ByAs the rainy season approaches, communities in Mzimba district are confident of a successful agricultural season due to availability of fertilizer, thanks to COMSIP groups.
For instance a 55 year old Deliby Mvula, is a member of COMSIP Green Light group under Chiputa catchment in Inkosi Nzukuzuku, Mzimba district. Mvula told MIJ Online that since joining COMSIP this year she was able to serve money and managed to purchase two bags of fertilizer worth K130,000.00
Mvula who is a widow raising her five children, said her life has transformed as she is now able to provide for her family through various business activities and servings she is involved in through the union.
“Since joining COMSIP this year I have managed to save enough money to purchase three more bags of fertilizer to make it five bags. Currently I have more than K200,000.00 in servings and with the skills I have learned I plan to work hard on my businesses and I am planning to buy a Sienta car by 2025,’ said Mvula.
Another member Getrude Shawa from Group Village Head Chikuta, in Mzimba said she is now able to realize more yields from a small piece of farmland due to application of Mbeya fertilizer which she learned how to make from COMSIP group.
“After joining COMSIP I used part of the money I was receiving from land conservation work I am doing under Chiputa catchment to save, then I took a loan of K15,000.00 from the group to start a business selling tomatoes and onions. I made K25,000.00 from the business and kept going until I used some of the money to purchase two basins of fertilizer which I used to make a 50 kg bag of Mbeya fertilizer.
Now am hopeful for a productive agricultural season because I know that with a small amount of money i am able to make Mbeya fertilizer and plant a large piece of land since I am not a beneficiary of the AIP (Affordable Inputs Program),” said Shawa.
Meanwhile Bongani Mopho-Jere, Caseworker for COMSIP Cooperative Union responsible for Chiputa, Thundwe and Waluwa catchments said there has been great transformation among communities benefitting from the Climate Smart Enhanced Public Works Programme-CS-EPWP who are into COMSIP groups.
According to Mopho-Jere, the three catchments have over 900 members in COMSIP groups who are involved in various economic activities such as livestock production, agriculture and small-scale businesses
“Those benefitting from the CS-EPWP program are not beneficiaries of the AIP program therefore we encourage them to do purposive saving and we are excited to see that many of them have managed to purchase fertilizer ahead of the rainy season through their savings,” said Jere
Inkosi Mzukuzuku of Mzimba-has since hailed COMSIP for transforming the lives of his community members by addressing poverty and food insecurity challenges.
COMSIP Cooperating Union is implementing a livelihood program targeting beneficiaries of the Climate Smart Enhanced Public Works Programme with skills on business management, savings and investment culture in order to build resilience.
The program is a subcomponent in the Social Support for Resilient Livelihoods Project (SSRLP) targeting 435,000 ultra-poor households in all 28 districts, with 12, 952 households participating in the program in Mzimba alone.