A consortium of three Norwegian organisations has commenced the Sustainable Food Systems for Rural Agriculture Transformation and Resilience (TRANSFORM) project in Malawi.
At least 180,000 agriculture-dependent rural households are expected to benefit from the project in five districts – Dowa, Mchinji, Kasungu, Mzimba and Rumphi.
The MWK5.6 billion programme, being coordinated by the Development Fund of Norway (DF), Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) and Norwegian University for Life Sciences (NMBU), seeks to address underlying challenges by strengthening local food systems in 22 selected Extension Planning Areas (EPAs).
The TRANSFORM programme Manager, Phillip Tegha, said that the intervention will improve food and nutrition security, resilience to climate change and increase income among agriculture-dependent rural households.
He also said that the objective of the training in digital storytelling is to provide digital equipment to people who want to tell their stories.
‘This is done through pictures showing before and after the impact/change’, he said.
‘It can also be through a short video that can be taken once or twice a day by the storyteller.
‘The digital storytelling is here to compliment/enhance the current analogue story telling that is in use’.
Also, the Vice Chancellor of LUANAR, Professor George Phiri, said that the TRANSFORM programme was a game changer in the agriculture sector.
He disclosed that the programme will produce a number of outcomes, including evidence-based and innovative methodologies for climate resilience and agricultural transformation.
Phiri said, ‘We also expect increased productivity, production and diversification of climate adaptive agriculture; increased consumption of nutritious and diverse food; increased resilience to climate change at the household and community level; improved profitable market access and entrepreneurship; improved social integration and gender equality and improved policy and regulatory environment for agriculture and climate resilience’.
Source: Nyasa Times
Photo source: Ipinz
