M’BWEZERA CHILENGEDWE IMPROVING COMMUNITIES LIVELIHOOD IN DOWA
Communities of Chankhungu and Kasunza catchment areas in Dowa district have described the climate-smart enhanced public works program as a catalyst for transforming rural communities’ economic status.
Speaking during a media tour, Christina Chigeza of the Chankhungu catchment area revealed that she was living a hopeless life before enlisting her as a participant in the climate-smart enhanced public works program.
She says through the program she is always assured of settling bills as they are paid after working for a while.
“Am a widow but I can provide needs to my children through the climate-smart enhanced public works,” explained Chigeza.
On conserving the environment, Chigeza says there were some farming fields that community members had stopped cultivating as the soil was degraded but interventions undertaken under the program have made the farmers return to their land for farming.
“With the climate-smart enhanced public works interventions we are now able to cultivate on farming fields that we had abandoned and we can harvest bumper yields,” said Chigeza.
Yiwalani tsamba Katundu concurred with Chigeza saying the program has managed to enhance efforts of afforestation and sustain livelihood in their community.
Katundu says under the program they have successfully made fire breaks and allowed natural trees to regenerate in hills found in their communities.
“We commend chiefs who have been steadfast in leading by example by developing and enforcing by-laws meant to protect trees in our hills,” added Katundu.
On his part, Mosiwadi Sikayenela of the Kasunza catchment area could not hide his excitement with the news that this season they will be having the exercise in a continuous cycle.
“We are pleased with the news that we will be doing the exercise in a continuous cycle as the past arrangement of having breaks during the season was negatively affecting our efforts of covering a large area,” explained Sikayenela.
Tammerson Mhone Dowa district climate-smart enhanced public works program desk officer commended the program’s participants in the district for their continued efforts to meet the program’s primary objectives.
Mhone says that with the new arrangement of working continuously the community members will be working 10 days as communal work and the remaining 20 days of the month as paid days.
“The new arrangement will necessitate sustainable livelihood as they will be earning more money than the past arrangement,” explained Mhone.
The Climate Smart enhanced public works program has 23 catchment areas in Dowa district with 23,436 participants. Through the program, the participants are conserving water and soil by among others planting trees and promoting natural tree regeneration, making fire breaks, digging infiltration pits, making stone bands, and gully reclamation.
