On 12 May 2026, the Friends of Lake Chilwa Initiative by Happy Mbewe conducted a practical training on backyard gardening at GVH Masinde, Senior Chief Mlomba, Machinga, Malawi. The session brought together 7 participants, including 5 women and 2 men, with a focus on strengthening household health, nutrition and climate resilience.

The training equipped lead mothers with practical skills that they could share with other mothers in their respective communities. Participants explored fruit production, small livestock keeping and organic manure making, with an emphasis on food production practices that can support households while reducing pressure on the environment.

A key outcome of the training was the commitment for each lead mother to establish a demonstration backyard garden together with the mothers in her respective cluster. The initiative is continuing to follow up on these demonstration gardens as the knowledge and practices are taken from training into households and communities.