THE REPORT FOR THE MONTH OF OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER 2010
Compiled by B
INTRODUCTION
This report covers the activities carried out at Zikomo CBO of Matande village in Zomba district, Kawinga project in Machinga district and Namakoma project in Monkey Bay ( in Mangochi) from October to September 2010.
MATANDE CBO
Matande conservation and self-sufficiency Based Integrated Program is one of the programs being impIemented by zikomo organization maIawi in Zomba Diistrict and is funded by Zikomo organization of Ireland. Matande project was started in August 2008 by constructing resource centre .the project is aimed at improving the livelihood standard of farm families of Group village Matande by improving household food security, self –sufficiency and access to income and social services by December 2012 and in order to achieve the above program goal ,the program is being implementing activities in three area of food security , integrated Rural Development and Capacity Building. The programs are designed to address the problem of food insecurity , low-income level and poor access services experienced by the area farmers in the area .The overall purpose of the program will be achieved through the following objectives;
• Increase and diversify crop production.
• Promote development of cooperative and Rural youth.
• Improve access to Agricultural inputs.
• Promote livestock production (productivity).
• Promote Gender Mainstreaming into program activities.
• Enhance literacy and numerical capability of adult illiterates.
• Reduce population growth rate and HIV/AIDS incidences and improve life of those people infected and affected with HIV/AIDS.
• Strengthening the capacity of local institutions beneficiaries and staff.
This report highlights the progress achieved against plans, issues and challenges encountered during the implementation of the project activities .This report looks at achievement of the program, lesson, learnt, problems in implementation and makes recommendation for the future implementation to achieve the best results.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This is the summary of the project activity achievement in the period of from October to November 2010.
(1)HORTCULTURE
The following activities were planned for the period on this component, weeding, watering on onions and maize fields, weeding on maize field and selling of green maize and vegetables. So far some of the mentioned activities have been accomplished like weeding and selling of maize and vegetables. On watering of the field, the river that has been supplying water to our vegetable field has dried up completely, hence our crops are drying up pre-matured.
(2)LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION
The following activities were planned for the period on this component of livestock production, monitor livestock performance, facilitating of distribution of offsprings to new beneficiaries at Likwanya village in Kawinga project .So far all these activities were accomplished. The Boar goat that was distributed into the village is growing very well and two new beneficiaries were received goats through the goat program in the village. And a total of nine new kids 3 males and 6 females were born during the period.
(3)NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
On Agro-forestry and afforestation, we planned to monitor trees at Nsadi and Nakutepa villages at kawinga project in Machinga district. So far all these sites were visited and all the trees are looked after and growing very well in these two villages.
And on BEE KEEPING, we planned to monitor the performance of the program at Nsadi village.So far, a total of90 bottles of honey was collected. Some of the bottles were sold and realized a total of k6000.00 out of which k2000.00 was used for Nursery School program and the rest was banked.
(4)ADULT LITERACY/ EDUCATION PROGRAM
On this program, we planned to monitor the performance of the program at Likwanya village in machinga district that is Kawinga project, and to find an instructor for matande centre. On matande centre, the program has stopped as the government has no money for the program in the district , hence all the learners will not write their examination. And on likwanya, the program is still going on only that 15 learners are coming for classes.
(5) CO-OPERATIVE DEVELOPMENT AND IGAs ACTIVITIES
The following activities were planned for period of October and November on this program, monitor loan repayment, monitoring the baking and selling of burns at the centre, monitoring the collection of funds from other sources. So far all these activities were accomplished and a total of k55050.00 has been collected cumulatively representing 38.8% recovery on loan repayment. And on tailoring, a total of k3500.00 was realized, on charging phones, a total of k400.00 has also realized. On chair hiring, a total of k1200.00 has been collected during the period.
(6)VOCATIONAL SCHOOL (TAILORING)
The following activities were planned for the period, monitoring the progress of the class, monitoring the IGA through tailoring program and pay the tailoring instructor. So far all these activities were accomplished.
