Various stakeholders in the Dedza district have commended the interventions that YICOD is implementing, which are economically empowering young people and women, thereby improving their livelihoods and building resilience against climate change.
This was revealed last Friday during a field day organised by YICOD in the Traditional Authority of Kachere for stakeholders and members of various communities to appreciate the impact of the initiatives that YICOD, with support from IM Swedish Development Partner, is implementing in the three Group Village Heads (GVH) of Fosa, Kachere, and Mkhoma Wanthu 2.
During the event, young people and women shared their stories about how these interventions have positively impacted their lives. They showcased some of the initiatives and products that have empowered them economically, improving their livelihoods and enhancing their resilience against climate change.
Among the exhibits were nutritious snacks made from locally available, inexpensive resources, as well as tree nurseries in preparation for the upcoming tree planting season.
GVH Kachere, speaking on behalf of Senior Chief Kachere, praised YICOD for being a reliable development partner in the area, noting the tangible impacts of their work. He encouraged YICOD to expand its reach to include more villages.
“There is a need to scale up the villages where you are working so that many communities in this area can benefit from your interventions. Look how well some of the women are doing in their homes. We want more women to benefit as well,” he said.
Malota speaks with the people during the field day
In his remarks, Gilbert Malota, the Principal Agriculture Extension Officer for Dedza District Council, also commended YICOD for its initiatives. He urged young people and women to take advantage of the programs YICOD is implementing in their respective villages to improve their livelihoods.
“YICOD is a reliable partner of the Ministry of Agriculture here in Malawi. Let’s adopt all these initiatives that YICOD is bringing to this area so that we can improve our livelihoods. We need to sustain these initiatives,” he said.
Malota reminded attendees that the tree planting season is approaching and encouraged them to prepare for planting more trees to restore the community forests that once thrived in the area many years ago.
Speaking on behalf of YICOD, Sheripher Dassu echoed Malota's call to adopt the initiatives. She added that the organisation has lined up several activities aimed at improving the livelihoods of the communities and emphasised the need for unity.
“We are pleased to see how the communities are embracing these initiatives, but there is still more to be done. Let’s always share what we are learning with our friends so that the entire community can benefit,” she said.
