Youth Initiative for Community Development (YICOD) Executive Director, Andrew Bwanali, has expressed his satisfaction with the pass-on programme for livestock currently being implemented in the area of Traditional Authority Kachere in Dedza district.
He made this expression after a successful pass-on event in which primary beneficiaries of livestock passed on 91 chickens to 25 other identified beneficiaries in their communities.
Bwanali said the livestock, which boosts farming activities through manure and animal source food provision, also has great potential to empower people economically when they decide to sell, thereby improving their livelihood.
“We are happy to see that people who benefited earlier through the programme are now successfully passing on livestock to other beneficiaries. We believe this programme has the potential to improve people's living standards if they take animal husbandry seriously, as they have so far,” he said.
One of the secondary beneficiaries, Edith Kuyewawa, commended the organisation for the initiative, saying people will be able to eat all six food groups since the chickens will provide eggs for protein.
“I believe the nutritional status in this area will change as many people will now be able to access simple foods like eggs, whose market prices are high these days. I encourage my fellow beneficiaries to pass on chickens to our friends when they multiply,” she said.
YICOD is implementing a project entitled 'Improving the Nutrition and Health of Women through Integrated Food Security, Water, and Sanitation Hygiene' with funds from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Development Cooperation (BMZ) through Welthunger Hilfe, in collaboration with the Civil Society Agriculture Network (CISANET) and Tilitonse Foundation.
