During the week of November 17, 2022, Happy Mwabe, representative from Malawi, had changed to a  different genre so that they can also see how they are progressing in other branches. They shared the progress of the afforestation program—the tree seedlings nursery  raising which is also doing adorably well. However, we are still going to keep this for next week! Another village had organized itself into  a farmer organization and they needed me to facilitate the making of the popular ‘Mbeya’ organic fertilizer in their village too. They are inspired by the good news from other villages  where we have facilitated the same, previously.

Therefore, this week’s activity report is still based on this running activity- Agroecology. We wish to state a few points as to why my farmers are in dare demand of organic farming now.

• Synthetic fertilizer prices have tripled this year alone. Farmers are embracing  agroecology as a cheap and sustainable farming system
• The government’s farm inputs subsidy program for the poor farmers has slashed  the number of beneficiaries by 50%. The farmers are seeing agroecology as the only way through.
• Farmers have realized that their farming systems were ‘hacked’ and this has made them  poorer and desperate. Farmers have realized that it is not OK that everything about their  farming be coming from the factory stores, organizations, or government. It seems  there’s a silent revolution of ‘decolonizing’ agriculture and bringing it back to the  community which is safer. Agroecology principles are giving them that hope.
• COVID-19 has taught Malawi farmers that community-based agriculture and food  production systems are the best. Farmers find this security in agroecology principles. • The other big reason is also that the rain season is here. Farmers need more agriculture  extension services than before.

Whichever way, to us as an activist, is a win-win situation. The conducive time for  consolidating climate actions has created itself!

Activity one

On November 17 2022, for the project the making of Mbeya organic fertilizer took place in Mataka Village, Machinga, Malawi

Stakeholders involved : [1] Traditional chiefs [2] Faith communities [3] Youth organizations [4] Farmer organizations
Partners involved: Access agriculture
Direct impacted population: 12 [9 female, 3 male]
Indirect impacted population: 120

Objectives attained:  

• Assisted the farmers on the processes for making compost manure  using farm and home wastes
• Farmers understood the advantages of organic fertilizers over the inorganic fertilizers.

Conclusion 

It is becoming quite simple to organize a climate action with the communities these days. It  seems everyone is concerned with the unnatural certainties going around. Although they seem  to have no answer at hand, they are very keen to learn from anyone who claims to have known  the answer. When you find that ready mindset already available, You are really lucky!