Watson Mnyimbiri of Zengera Njara Village in Chief Wasambo’s area ,Karonga, Malawi will never forget the days Every Home for Christ decided to help farmers start fish farming in their areas.
“It was like a dream. We were told that others have benefited from this farming and we wanted it as well he said.
He said in an interview ,the construction of the dam has completely changed their focus saying it will facilitate other projects.
“It is really true we wanted fish but in additional to that we also wanted chickens .The chicken droppings will then be food for the fish. This is killing two birds with one stone,” he said.
Interestingly, Government has had the Fisheries Department for many years. However, has been unable to reach the rural because among others,lack of enough personell who can visit areas like Zengera Njara village.
According to a United Nations Development Programme in 2002, Malawi, which is among the bottom 10 most poor counties in the world, was poorer than ten years ago.
Thanks to the new government ushered in 2004, things have started changing ,but at a slow pace.
One of the fish ponds farmers have dug
Unless Non Governmental organizations join government in their efforts to make people self reliant on food the nutritional status among children, much hit by any disaster, will worsen in the next ten years.
It is these indications that have made non governmental organizations like Every Home for Christ to diversify their efforts and venture into fish farming.
According to Eliza Sanga, fish has helped them to get reliable relish saying at first they only relied on cassava leaves commonly known as chigwada in their area .
She said they are now able to sell the fish raising income in the process.
“Of course we have a problem of wate whci can sweep clean some of the fish.However government ,complementing Every Home of Christ efforts is building a channel upland to control water which means we will have stable water level now,” she said.
Program Manager of the Every Home for Christ in the area Winford Gondwe said in an interview while visiting his area the fish farming has enabled people living far from Lake Malawi get fish for food and for sale.
He said farmers get not less than K10,000( nearly 72 American dollars) every season adding that in some instances they harvest more and get more money.
He said farmers are encouraged to plant fruit trees along the dams to utilize moisture as well as to start chicken farming.
Every Home for Christ which is involved in food security program started the fish farming after farmers requested the program.
The program , which started in 2003 has over 13 farmers. The number will increase as more and more farmers get interested .
Symon Msowoya, Director of the organization said in an interview his organization will continue working with people in the catchment area to uplift their living standards.
He said the research by his organization has shown that more people are getting interested in their food security program .
Research by many international organizations in Africa reveal that people lack proteins, especially those living far from rivers and lakes
This will be a problem of the past if non governmental organizations come into full force to help people to establish dams and ponds for fish faming.
Speaking in an interview the District Agricultural Officer for Karonga Lexter Munthali said in an interview Every Home for Christ(EHC) is complementing government efforts in alleviating suffering of people in Southern Karonga.
He said the organization gives farmers farm inputs and other implements which government is unable to give.
Munthali said EHC is also encouraging farmers to start growing cotton which many farmers abandoned may years ago.