“The initiative is well received by the entire community and we will enforce fair but stringent measures to ensure that all monies borrowed are repaid in time so that all persons equitably benefit from this scheme”
The Shire River Basin Management Programme has this week unveiled one of its much awaited products to communities: a US$25,000 enterprise grant allocated to each of the Village Development Committees (VDCs) falling within the designated four catchments of Chingale (Zomba & Machinga), Kapichira (Blantyre), Upper Lisungwi (Ntcheu) and Upper Wamkulumadzi (Neno).
Speaking during a sensitization meeting held with members of Project Implementation Committees (PICs) and VDCs held at Mateme Primary School in the area of GVH Kanama Traditional Authority (TA) Phambala in Ntcheu, Deputy Team Leader for Mott MacDonald, Charles Kanyinji said the grants are meant to incentivize communities to undertake productive livelihood initiatives and enable Common Interest Groups (CIGs) to set up micro enterprises and other environmentally friendly income generating activities. “The PICs will loan out parts of this grant through interest bearing loans, each of around US$2,500 to requesting CIGs. These loans will be borrowed and repaid with interest to ensure that the grant grows over time”, he informed
Commenting on the development, Chairperson of Kanama PIC, Kangaude Malisero said, “The initiative is well received by the entire community and we will enforce fair but stringent measures to ensure that all monies borrowed are repaid in time so that all persons equitably benefit from this scheme”.
TA Phambala is notoriously known as a charcoal mine – supplying tonnes of illegally made charcoal on daily basis to the electricity-impoverished City of Blantyre and other parts of Malawi. In the minds of many, the question still lingers, “Will this strategy bring environmental sanity to this charcoal manufacturing zone?”