NJIRA BULLETIN THIS EDITION

Seed Fairs 01

Market Linkages 02

Every Preemie

Launch 03

Male Champions 03

TA Amidu attains

ODF Status 04

Food Distribution

Highlights 05

Livestock Corner 07

During the 2014-2015 grow-

ing season many farmers

were affected by extended

drought. With erratic rainfall

throughout the country which

inflicted flash floods, many

farmers were declared food

insecure by the Government

of Malawi. In response to the

crisis, farmers in Balaka re-

ceived free seed through

Njira Project working in co-

operation with CRS and

FAO. Njira Project success-

fully conducted 9 seed fairs

reaching 6,088 famers in De-

cember, 2015. The Seed Fairs

were implemented in all the 5

Njira targeted Traditional Au-

thorities in Balaka covering

360 villages. Each qualified farmer received vouchers worth

K10,500 ($15) and were able to choose from a variety of seed in-

cluding maize, groundnut, cow pea, millet and other various seeds.

“We have been given the privilege to choose the kind of seed we

want and this will cater for my needs as I will choose only the seed

I need.” – Stated Kwesani Mafukeni, farmer from TA Kachenga.

“I was in despair as I only depend on farming for the survival of

my family, but I am now hopeful because the maize seed, sorghum

and pigeon peas I received today will help maximize my produc-

tion” concluded Kwesani Mafukeni.

PCI Malawi, Njira Project Newsletter Third Issue - January 2016

Providing Seed Choices to Farmers in Balaka

For more information about the programme please email the Deputy Chief of Party, jchimpukuso@pcimalawi.org

Creating Market Linkages between Smallholder

Farmers and the Private Sector Njira agribusiness activities aim

to facilitate and strengthen link-

ages between smallholder farm-

ers and the private sector. Cur-

rently there is weak and/or poor

engagement of the private sector

in development partly because

private sector actors lack a plat-

form to engage the rural farm-

ers. Njira project has started to

shift this paradigm by recogniz-

ing the critical role played by

private sector to establish com-

petitive and sustainable markets.

Developing these markets can

provide smallholder farmers

with incentive, initiatives and the capacity to source and use improved seeds as they improve productivity

and food security. Njira project has recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding which will link bene-

ficiary farmers to Sunseed Oil Limited, an oil seed processing company based in Lilongwe. Sunseed will

provide farmers with access to a well-structured and readily available oil crop market through a contract

farming scheme. Sunseed, with support from Njira, will also establish Technical Support Centres

(collective market centers) which will provide both technical assistance and limited input loans to organized

producer groups.

Njira’s engagement with Sunseed Oil Limited is just one example of how the project is working to shift the

private sector paradigm by linking farmers to markets. A number of private sector actors have also shown

willingness to partner with Njira Project, and discussions are underway to finalize and formalize the market

linkages. These linkages will provide farmers with sustainable markets at the same time providing the farm-

ers with current market information.

Njira supported the commemoration of the Inter-

national Day of Disaster Risk Reduction that was

celebrated under the theme Knowledge for Life:

Indigenous Knowledge for Disaster Risk Man-

agement. The day also marked the official

launch of the National Disaster Recovery Frame-

work (NDRF) entitled Building Back a Disaster-

Impacted Malawi Better and Safer. The NDRF is

a living and coordinating tool that will help Njira

and other stakeholders ensure that there are well-

coordinated multi-sectoral stakeholder activities

both at national and district levels that will serve

to minimize duplication of efforts thereby reach-

ing more people.

One of the beneficiaries, Mrs T Kapeni from Balaka in her Cowpeas Garden

International Day of Disaster Risk Reduction

Every Preemie—SCALE Launched in Malawi

Every Preemie—SCALE is a USAID- funded project implemented by a consortium of three organiza-

tions: PCI, the Global Alliance to Prevent Prematurity and Stillbirth (GAPPS) and the American Col-

lege of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM). The project is designed to provide practical, catalytic and scalable

approaches to expand the uptake of preterm birth (PTB) and low birth weight (LBW) interventions in

23 USAID priority countries in Africa and Asia, Malawi inclusive.

In Malawi, Every Preemie—SCALE is

working with Njira Project to support a

two-pronged approach designed to

strengthen PTB/LBW interventions in

Balaka district. The project is providing

targeted technical assistance to enhance

the implementation of a community

based model for improved preterm and

LBW newborn care at the community and

household levels; and will also support

clinical care for early/small babies at the

hospital and health center level.

