Mud-stove in use Women making ceramic stoves - Chitetezo Mbaula 9

12 3.2.2 Irrigation and Water Harvesting Irrigation activities involved treadle pumps and stream diversion from May to December. During this period, some farmers were able to grow 3 crops. Treadle pump irrigation was concentrated mainly in Chingulube, Ukwe, Mngwangwa and Chivara sites, while stream diversion was focused in Mwansambo and Chivara. The main distinction between systems is the need for substantial relief to undertake stream diversion since it is gravity-fed. Main crops grown were maize, leafy vegetables and tomato and beans. Some farmers in Ukwe and Mngwangwa were also involved in multiplying bean seed which was sold at US$ 1.00/kg, generating substantial income to the households involved. Table 6 shows results under each irrigation system with 473 households using treadle pumps and 496 households involved in stream diversion. In addition, a small dam with a storage capacity of 100m 3 was constructed by community members in Mwansambo. The dam is being used for stream diversion. 35 households were involved in both the construction and irrigation activities. TYPE OF IRRIGATION Treadle Pump Irrigation Steam Diversion Table 6: Irrigation Results Club TOTAL PARTICIPATION (HH) TOTAL AREA Old New Old New Gravity-fed irrigation from stream diversion 10

13 Irrigation Success Story - Mr Sankion Fanuwelo Mr Sankion Fanuwelo is a farmer practicing treadle pump irrigation. He comes from Chirombo village, Traditional Authority Kabudula in Lilongwe District. He is 31 years old, married and has four children. His interest to start irrigation developed when he saw how his friends from the same village, Masasa club, were benefiting from the practice. He consulted and find out how he could join the club to benefit from Total LandCare support. 11

14 Upon being convinced, he and his friends decided to form another club in 2006 and named it Tikondane club. Currently, the club has 12 members. Cabbage ready for sale In the same year, 2006, Mr Fanuwelo managed to acquire a treadle pump and input pack from TLC to grow 2 crops of maize, realizing MK 34,000. That year I was trying to acquire the knowledge and skills in Irrigation farming. From the gains made, I realized that I could make a lot of money with careful planning, said Mr. Fanuwelo. In year two, ( ) he managed to grow 5 different crops and made a good profit. I had 35 beds of onion with sales amounting to MK I also had 250 beds of cabbage, 150 beds of maize, and 180 beds of beans, earning respectively MK 41,000, MK 22,000 and MK 35,000. Currently Mr Fanuwelo has over 2000 heads of cabbage ready for sale with expected sales of MK 60,000. He also has a young crop of maize and a nursery bed of onions ready for transplanting. Mr Fanuwelo previously worked as a vendor, buying vegetables from farmers and selling them in the city. I used to travel a lot to buy vegetables to run my business. What was hurting me was that I come from this area, and there were no vegetables to buy here. I travelled as far as Dowa, Ntcheu or even Blantyre to buy and sell vegetables. That is when I decided to start irrigation so that my home area could compete with others in vegetable production and business. Now with this irrigation he is more settled with determination to 12

15 work hard. He would like to make irrigation farming a year round activity and is targeting to produce different crops in the off season when prices are better. Over the past two years, I have managed to buy a cell phone so that I can communicate with the market. I have also bought a color TV. I use part of the money to pay for fertilizers and labor for my rain fed maize while I concentrate on irrigation. Mr Fanuwelo is planning to increase his production and to include high value crops. He is also planning to work with others to make his village a vegetable producing village. Young irrigated crop of maize 13

16 3.2.3 Sustainable Agricultural Practices Soil and water conservation activities included constructing marker ridges, ridge realignment to the marker ridges, box ridging, gully control and planting vetiver nurseries and hedgerows. These activities were well received by communities: 24 villages participated in constructing marker ridges on 169 ha vs. a target of 100 ha. 26 villages established 30 vetiver nurseries and planted hedgerows on 20 ha of land. Work was conducted to rehabilitate 60 gullies which involved constructing check dams to control water velocity and to trap sediment. Contour and tied ridges to control water runoff and erosion Improved fallows and intercropping with Tephrosia were established to improve soil fertility over an area of 28 ha. Tephrosia is a fast-growing leguminous shrub that helps to restore soil fertility from nitrogen fixation and production of green biomass. The improved fallows were established in 2006/07 to generate maximum benefits to the soil from the high quantity of green biomass. The Tephrosia was cut down before the start of the rainy season in 2007/08 with surface application of the green biomass. The woody stems were removed for use as fuel, which helps to reduce deforestation as Tephrosia produces an average of 8-10 tons of wood per ha. 14