(7)POTABLE WATER/SHALLOW WELL
The project planned to monitor the shallow well at Nakutepa village during the period. So far the well is not working due to shortage of a small inner pipe which is to be bought when found at the shop.
(8)YOUTH CLUB
The following activities were planned for the period on this program, monitor the club while visiting various villages promoting behavior change through effective communication, guiding the youth as they are choosing a business to do at the center so that they can generate their own funds for various purposes. So far the plans are under way but the most preferred one is T/Shirt printing.
(9) ORPHAN &VULNERABLE CHILDREN CARE/ NURSERY SHOOL
The following activities were planned for the period on this program both at matande and kawinga projects, monitor the classes, conduct a meeting especially at Matande centre, encouraging the Kawinga project centers to have their own maize fields for the nursery schools and provide them with fertilizers. All these were achieved except the provision of farm inputs like fertilizers.
(10)MALARIA PREVENTION PROGRAM
The project planned to visit Namakoma project in Mangochi district to learn from our fellow project on malaria prevention program so that we can implement it at matande CBO Centre. So far the place was visited and we have learned a lot but need more time and funds to carry out the program.
DETAILED REPORT
AWARENESS MEETINGS
During the period, we have conducted two big meetings with both the committee members, the youth and the parents. During one of the meetings, we had elected seven members to be looking after the activities that we are doing at the centre as follows;
• AGRICULTURE/ HORTICULTURE =MR. MANGANI (the chairman)
• YOUTH GROUP = MR.E.K. MANGANI
• TAILORING AND EMBROIDERY =MR. CHIROMBO
• BAKERY =GROUP VILLAGEHEADWOMAN MATANDE & MRS. THUNGA
• NURSERY SCHOOL = MRS. NAZOMBE
• IGA (LOAN REPAYMENT) =GROUP VILLAGE HEADWOMAN MATANDE
• CHARGING PHONES &OTHERS =MRS. L SONJERA
Each member will be monitoring his or her component and during the meeting, each member will address the house what is going on on his or her component.
IMPACT OF AWARENESS MEETINGS
• Development of ownership altitude among the members (beneficiaries)
• The development of participatory approach in plans, implementation and monitoring of the project activities are easier through these meetings.
(1) HORTICULTURE/IRRIGATION
This is to support food security through increased land productivity by promoting small and medium scale irrigation and promote marketing of horticultural crops.
On this component, we planned to weed on onions and maize fields, water the fields as well as to sell some of the maize crop. But the program has faced with a problem of water shortage as the river can no longer supply the horticulture field with water as it is completely dried up. This has affected the crop performance negatively, hence lowered the yields as the crops are drying up pre-matured. On maize, we have realized a total of k250.00 only. Part of the maize was shared among the members of the club while the other part is to be harvested and to be used for nursery school program. On onions, the crop is still too young to be harvested but badly affected by the drought.
(1.1)RAINFED CROPS
During the period, we planned to have maize fields at each centre, that is all the three centers at kawinga project and Matande centre in Zomba should have their own maize gardens so that they can feed the children own their own instead of supplying them with money or food for nursery schools. So the project has planned to provide these centers with fertilizers and maize seed, but the rest will be done by the communities themselves. This is to be done before the end of November2010.
(1.2)CASSAVA FIELD
During our last visit to Nsadi village, we discovered that the committee of Nsadi village has a cassava garden for nursery school program to support food security at the centre. We are very happy with this development.
(2)LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION
This is to ensure improved household protein intake and providing alternative source of income by facilitating access to small ruminants production.
During the period of October and November, we planned to monitor the performance of the program at Likwanya village in Machinga district. So far the animals were monitored and on Boar Goat that we distributed in the village it is growing very well and has started mating with the local female goats even though it is not yet fully grown. On offspring, a total of 9 kids of goats 3 males and 6 females were born during the period. And two more new beneficiaries were received their goats through the program. These are Mr. DINESS GARA =ONE FEMALE GOAT and MRS. ENERESS JASTEN =ONE MALE GOAT.
