FARMSE Project rolls out
DAPP Malawi has been contracted by the Financial Access for Rural Markets, Smallholders and Enterprises (FARMSE) to implement a Sustainable Village Savings and Loans for community members through Farmers Club Project targeting to increase income of 37,500 beneficiaries in Nkhotakota and Nkhatabay districts.
The programme works to support the graduation of poor Malawians along the poverty spectrum from ultra-poor to a productive pathway on a sustainable basis.
The programme also supports household economic development through access to financial services that are appropriate to each socio-economic level of poverty including ultra-poor, poor but food secure, vulnerable to poverty, and resilient to poverty.
The project has a unique approach with a focuses on increasing the access to sustainable, diversified financial services. The project will support poor and vulnerable beneficiaries to achieve the improved socio-economic well-being.
The project targets to work with 1500 Community Based Farmers’ Organisations (CBFOs) from the two districts. The groups will comprise of members aged between 18 to 50 years and will promote women’s, men’s and youth accessibility to financial services and empower them to access their rights through social inclusion.
The 36 months (July 2020 to September 2023) scalable project has to date registered a total of 509 existing CBFOs; 186 in Nkhatabay district while 323 in Nkhotakota district.
Apart from training the farmers in Village Savings and Loan groups, they are being encouraged to take up income generating activities which include growing crops while promoting Climate Smart Agriculture practices.
The project targets Traditional Authorities; Malengachanzi, Mwadzama, Mphonde & Mwansambo in Nkhotakota district and Traditional Authorities; Mkumbira, M’bwana, and Sub Traditional Authority Mndola, Chipimininga, Siyalimba, Boghoyo and Mkondowe in Nkhatabay district.
