CIH Trains Dzaleka Refugees in Button Mushroom Production Courtesy of Churches in Action Relief and Development (CARD)
21 JANUARY 2021CARD with support from UNHCR is implementing a button mushroom production project whose goal is to economically empower refugees at Dzaleka camp and native Malawians living around the camp through button mushroom production and sales. In order to build the capacity of the group and impart skills in button mushroom production, CARD engaged CIH to facilitate a comprehensive, ATVET based and complete production cycle training in button mushroom production. The relevance of the training was that button mushroom production is not commonly practiced in the country hence the project beneficiary group required a complete hand-on training package to enable them successfully produce the mushrooms.
CIH engaged the beneficiary group of 10 members and 7 Project Coaches of CARD in the training from 27th December 2020. Since the beginning of the training, we led the group into a compete button mushroom production planning process, facilitated procurement of equipment and materials for mushroom production unit construction, compost making, spawn and all other accessory project equipment and materials. We then led the group in constructing a mushroom production house, compost making, spawning and management of a fruiting house for button mushroom for increased productivity
All the way to the end, skills for button mushroom production were imparted. The group is happily managing their mushroom house while harvesting clean button mushroom which they sell to different shops in Lilongwe and individual customers around Dzaleka camp.
At the end of the training, the group expressed gratitude to CIH for their professional technical approach drilling them in button mushroom which is technically considered as difficult to produce. The group recognized the commitment of CIH facilitators in taking it through the entire process of producing button mushroom production. These lessons are very helpful, they will enable this group to successfully produce the scarce and highly paying button mushrooms, echoed the group chairperson.
CARD management also expressed satisfaction in the way CIH facilitated the training. The success of the training can be seen already. We would like to thank our facilitators for the well job done empowering our group with skills in button mushroom production. We are very confident that our group will ably produce button mushroom and increase their household earnings and income, sounded CARD’s Projects Coordinator.
Ministry of Agriculture’s Extension Workers Drilled in Mango Production
20 NOVEMBER 2020The growing population in the country is automatically pressing for an up thrust in the production of various food products especially fruits which are already in short supply but also have multiple benefits nutritionally and environmental integrity. Of the fruits produced in the country, mangoes are the widest produced and consumed. Nonetheless, most farmers have local mango trees which are old, produce little with overwhelming seasonality and have heavy infestation of pests and diseases because they are left to grow under self-care just like natural forest trees.
When increasing productivity of mangoes was thought of by the Ministry of Agriculture, it became paramount that a swift migration to have more farmers planting improved mango varieties either through panting new trees of rejuvenating and top-working improved varieties on the old existing trees, training extension staff in mango production who will work with the farmers were vital. Extension workers needed to acquire skills in the entire process of mango production. To this effect, the Ministry of Agriculture engaged CIH to facilitate a week long training in mango production in Salima district at Salima ADD offices. The training drew 25 participants who included AEDOs, AEDCs, District Horticulture Officers, District Crop Officers and Crop officers from Karonga, and Salima ADDs.
CIH developed a training manual, a training calendar and facilitated a training which covered site selection for mango production, conducting field surveys, soil analysis and land preparation procedure for a mango field; carrying out field layout, digging planting holes, hole curing, hole filling, planting, staking, irrigation and water management, training and pruning of mango trees, mulching, top working, fruit thinning, fertilizer program for mangoes, pest an disease management, harvesting, transportation, packaging and marketing of mangoes.
Using our ATVET session, the participants went through a comprehensive and tight hands-on training week and practiced many of the concepts presented to them during the training such as top-working, training and pruning, staking, mulching and fertilizer application. Graduating the participants, Dickson Banda the company’s Managing Director challenged participants to go and utilize the knowledge and skill acquired from the training in the implementation of the activities of the project in their different sites. KULIMA is a GIZ funded project whose other goal amongst others is to increase production of mangoes in the country.
Closing the training, the Deputy Director of Agriculture in the Ministry, Eviness Nyalugwe thanked CIH for the great facilitation and also thanked all the participants for their dedication throughout the training that saw the training a bug success. She expressed optimism that all participants during the training will be able to utilize the knowledge and skills to help farmer in their project site successfully set up mango fields and produce quality mangoes in the next few years.
Salima Central Constituency Mp Sponsors 30 Youth To Undergo A Training In Horticulture
18 May 2020Salima Central Constituency Parliamentarian Gerald Phiri through his brain child project “Youth and Women Empowerment Project” running in his constituency sponsored 30 youth to undergo a short training course in horticulture at CIH training centre. The 30 youth, 17 female and 13 males were of the age range of 19-27 years identified from different locations in the constituency. Through the project, the parliamentarian aims to impart skills to young people thereby giving them an opportunity to generate income for their living, employ themselves and even employ others through small and medium scale horticulture ventures.
Malawi is an agrarian based country and our economy is agriculture based. For a long time the country has sidelined agriculture as a formal employment sector positioning it as a cultural activity. Even when it comes it vocational training, agriculture has for long not been included. We are happy now that institutions and companies such as CIH have come in to offer serious vocational training in agriculture. Through the training, the youth in my constituency has acquired practical skills in the professional growing of fruits vegetables as well as setting up of commercial nursery units.
During the training, CIH using ATVET and CBTA based training approaches engaged the 30 youths in +Fruit orchard establishment and management +Commercial Fruit Tree Nursery Establishment, Propagation and Management +Commercial Vegetable Production +Spices and herbs production
The parliamentarian through the CDF funds sponsored the 30 youth into a program that run for 3 months. It is expected that more youth from the constituency will be supported to undergo the training as the Youth and Empowerment Program runs until 2024. The MP is further optimistic that if the trained youth will utilize their skills and put them into practice, the district will be blessed with plenty of trees in the future thereby restoring the degenerated biodiversity consequently counteracting the adverse impacts of climate change.
Commenting during graduation which was presided over by the Minister of Youth Honorable Ulemu Msungama MP, one of the graduates Fatima Malinda said the training has been very beneficial to her and urges fellow youth to take advantage of the training once an opportunity to enroll arises. In his remarks, honorable Ulemu Msungama commended the MP for Salima Central Constituency for supporting the youth to attend such a crucial training.
Meet Blessings Likagwa- a Hort farmer from Kasungu - Malawi
23 OCTOBER 2020I came to learnt more about fruit production. As a practicing horticulturalist, I was eager to find out what I am doing right and wrong at my farm because I have had a lot of challenges in tree growth and development as well as soil nutrition amongst others. CIH proved to me that it’s the best and outstanding institution as far as horticulture training and service provision is concerned in Malawi. Their practical approach to every step in training is so unique. I went back and implemented all what I had learnt during the training. My fruit trees are improving and those am planting now are even much better