By George Mponda
In the mountainous, secluded border area of Mwaisondola Village, under Senior Chief Mwakaboko in Karonga, a group of hardworking men and women are proving to be a shining light of what community empowerment means.
Known as the Kapembe Cluster, a 32-member group comprising participants in the World Bank-funded Climate Smart Enhanced Public Works Programme (CSEPWP) has turned into thriving entrepreneurs, producing soap, banana wine, Mbeya fertiliser, and rice for sale.
Formed in 2023, the Kapembe Cluster began as a Village Savings and Loan (VSL) group, contributing small amounts of money to support one another financially.
Their turning point came when Community Development Assistant (CDA) for Senior Chief Mwakabokos area, Francis Buleya introduced them to the Community Savings and Investment Promotion (COMSIP) initiative.“I saw a hardworking team that only needed direction, so I encouraged them to save part of their monthly wages from the Climate Smart programme and invest in something that would continue benefiting them even after the public works ended,” said Buleya.
“Through COMSIP, they realised that their wages could become capital for real business,” he added.
Chairperson for Kapembe Cluster, Ackim Linda explained that when they were introduced to COMSIP, each of the 32 members contributed K35,000, which they used to buy soap and wine-making equipment.
“Our CDA trained us in soap production, and through COMSIP, we have also been trained in business management, and one of our members was sent to Magomero for training in value addition,” said Mwakiyanjala.
The group is producing soap sold at 10,000 Tanzanian shillings (about K17,000) per bar, and banana wine bottled in 300ml containers, each going for 15,000 shillings.
Their wine is made from locally grown bananas, both from the members own gardens and from surrounding farmers in the area, where banana farming is widespread.
“Banana farming is part of our identity here, so it made sense to start a business that uses what we already have in abundance. We are turning our own produce into value-added products that people can buy and use,” said Linda.
Mwaisondola Village lies near the border with Tanzania, where poor phone network coverage forces many locals to use Tanzanian SIM cards. The proximity also influences their trade practices.
“Most of our sales are in Tanzanian shillings because its easier to transact. People use Tanzanian mobile money services since Malawian networks rarely work here,” the chairperson explained.
Beyond soap and wine, Kapembe Cluster is also producing Mbeya organic fertiliser and farming rice for commercial sale. They aim to become a registered cooperative under the Ministry of Trade, which would enable them to access larger markets, business loans, and training opportunities.According to Linda, their next plan is to acquire a blender to start producing banana juice and to convert a storage facility built under the Agricultural Commercialisation (AGCOM) project into a cold room for preserving perishable products like juice and wine.
District Programme Facilitator for CS-EPWP, Austin Kafere, said Karonga has over 15,000 participants under the Climate Smart Enhanced Public Works Programme, each receiving K48,500 after 30 working days.
“The main goal of the Climate Smart programme is not only to provide wages but to help participants create sustainable livelihoods. When participants like those in Kapembe Cluster invest their earnings into viable enterprises, it uplifts their lives, strengthens community resilience, and achieves the programmes purpose. “said Kafere.
On her part, COMSIP District Coordinator for Karonga, Eliza Mwakilama, said there are 336 clusters across the district who are supported under COMSIP.
“We assess Village Savings and Loan groups, and once they qualify, they are recommended to start receiving packages under COMSIP. For Kapembe Cluster, after they qualified, COMSIP sent a community facilitator from among them who was mentored in value addition. The group then chose soap and wine making, which has turned out to be a promising enterprise.” explained Mwakilama.
“Members gain access to financial literacy, business management skills, and opportunities for value addition. They learn to save, invest, and run profitable ventures and Kapembe Cluster has proven that with the right guidance, communities can move from dependency to self-sufficiency,” she said.
