Salima and Nkotakota Districts, Malawi
Aim
To ensure that families in the Benga area have access to the seedlings and tools to enable them to get out of poverty. The secondary aim of the project is to improve the nutritional status of the families in the area through access to improved nutrition through tree seedlings such as mangos.
Results
50 families (approx. 250 beneficiaries) have received 900 seedlings (mango and mahogany trees).
The value added to the communities grows every year as the activities become more established.
Nutrition and health
The initial idea of the project was to start with improving the nutritional status of the population. By providing access to an improved diet, the local community can have a greater intake of protein, vitamins and minerals. This will contribute to reducing and eventually eradicating stunted growth – important because Malawi has the highest rate of stunted growth in Africa, 35.5% of the children under 5 suffer from it.
Being farmers and being corn, casava and rice their staple food. The population neglected having a sufficient protein intake. At the same time subsistence agriculture generates a lot by products that go unused such as the stock of corn or the leave of ground nuts, husk of corn, rice, groundnuts, etc. In addition, Paddy fields was the perfect place to have fishponds where they could breed fish and get the much-needed protein. Chicken, goats, and fish is a good source of protein to decrease stunted growth.
Eating mango or bananas fruits can have a direct impact on people’s health after they can ingest much needed vitamins.
Poverty alleviation
The activity has also included distributing mahogany trees which have a great added valued when harvested. They can have a positive impact on family economy and in poverty alleviation.