IMPACT OF LIVESOCK PRODUCTION
• There will be an increased number of Boar Goats in the area hence more farmers will access them through this program.
• Reduction in malnutrition cases as protein intake of the beneficiaries had improved in the Area
• Improved purchasing powers through sales of livestock, hence the money / income realized is used for buying clothes, other food stuff and other household needs. For example:
MRS. LIKWANYA sold one goat and the money realized was used for her household needs like soap and clothes for her children.
MRS.ADINI also sold her goat and bought poles for the shade as she is preparing to grow tobacco. The other part of the money realized was used for buying uniform for her child.
MRS.TUWEDI ROBERN also sold her goat and bought fertilizers, uniform for her child and other household needs.
• Khola manure is used as fertilizer, hence reducing the money to be used on buying fertilizer as a result the money is used for other household purposes.
• There will be an improved meat production through cross-breeding of the Boar as a result more meat, hence much money will be realized for household use.
(3)NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
This is to reduce environmental degradation including soil erosion, loss of soil fertility and deforestation in these villages of Nsadi and Nakutepa through Agro-forestry and afforestation.
AGRO-FORESTRY AND AFFORESTATION
The planned activities during the period were to monitor out planted trees in all the sites. So far all the sites were visited and all the trees are growing very well.
(3.1)BEE- KEEPING
During the period we visited Nsadi village where bee-keeping is taking place. The club was provided with money for bottles for bottling their honey, so far bottles were procured, but the market that they found told them that they need grass bottles and not plastic ones as they had procured. The club bottled a total of 90 bottles with honey during the period, but realized only k6,000.00 as they sold it locally.k2000.00 was used for nursery school program, while k4000.00 was banked into their account.
THEIR NEED
They need three additional beehives and good market so that they can sell their products without any problem.
EXPECTED IMPACT OF NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
• Improved soil fertility through agro-forestry, hence reduction in cost for buying fertilizers.
• Construction poles and firewood readily available in the long run, hence reduced distance covered by women in search of firewood.
• Reduction in soil and water loss in these areas and gardens planted /covered by the trees.
• Acquired skills in nursery management and establishment, training will be passed on to other members in the communities, hence expected to be used for a long period of time .
(4)ADULT LITERACY/ EDUCATION PROGRAM
This is to enhance literacy and numerical capability of adult illiterates of the communities for their better understanding of the development.
NSADI VILLAGE
Nsadi village has started the adult literacy program at its centre. The program was started on the 11thOctober 2010. And the class has 33 learners (8 men and 25 women).The centre needs exercise books, board and visitor book.
LIKWANYA VILLAGE
At likwanya, the program is going on very well as the centre was provided with learning materials like exercise books, pens and roofing material. But only 15 learners are coming for classes instead of 20 registered. The people of Likwanya centre are happy with the program and some of the learners are able to lead and write like MRS. TUWENI ROBERN and she is doing VCT and under five clinic at the centre through adult literacy program.
MATANDE CENTRE
The program has stopped not only at the centre but the whole Zomba district as the government is not able to pay for the instructors. So even if we find our own instructor and pay him, but still the learners will not write their examination because it is only the government that forms the exams. We will only do it when the government is ready .But the learners are eager to learn.
IMPACT OF ADULT LITERACY /EDUCATION PROGRAM
• Improved ability of the beneficiaries in managing and running of their small scale businesses.
• The beneficiaries be able to understand new farming technologies such as sasakawa ( one seed per planting station) which requires some mathematics .
• The beneficiaries are able to read posters with message about new farming technologies and HIV/AIDS and Gender messages hence changes their altitude /behavior positivery.