17 Green biomass from Improved Tephrosia fallow for soil fertility Water and Sanitation a) Shallow Wells with Hand Pumps Provision of shallow wells involves a self-help program where communities contribute labor and local materials for constructing the wells. TLC provides the hand pump, cement and skilled labor to supervise construction work, to install the pump, and to train a village team on basic operation procedures and maintenance. 6 shallow wells were installed in Chingulube, Mngwangwa, and Ukwe benefiting 486 villagers. The low number relative to the target of 30 wells was due to delays in the shipment of handpumps ordered from India. The balance of the handpumps will be installed in the dry season of this calendar year. b) Eco-sanitation Eco-pit latrines represent a low-cost technology to improve village hygiene, but social acceptance requires education and training to appreciate the basic principles involved and to break through cultural barriers. Although adoption rates are slower than expected, progress is encouraging and the numbers should increase over time. 18 villages participated in constructing 140 new san-plats this year, bringing the total to date to old pits were planted with fruit trees which are growing well. 15

18 Initiation ceremony for new shallow well Eco-Pit Latrine with bucket containing a mixture of soil and ash, a handful of which is dropped in the pit after use for fast decomposition and to eliminate odor and flies 16

19 4. PROJECT IMPACTS The project is having far reaching impacts on the livelihoods of the people in the target sites - from improved food security, nutrition, health and incomes to sound environmental stewardship. This is transforming communities to be self-reliant. Key points are as follows:. The project has directly reached over 59,000 households or benefited over 30,000 households and 150,000 people based on an average household size of 5. Of significance is the increased number of women participation in project interventions averaging 36%. Others have also benefited indirectly such as those who access information through field days and radio, and those that have bought produce from irrigation as well as extended family members. Empowerment of communities has been one of the key elements of the project through hands-on training, farmer-farmer extension and use of community workers. Knowledge and skills transfer is an important factor for scaling up and sustaining programs among rural communities. The results will leave enduring and indelible impacts as communities will be able to continue addressing challenges with limited external support. Environmental awareness campaigns have generated public interest and debate about the need to conserve the environment. This is manifested in the increasing demands by communities within and outside project impact areas for services in tree planting and natural woodland conservation. TLC has increased outreach by using radio and other media through memoranda of understanding with local media. Over 3.4 million trees have been planted in only 2 years. This demonstrates the impact of a community-based approach with an efficient service delivery system. Households who started tree planting and natural woodland conservation during the early years of the APP project are now reaping the benefits from tree products in terms of income, firewood and construction material for dwelling huts, tobacco curing sheds and other structures. Households practicing irrigation have improved their food security and nutrition while generating income from sales of irrigated vegetables, spices and maize. These households are now able to meet their basic needs which include sending their children to school and financing inputs for other crops such as tobacco. Irrigation also reduces vulnerability and risk of crop failures from drought which is exacerbated by the escalating realities of global climate change. The project has greatly contributed towards the development of the supply chains of irrigation and forestry inputs. TLC has partnered with suppliers offering quality products at competitive prices such as Kickstart of Kenya, Meera and Ceiko of India and International Development Enterprises -India (IDE). The use of fuel-efficient stoves has been well received by households, particularly women who bear the burden of collecting firewood. The impacts are viewed in terms of saving energy and labor, as well as reducing risks of respiratory diseases caused by inhaling smoke, a danger that is higher with traditional systems of cooking. Tree planting, natural woodland conservation and use of fuel-efficient stoves are simple and low cost measures that help preserve the environment and enable the rural poor to adapt to climate change. The trees contribute towards limiting the global impacts of climate change. With increased forest cover, rural communities can broaden opportunities to qualify for and to benefit from initiatives such as carbon trading. Other impacts include reduced run-off and soil erosion and improvement in soil fertility. SURELIVES is serving as a model for both government and NGO partners for generating significant impacts in a short period with minimal resources. This was possible due to good organization and planning, commitment by TLC field staff, positive responses from communities, and the timely support from the donor, PMUSA. 17

20 The project has triggered interest and buy-ins from other organizations to support similar programs as a way to scale-up results and impacts. Examples of support received by TLC include Imperial Tobacco Company, United States Agency for International Development, ActionAid International, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture-Southern Africa Bean Research Network (CIAT-SABRN) and the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT). Conclusions Significant progress has been made through the project, both in terms of results achieved over the past 2 years and the impacts that the interventions are having on the livelihoods of communities. The project has provided opportunities to transform rural households from dire poverty by adopting a diverse range of production enhancing practices that are environmentally sound. The successes achieved can be attributable to TLC s communitydriven approach, positive response from communities, efficient service delivery, committed staff, and timely support from PMUSA. The results demonstrate high returns for the investment made, and are expected to be sustained and improved. 18