SCRALA GOAT INITIATIVE CUSHIONS DROUGHT IMPACT IN NYIMBA

By Josiah Mpofu

“I wonder how my survival could have been this year 2024, had it not been for the goat initiative from the Strengthening Climate Resilience of Agricultural Livelihoods in Agro-Ecological Regions I and II (SCRALA) project. The dry spells ravaged all my crops including groundnuts, maize and soya beans leaving me without nothing to harvest,” elucidated Mtheza Phiri.

Mtheza Phiri is a farmer from Miliasi Village under Luamba agricultural Camp in Nyimba district of Eastern Province who is among those benefitting from SCRALA’s interventions.

Ms Phiri who was empowered with five goats, one male and four females, is a single mother of six children and the only provider of her family.

Ms Phiri noted that she was given the goats in2020 after undergoing some training in 2019 on the best practices of goats rearing among them feeding, administering of medicine and provision of shelter.

She explained that she was able to multiply her goats to 20 from the five she had received, adding that she later passed on five goats to the next beneficiary.

Ms Phiri said she never knew the importance of goats in providing alternative livelihood as it was her first time to engage in goat production.

She stated that as a single mother she only concentrated on growing crops such as maize, soya beans and groundnuts which used to provide food for her family directly.

Ms Phiri indicated that her life has never been the same since she engaged in goat production as she is now able to take her children to school and feed her family without any difficulties.

“Previously before the interventions by SCRALA, I used to depend on growing crops such as maize, soya beans and groundnuts which if in certain seasons does not do well forced me to go in other people’s already harvested maize field to search for maize. The maize I would manage to gather enabled me to take it to the hammer mill for processing into mealie meal so that I provide Nshima for my family,” indicated Ms Phiri.

Ms Phiri 54, said the goat venture has alleviated poverty in her home despite the dry spells experienced in the 2023/2024 farming season as she is now able to sell her goats and buy maize under the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) community sales program.

She said had it not been for the goat venture she would have been suffering by now like other farmers as the dry spells left farmers in the district with no food as all crops wilted.

She added that through the goat venture she also managed to buy other small ruminant such as chickens and ducks in order to diversify her business.

Ms Phiri said the initiative from SCRALA has not only lifted her livelihood but also helped her boost her gardening venture as she was using the manure from the goats to increase vegetable production.

And Dina Mweenda of Muchimaza agricultural camp in Nyimba district also shares the similar success just like that of Mtheza Phiri.

Ms Mweenda a window also received five goats, one male and four females has since increased the goats to 32 after passing on the five to other beneficiaries.

She thanked the project for empowering her with the goats which have totally transformed her livelihood thereby uplifting the living standard of her household.

Ms Mweenda said the goat’s empowerment programme through has helped to take her child to college and ensuring that there is no hunger in the house.

She explained that previously before the programme she used to face challenges to feed her children as well as taking them to school because she didn’t have an alternative source in situations of crop failure.

Ms Mweenda stated that since she engaged in goat business all her challenges are no longer there anymore as she was now able to contribute towards the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) in order for her to collect farming inputs.

“Before the goat empowerment programme I used to face a lot of challenges to feed my children and take them to school because I didn’t have an alternative source of income in situations of crop failure. Now that I have been empowered with goats by SCRALA I don’t have challenges any more as I find it easy to contribute towards the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) for me to access my farming inputs,” indicated Ms Mweenda.

Meanwhile, Nyimba district Agricultural oordinator Mwaaba Lubasi disclosed that over 4,800 goats where distributed in the district empowering more than 350 farmers that are now reaping the benefits of rearing goats.

He said most farmers in the district are now considering to venture in goat rearing because they have seen the benefits.

Mr Lubasi said his office has been engaging with farmers to ensure that the pass on programme continues even after the end of the projects cycle.

SCRALA is a project which is being Implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture, with funding from the Green Climate Fund (GCF)and supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The programme seeks to help vulnerable smallholder farmers such as women, the youth andpersons with disabilities hence ending poverty and enhancing their social protection.

NAIS

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