(5)CO-OPERATIVE DEVELOPMENT
This is promote the development of producers marketing ,savings and credit cooperative in order to empower rurar communities socially and economically by providing they with support to actively participating in development activities and to start up small scale business.
During the month we planned facilitate the loan repayment from the IGA group, monitor their business performances and conduct meeting with the club. So far all the activities mentioned above were accomplished. On loan repayment a total of k55050.00 has been recovered cumulatively which represent 38.8% recovery.
All in all some of these members are doing good while the others need more attention (need close supervision).
(5.1)BAKERY
During the period, the women were also involved in bakery activities. They baked burns that they sold and realized a total of k1,300.00. They sold them to the members of the club as it was the first time to the activity (it was like a training to most of them). Mrs.Thunga was the one who was facilitating the training. And we hope next time they bake more than that and they will make more money.
(5.2)CHARGING PHONES AND OTHER SOURCES OF GETTING FUNDS
During the period we had collected some amount of money from different sources like charging phones as follows;
• Selling of green maize =k250.00
• Charging phones =k400.00
• Chair hiring =k1,200.00
• Selling of 50kg of maize=k1,500.00
• Tailoring =k3,500.00
As we are approaching rain season, not many people are coming for phone charging, mending their clothes etc. They are busy buying fertilizers, seeds ready for growing season, hence we are not getting much from these activities.
EXPECTED IMPACT OF CO-OPERATIVE DEVELOPMENT
• Improved income of the members through sales of various products, hence used the cash realized in paying for household needs such as food and clothe.
• Improved group cohesion amongst the members, hence members help one another in times of problems or in times of progress.
• The acquired skills in business management by co-operative members will be passed on to their family members, hence independent communities in the long run.
• Improved purchasing power and powers to pay for casual labourers who helped them in garden work, hence good harvest and food security at household level.
(6) VOCATIONAL SCHOOL/TAILORING (CAPACITY BUILDING)
The following activities were planned for the period on this component, monitor the class performance and pay the tailoring instructor. On the performance of the class, not all are often coming for classes especially the women, they are busy with garden work, hence only four are coming instead of seven registered. Sea the table below;
NAME OF A STUDENT
GROUP
REMARKS
MR. MUSSA UMALI
YOUTH GROUP
NOT ALWAYS COMING FOR CLASSES
MISS. DORICA KHOLOWA
YOUTH GROUP
GOOD FERFORMANCE
MISS. ATHERNI MASAUKO
YOUTH GROUP
GOOD PERFORMANCE
MR.LONJEZO MALOYA
YOUTH GROUP
NOT ALWAYS COMING FOR CLASSES
MRS. JUDITH LUMENDA
COMMITTEE
NOT ALWAYS COMING (BUSY WITH GARDEN WORK)
MRS. DOROTHY NAZOMBE
COMMITTEE
GOOD PERFORMANCE
MRS. RINESS SONJERA
COMMITTEE
GOOD PERFORMANCE
On paying the instructor, the work was accomplished.
IMPACT OF VOCATIONAL SCHOOL
• Improved group cohesion amongst the members.
• Improved purchasing powers and powers to pay for casual labourers through tailoring business.
• The acquired skills in tailoring will be passed on to their family members, hence independent communities in the long run.
(7) POTABLE WATER/ SHALLOW WELL
This is to provide the communities with access to potable water in the project area.
During the period, we planned to monitor the performance of the program at Nakutepa village in Machinga district. So far the center was visited but the inner pipe that is to be procured can not be found in the Area, so we have planned to visit water department may be they can have these pipes. We have assigned the chairman for the water committee to do the job.
IMPACT OF PORTABLE WATER
• Reduction in distances covered by the women in fetching water, hence the tme saved is used in carrying out some beneficial activities in their homes.
• Reduction in cases /incidences of water-born diseases such as diarrhoea and dysentery/cholera, hence people are health and able to carry out various development activities.