The project was officially launched in Lilongwe in December, 2015 and received very good support

from the Ministry of Health through the Secretary for Health, the Director, Reproductive Health Direc-

torate, representatives from the USAID Mission, Maternal and Newborn Health Stakeholders, Balaka

District Health Office, the Director of Every Preemie and team, the PCI Country Director and team

among others. The launch highlighted Njira project interventions as well as Every Preemie’s plans for

implementation of research on emerging PTB/LBW programming issues. During the launch there was

a call from stakeholders to understand why the quality of care and uptake of preterm and low birth

weight interventions remained poor and low, respectively, despite the many trainings that have taken

place on management of preterm babies as well as the newborn care strategies available in the country.

This initiative will help bring awareness about pre-term babies so that they can be accepted in the com-

munities as well as enhancing the care and support for the preterm babies at household and community

levels thereby improving the survival rate of the babies.

Participants during the Every Preemie Launch in Lilongwe, Malawi

Njira has facilitated the creation of

Father Groups as an innovative ap-

proach to increase male involvement

in health and nutrition activities and

support for mother Care Group ob-

jectives. By the end of December,

ten Father Groups (five in each dis-

trict) were formed by mobilizing

husbands and male relatives of Care

Group volunteers into peer groups.

The groups are committed to in-

crease gender equitable attitudes to-

ward health and nutrition at house-

hold and community levels.

Male Champions in Njira

Members of a Father Group in TA Amidu

Njira has set an ambitious target of supporting 1,820 Women Empowered/Village Savings and Loans (WE/

VSL) groups over a five year timeline. The project’s engagement of approximately 30,000 WE/VSL group

members will catalyze important changes for the men and women directly involved as well as contribute to

positive changes for their families and villages.

The WE/VSL team chipped away at the target of 1,820 groups and reached 176 groups by December. The

team’s enthusiasm even resulted in overachieving the quarter’s target by nearly 30 groups. These groups

were identified in the Existing VSL Assessment (highlighted in the October Newsletter) as groups which

formed by themselves and were never formally trained by any organization. These groups are an opportunity

for Njira to work within existing structures while adding significant value to the groups by building their ca-

pacity in routine savings group practices and through introducing the Women Empowered model. WE builds

on the strong foundation of trust and cohesion developed by traditional VSL groups to empower individuals,

help members discuss social issues that affect their community, and take action to help resolve common

problems.

For the next quarter, the team will focus on ensuring quality among those first 176 groups. WE/VSL Facilita-

tors will be closely mentoring and supervising the trained volunteers who work with the groups in the field

and will return to each group to check on its progress. Then, starting in March, the team will begin to form

brand new WE/VSL groups. First, volunteers and Facilitators will work with communities to identify people

who are not already involved in any savings groups, particularly those community members who are the

most poor and vulnerable. Then, they will focus their efforts towards those people to encourage them to join

a group.

TA AMIDU ATTAINS OPEN DEFECATION FREE STATUS

The initial phase of rolling out CLTS (Community Led Total Sanitation) process in the TA Amidu was

through pre triggering and triggering process by Concern

Universal in 2013 through government Extension workers.

Three natural leaders per triggered village were identified

depending on their engagement during the process of trig-

gering. Njira then intensified follow up visits to the impact

area by conducting Local and Natural Leaders meetings

with government extension workers in all targeted 7 GVHs

in Njira impact area. During the meetings Local Leaders and

Natural Leaders developed by-laws at GVH level which

through the support from the chiefs were enforced to make

sure that each and every household complies. Failure to

comply to the by-laws attracted penalties. For instance if a

household is found without basic sanitary facilities like pit

latrine or drop hole cover or hand washing facility they are

given a grace period of two months to construct a new pit

latrine. Failure to do so attracts a penalty of K2,000.00

($2.85). This process has helped to accelerate the status of

improved hygiene practices in the catchment area hence at-

taining Open Defecation Free (ODF) status certified

by National ODF Task Force. Currently 7 GVHs have been

declared ODF, and these are Mkwekwele, Amidu, Katapila,

Hindahinda, Mdenga, Chatama and Mwalabu.

A Family with their Tippy Tap

WOMEN EMPOWERED!

