• Alice  Kumunda

Ronney Chibisa, secures daughter`s education through ECRIF project.

Ronney Chibisa, a single mother of four from Group Village Head (GVH) Phimbi in Traditional Authority Nkaya, Balaka, is embracing a new chapter of financial independence and hope. Through the Enhancing Climate Resilience for Improved Income and Food Security (ECRIF) project, Ronney has transformed her farming skills and improved her family`s livelihood. For the first time, she is now able to pay school fees for her daughter at Njerenje Community Day Secondary School.

Ronney`s journey is inspiring. As a single parent, she has faced significant challenges supporting her children, especially in feeding her family and affording secondary school fees. With limited resources beyond the small field she inherited from her parents, Ronney worked tirelessly each season to ensure her household`s food security. However, by mid-year, she often found herself struggling to make ends meet.

This year, her community recognized her dedication and selected her as a lead farmer. Through the ECRIF project, Ronney attended intensive training sessions where she learnt advanced techniques in climate-resilient farming. She adopted mulching and intercropping methods to maximize productivity, planting beans alongside maize on her quarter-acre plot. The practices improved soil fertility and moisture retention, leading to a successful harvest.

Through her hard work, Ronney earned MK35,000 from her bean crop, allowing her to pay for her daughter`s school fees, while the maize harvest secured food for her family. Reflecting on the impact, she added, "This happened because the project constructed a shallow well in our scheme. With easy access to water, I could irrigate my crops effectively".

Ronney`s story demonstrates the transformative power of climate-smart agriculture and the critical role of local empowerment in securing a brighter future for Malawian families. As she continues to prepare her fields for the rainy season, Ronney is not only feeding her family but also nurturing her dreams and inspiring her community.

We are implementing the ECRIF project in Traditional Authority Nkaya, Balaka district with support from the Canadian Food Grains Bank through the Presbyterian World Service and Development.