Women’s club shines at GIZ Kulima MEIRA Project’s National Peer Leaning event
Confronting the belief that women achieve less in society, Mapemba club extraordinarily came out the best to represent batch 5 of GIZ Kulima MIERA Project Peer Leaning Event (PLE) held at the Golden Peacock Hotel in Lilongwe district from the 3rd to the 5th December 2018.
Mapemba club is an all-women’s club with 63 members who solely depend on farming for their livelihood. The club was established in 2014 with an objective of growing crops for food and to sell the surplus so that they can finance their household development.
In 2018, Mapemba club was trained by DAPP Malawi in Business development through the GIZ Kulima MIERA project. The objective of the training was to assist the farmer organization (FO) to develop business strategies that will enable it to grow into a viable farmer organization that has the potential to positively contribute economically to the club member’s families, community as well as the nation.
DAPP Malawi as a business development service provider for GIZ Kulima MIERA project successfully trained 10 Farmer Organizations of which seven are in Salima and three in Dedza districts on collective marketing, farmer organization techniques, business training and negotiation skills in the market in order to grow their businesses so that they provide goods and services at a profit.
During the event at Golden Peacock Hotel, the 10 Farmer Originations presented their plans and achievements following the training of which one Farmer organization was chosen as the outstanding one. Mapemba club emerged the winner through votes beating the other nine farmer organizations.
In her remarks after making it to the national level where they will compete with other batches, the chairperson for Mapemba club, Zainab Abi, thanked DAPP Malawi for the training that has opened their eyes on how to grow their businesses as a club. “Our wish is to be a reliable FO providing services and goods that will enable members and nonmembers to grow socially and economically” said Zainab smiling with satisfaction.
In addition to growing crops, the FO also practices fish farming as an Income Generating Avenue to finance the Famer Organization and member’s development.
Commenting on the development, the Trainer/Coach for the club Mr. Elvis Banda expressed satisfaction over the Famer Organization’s methodology that DAPP Malawi is implementing with the GIZ MIERA project. “It has shown that FO’s can quickly transform into viable FOs if they apply the knowledge attained in the training and coaching sessions under this project. Despite the short implementing period of the FO cycle, the FOs have already shown positive change towards being viable business entities” he said.
The GIZ Kulima MIERA project is being funded by the European Union. It commenced in August 2018 and phases out July 2019.
