MALAWI: Donor impressed with CADECOM
The Head of International Development for Caritas Australia, Jamie
Davies has expressed satisfaction over the way Catholic Development Commission
in Malawi (CADECOM) has been implementing a five year Australia Africa Community
Engagement Scheme (AACES) project.
Davies has expressed satisfaction over the way Catholic Development Commission
in Malawi (CADECOM) has been implementing a five year Australia Africa Community
Engagement Scheme (AACES) project.
Davies was speaking when she visited several pro-poor
interventions including Water Sanitation and Hygiene, Agriculture, Nutrition
and Food Security and Small Scale Irrigation among others in Dowa District which
is in the Archdiocese of Lilongwe.
interventions including Water Sanitation and Hygiene, Agriculture, Nutrition
and Food Security and Small Scale Irrigation among others in Dowa District which
is in the Archdiocese of Lilongwe.
CADECOM National Secretary, Carsterns Mulume said so far over 21
boreholes have been drilled in Dowa district and that they have also promoted
household hygiene and sanitation using the Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS)
approach.
boreholes have been drilled in Dowa district and that they have also promoted
household hygiene and sanitation using the Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS)
approach.
On Agriculture, Nutrition and Food Security Intervention, Mulume
said despite the country registering low maize production, the AACES program
beneficiaries, who adopted the modern agriculture techniques imparted on them
have harvested better crops compared to areas where the program is not
implemented.
said despite the country registering low maize production, the AACES program
beneficiaries, who adopted the modern agriculture techniques imparted on them
have harvested better crops compared to areas where the program is not
implemented.
“CADECOM has also helped the communities to realize some of the
assets, which were latent in the area. The project triggered the communities to
start making use of the water available in the villages for irrigation,” he
said.
assets, which were latent in the area. The project triggered the communities to
start making use of the water available in the villages for irrigation,” he
said.
Secretary General for the Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM),
Fr. Henry Saindi said the Catholic Church does not only look at the spiritual
aspect of a human being but take care of the human development of a person as
well hence the reason its development arm, CADECOM has been championing this
drive.
Fr. Henry Saindi said the Catholic Church does not only look at the spiritual
aspect of a human being but take care of the human development of a person as
well hence the reason its development arm, CADECOM has been championing this
drive.
Fr. Saindi said the Church encourages Community involvement in all
its undertakings on the ground so that project initiatives that are being
rendered become a success because there is always a room for ownership,
management and monitoring.
its undertakings on the ground so that project initiatives that are being
rendered become a success because there is always a room for ownership,
management and monitoring.
According to Davies, her impression was basically on how the
communities have been imparted with knowledge and skills in implementing
project activities.
communities have been imparted with knowledge and skills in implementing
project activities.
“I am impressed particularly with community participation
especially women involvement, traditional leaders and the way government
officials have been supporting the project. You could really see changes in
production, access to safe water and people’s attitude towards improving their living
standards,” she said.
especially women involvement, traditional leaders and the way government
officials have been supporting the project. You could really see changes in
production, access to safe water and people’s attitude towards improving their living
standards,” she said.
Davies said the project’s main aim was to see communities which
are more marginalized and that they are resilient hence Malawi has managed to
achieve this as compared to other countries where a similar project is
implemented.
are more marginalized and that they are resilient hence Malawi has managed to
achieve this as compared to other countries where a similar project is
implemented.
The AACES Program which is a livelihood improvement program
focuses on food security, water, hygiene and sanitation with emphasis on
increasing access to services by the marginalized is being implemented in Mzuzu
diocese and Lilongwe and Blantyre Archdioceses.
focuses on food security, water, hygiene and sanitation with emphasis on
increasing access to services by the marginalized is being implemented in Mzuzu
diocese and Lilongwe and Blantyre Archdioceses.
Other mainstreaming activities include; gender, HIV and AIDS,
child protection, village savings and loans, disaster preparedness and
management, Natural resource management and promotion of Income generating
activities.
child protection, village savings and loans, disaster preparedness and
management, Natural resource management and promotion of Income generating
activities.
By Prince
Henderson, ECM Communications Officer
Henderson, ECM Communications Officer
