Page 34 - WATER SECTOR MAGAZINE VOLUME 3

EAGLES RELIEF AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME:

ENHANCING COMMUNITY FOOD RESILIENCE

By STAFF WRITER in GVH Fombe under Traditional “We now have a fully functional
Authority Kasisi in Chikwawa. irrigation scheme. Just after the first

Most of the world’s poor live in rural harvest, people harvested more than
areas. Hunger and food insecurity GVH Fombe explained that the they could have harvested without the
above all are mostly the expressions of time the area had no solar powered scheme. People are now happy in the
rural poverty. Interventions that will irrigation scheme, life was challenging villages because now they have food,
ultimately reduce rural poverty by for most households which were even as a chief settling of household
addressing issues of food security are persistently faced with hunger. disputes has greatly reduced in my
embraced and cherished by people in area. People are now busy working
the rural community. “The elderly, people with disability at the scheme, thereby avoiding
and HIV positive people were at high indulging in unproductive activities
Villages in Group Village Headman risk due to lack of food. When I move like alcohol andtheft,” said the Group
(GVH) Fombe have a total of 2,026 around the villages, I could see people Village Headman.
households with a total population who were unhappy and even their
of over 10,000 people and the skin was not looking good due to lack However, GVH Fombe said the
transformation story in this area of proper food,” he said. big challenge now is that only 210
highlights how addressing issues households are direct beneficiaries
of food can bring untold change in Mthumba irrigation scheme is indeed of the scheme against the 2,026
people’s lives. a beacon of hope for the people households. Nevertheless, he said the
as now different crops are grown scheme has tremendously improved
Since Eagles Relief and Development at the scheme. The crops include all aspects of the living condition of
Programme under Enhancing maize, potatoes, beans, cow peas and the people and has enhanced unity
Community Resilience Programme pumpkin leaves. in the area as people from different
initiated a solar powered irrigation villages and background are able to
scheme at Mthumba in the area, lives GVH Fombe said since the start of work together.
of many households have improved feasibility studies for the scheme, the
as the scheme has led to increased villagers had high expectations as they “We are one under the scheme. This is
harvests and change food situation in waited patiently for the dream project what will bring a lasting change to the
most of the households. that they knew would transform their people of my area and we are thankful
lives. for this gift,” added GVH Fombe.
The irrigation scheme is situated
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