(8)YOUTH CLUB (EXPANDED HIV/AIDS COMMUNICATION)
This aimed at promoting behavior change through effective communication.
The main activity under this component during the period was the monitoring of the youth group as it was travelling from village to village promoting behavior change among the people of the surrounding villages. Another activity was to facilitate the youth club as a group is choosing an IGA activity to be carried out at the center so that the group can generate funds own its own. The proposed business to be carried out by this group is T/Shirt printing. First of all we will buy our own T/Shirts and print them as our uniform so that people sea what we are doing at the center. We will print T/Shirts for the youth and the committee.
(9) ORPHAN &VULNERABLE CHILDREN CARE /NURSERY SCHOOL
The following activities were planned for the period on this component, monitor the class performance both at kawinga and matande centers. So far we have planned to have our own maize gardens one at each center so that we can use the harvest for nursery school program. All the three centers at kawinga project have already found their gardens and they are only waiting for inputs like fertilizers and maize seed to be provided by the project. This is only best way of reducing costs on this program in both centers as sometimes they even fail to contribute money for buying maize and other items for this program. People are happy with the program and the money for inputs will be provided very soon ( by the end of this month of November).
(10) MALARIA PREVENTION PROGRAM
This is a new program to be implemented at the Matande CBO Center.During the period we visited Namakoma project which is doing this program so that we can learn from them. The program is very good and we are eager t implement it at the center, but the only problem is that, the program needs baseline survey before distribution of the nets and the survey is conducted by two people per household which will need more people to carry out the survey, hence will need more money only for the survey. And the survey is supposed to be conducted by the Namakoma team which will cost a lot. And on distribution of Nets, it depends on number of people living in that house, for example, if they are six people in a house it means that we should distribute three nets one for two people which will also costly. A net is at about k850.00 to k900.00. The nets also need to be sprayed before distributed. So we will do it when we will have enough money for the program. On impact of the program at Namakoma , the project co-ordinator Mr. Harry Komwa told us the following points
• Few people are suffering from malaria in the Area unlike before .
• They started with one village but now they have covered four villages as you can sea below;
(1)CHIZUULA 1&2 =1200 PEOPLE
(2)NANGOMA =847 PEOPLE
(3)MBWADZULU =1324PEOPLE
Namaso Bay village is underway as survey was already done and they have remained with distribution of nets.
(11) FINANCIAL REPORT
The following is what we have produced and spent during the period of October and November 2010
both at Matande CBO and Kawinga project Area in Machinga district.
TOTAL EXPENDITURE for September K117,365.00
NB All the money indicated (local collection) is from all the IGAs taking place at the center including from repayment of loan by the IGA group.
All the money that was banked was not added to the expenditure on the expenditure side.
THE BANK BALANCE AS OF 20/11/10 IS =K707,378.37
CHALLENGES
• On horticultural program, we have lost some money on this due to shortage of water supply to the site,(maize and onions were suffered a lot ,hence low income).
• On adult literacy, the government has stopped implementing the program due to financial problem so even if we continue with it, our learners will not write their examination because it is only the government that forms examination for these learners.
• On IGA activities, as we are now in rain season, most of the farmers are busy in their gardens , hence only few are coming for mending their clothes and charging their phones and so we are generating few amount at the center on this program.
• When we were coming from Namaoma we had a problem with our car as gear 4 and 5 were not able to be operated (used) so need to be serviced before visiting Kawinga project to distribute farm inputs.
• At Matande center, the field that we used last growing season for k2,500.00 has now increased to k4,000.00 so we have decided to leave it because we can not produce more than 6 bags from that field so it will be a loss for us.
• During the period, we had a problem with our laptop, it had with viruses so we were not able to write any report and all the reports that were in it were erased. But the problem has now finally solved.
YOURS FAITHFULLY,
BAZWELL MAKANDA
PROJECT MANAGER FOR ZIKOMO PROJECTS (KAWINGA &MATANDE)
