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Community rebuilds bridge, transforms lives in Machinjiri, Zomba

Zomba, Malawi - A community in Traditional Authority Machinjiri is celebrating a significant transformation, to a locally-driven environmental initiative that has not only restored a critical bridge but also brought hope, health and economic empowerment to its residents.

For years, the residents of Machinjiri in Zomba struggled with poor access to essential services due to the collapse of a key bridge. During the rainy season, life would come to a standstill, children could not attend school, businesses suffered and women found it nearly impossible to access medical care.

“We could not cross this bridge during the rainy season. I am able to carry my business to Chinamwali Trading Centre now, life was difficult. Children failed to go to school, women were failing to access medical care, there was no bridge for them to use,” shared Kumbukani Daisi, a local resident. “Then we saw that members from Machinjiri Village Natural Resources Committee were rehabilitating our bridge and for that, as a community, we are grateful.”

This turnaround is part of the Biodiversity protection and resilience project being implemented along Lake Chilwa with support from Jersey Overseas Aid (JOA), Scottish international Aid Fund (SCIAF), through Trocaire. The Machinjiri Village Natural Resources Management Committee (VNRMC), composed of 15 members, has spearheaded multiple environmental restoration efforts, including planting trees and constructing check dams to fight soil erosion.

As part of the project’s incentive model, the committee received beehives for honey production. This initiative proved fruitful the group earned over 1.7 million Malawi Kwacha from honey sales since last year. A portion of this money was deposited in the bank, while the rest was used to launch a Village Savings and Loans (VSL) group and rebuild the much-needed community bridge.

Among the committee members is Bertha Daglaus, a mother of six, who spoke with emotion about how the project has touched her family on a personal level.

“I had a child with ulcers and school was very hard for her since she was getting sick frequently. Getting medical help was a bit difficult for me. I just decided to be giving her honey and it worked. My child was able to attend school without getting sick, and I’m so grateful,” said Daglaus, smiling.

She added that the bridge reconstruction was a group decision driven by the hardships they witnessed in their community.

“As a group, we also reconstructed the bridge. We saw it necessary to do because kids and women used to face challenges accessing basic needs due to transportation issues, the bridge has hugely benefited children and women. It was hard to cross during the rainy season. Now children can cross without difficulties others were even failing to go to school. Accessing health facilities was a challenge for the kids and women; now they are able to access those facilities without difficulty.” she said.

Looking ahead, the group plans to withdraw some of their savings in December to invest further in farming and expand their VSL operations. They also have a strong focus on giving back.

“We will use the money to buy uniforms for needy students at Lifani Primary School and provide food for the elderly. We are even thinking of rebuilding houses for the vulnerable,” Daglaus concluded.

We are implementing the project in partnership with Civil Society Network on Climate Change and Center for International Forestry Research-ICRAF

This story of self-driven development and resilience in Machinjiri stands as a powerful testament to what communities can achieve when empowered with the right tools and support.