FOOD DISTRIBUTION HIGHLIGHTS At the beginning of November 2015 the pro-

ject identified 53 food distribution points

(FDP): 21 in Balaka and 32 in Machinga in

order to conduct food distribution during

lean seasons. Primary school grounds were

selected as the distribution points in most

cases while in some cases the structures oc-

cupied as Community Based Organizations

were selected as distribution points. Food

distribution committees were formed at each

distribution point comprising representatives

from the communities including beneficiar-

ies. Each committee was provided with one

day of formal training to help them compre-

hend their responsibilities during distribution

day.

As of December 2015, Food Rations consisting Corn Soya Blend Plus (CSB+), Vegetable Oil and

Pinto Beans were been distributed to 16,111 Pregnant and Lactating women (11,470 in Machinga,

4,641 in Balaka), 25,392 children aged 6-23months (18,680 in Machinga, 6,702 in Balaka), and

40,054 households (29,242 in Machinga, 10,812 in Balaka). These rations were designed to prevent

malnutrition in women who are pregnant and lactating as well as children under the age of two.

Food Distribution in process

Registration process at a Food Distribution Point

Njira Promotes Community-Based Strategies for Safe Drinking Water

Water quality is of great underlying importance to Njira’s Health objectives in Balaka and Machinga. Coli-

forms, E. coli, and fecal streptococci are the common microorganisms that are responsible for diarrhea in

Malawi. Water is the main risk factor to consumption of these microbes. Furthermore water is a vehicle and a

home of different substances, living and non-living of which some are responsible for causing diseases.

Sun Mountain International, the Njira con-

sortium member providing environmental

management support to the Project is making

use of the Care Group model to build the ca-

pacity of communities to maintain WASH

standards. Training topics include the im-

portance of locating latrines at least 30 me-

ters away from water resources and the posi-

tioning latrines downstream from water re-

sources. Care Groups are also being trained

in using chlorine water treatment products.

Another platform being used to communicate

the importance of preventing water contamination is the Community-Led Total Sanitation system, which

raises awareness about bacterial transfer.

Njira WASH team has now started preparations to empower 32 villages to attain open defecation free status

through community meetings. The team has also conducted meetings on eliminating open defecation in 14

Group Village Heads (GVHs) in collaboration with government and other WASH partners. Thus far, a total

of 7 of those 14 GVHs have now attained Open Defecation Free (ODF) status.

Njira has also trained 62 Water Point Committees

(WPCs) in community-based management of water

points. WPCs are trained in borehole rehabilitation

and on how to identify unsanitary situations, such as

lack of soak away pits, cracks in a water point, etc.

WPCs are encouraged to construct domestic animal

barriers to protect water points and employ other

strategies to promote safe drinking water. In support,

Chiefs sign a commitment to promote proper sanita-

tion around water points in their villages.

The WASH team also plans to work closely with the Njira Environmental Specialist, the Njira Women Em-

powerment (WE)/Village Savings and Loan (VSL) team and the Agriculture team to integrate water quality

concerns into other activities, such as upcoming irrigation activities and community savings group activities.

Advocacy to discourage drinking from irrigation shallow wells will be a priority, and Njira will work with

savings groups to promote the use of funds for periodic maintenance of water points.

Care Group Training on Water Treatment and Sanitation

WPC Training in Community Based Management of Water

LIVESTOCK KHOLAS TAKING SHAPE IN MACHINGA

The project has facilitated the formation of 33

livestock producer groups. Eleven groups will

receive 4 goats each, another eleven groups

will receive 10 chickens (5 indigenous pullets; 5

Black Australorp growers) and the last 11

groups will receive 6 pairs of pigeons. Conse-

quently the project conducted training for 660

producers of which 500 were female. These

producers have been trained in all three live-

stock: goat, chicken and pigeon. The 660 prima-

ry beneficiaries will pass on the female off-

spring to the next 660 secondary beneficiaries

who will in turn pass their livestock to a further

660 tertiary beneficiaries.

The process is expected to be continued until all community members within the same catchment area

have received the livestock. After training the livestock producer groups, each member of the live-

stock group started Khola construction in readiness for the distribution of the livestock.

Slatted pigeon coop promoted by the project

Slatted goat house promoted by the project

Producer Group Training in Session

Livestock TOT in Progress

P

IC

TO

RIA

L F

OC

US

ON

OTH

ER

KEY

AC

CO

MP

LIS

HM

EN

TS

Care Group meeting in Session

Participants at Every Preemie Launch

Commodity Sensitization with Chiefs

A woman in a pigeon pea field intercropped with maize

Lead Farmers receiving seeds

Nutrition Stand during the Seed Fair in Balaka Farmers posing with their seeds

WPC member reassembling a bore-