Malawi: Eagles Relief organization, a disaster relief organization has announced their support to the farming community. Malawi is is facing the crisis of climate change through unpredictable weather patterns recently. The support of the relief organization has been extended to the Balaka district households who are affected by the drought.
To combat this issue, the organization is set to take up it will embark on a new project called Drought Risk Financing. The programme will help the government in empowering more than 66,000 farmers affected by prolonged dry spells in Balaka District in the 2024/2025 farming season.
Eagles Relief Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Coordinator, Evelyn Mkandawire said on Wednesday at Balaka District Executive Committee meeting that Drought Risk Financing will provide farmers with drought resistance orange, sweet potato vines, cowpeas, tomatoes and onions among other vegetables.
She also noted that the support from the Eagles Relief organization will benefit more than 1,200 households in sub traditional authorities Toleza and Chimatiro in the district.
“Mostly, targeted beneficiaries will be households that have marginalized people including women, children and people living with disabilities.
The organization has announced that they will be targeting the communities of Toleza and Chimatiro. The support is being extended based on the 2024 dry spells report from Balaka District Agriculture Office in December.
Eagles Relief is working on giving many related projects in the same areas and the authorities believe that it will help provide a complimentary aspect to the existing initiatives,” she added.
She said the project include the farmers that have access to land to equip them with agricultural practices to enable them produce enough food through revolving farming techniques.
Balaka District Crop Production Officer, Blazio Mphepo hailed Eagles Reliefs Drought Risk Financing, describing it, as timely intervention capable of covering over 31,000 hectares of land affected by dry spells in Balaka.
Eagles Relief will implement the Drought Risk Financing Project worthy over K139. million for five years, starting from 2025 and the first part will be a pilot.