By Steve Chirombo
Government has commended Opportunity International Malawi (OIM) for launching a project aimed at strengthening the resilience of rural communities against economic and climate-related shocks.
Speaking during the launch of the Resilient Rural Economies and Livelihoods in Malawi Project in Dedza on Tuesday, Director of Administration in the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation, Water and Development, Spiwe Msiska, said the initiative is timely given the growing climate and economic challenges affecting rural communities.
“This new project is both timely and strategic as it seeks to strengthen livelihoods and build resilience among rural communities,” Msiska said.
She said the project aligns with Malawi Vision 2063 and the National Agriculture Policy, as it focuses on improving agricultural productivity, strengthening resilience and promoting inclusive economic growth.
Msiska added that the initiative will also promote access to affordable finance, climate-smart agriculture and sustainable land management practices, including soil and water conservation.
“Climate change is no longer a distant threat; it is already affecting us. Equipping farmers with the right knowledge and tools is essential,” she said.Country Director for OIM, Richard Chongo, said the project aims to strengthen rural economies by working with smallholder farmers through Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLAs) and cooperatives to improve resilience and productivity.
He said the organisation is also promoting access to financial services through banks and microfinance institutions to support rural communities.
“Most of the smallholder farmers that we work with have received a lot of financial services from these financial institutions. We see affordable financing into the rural areas, and the smallholder farmers have managed to finance their households and their agricultural input through these services,” Chongo said.
Director of Programmes at Opportunity InternationalUK, Lydia Baffour Awuah, said the project prioritises women, youth and persons with disabilities. She thanked government implementing partners for technical support and Jersey Overseas Aid (JOA) for funding the initiative.
One of the beneficiaries, Chrissy Nkuta from Kapichira Village Development Committee (VDC) in Traditional Authority (TA) Chilikumwendo, said participation in Village Savings and Loans Associations has improved her livelihood.
She said she has been able to acquire livestock, improve her farm yields and support her childs education.
The three-year project, running from November 2025 to October 2028, is expected to support 2,000 Village Savings and Loans Associations and benefit about 30,000 low-income households, translating to nearly 120,000 people in Dedza, Dowa, Zomba and Chikwawa districts.
