Eight Malawian projects have been awarded for promoting the green economy and encouraging the growth of socio-environmental entrepreneurship across Africa.
The awards were dished out by Seed, a global partnership for action on sustainable development and the green economy established at the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg by the United Nations Environment Programme, during this year’s Seed symposium held in Nairobi in Kenya from September 9 to 10.
A briefing to the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development by Francis Chilenga, who developed one of the winning Malawian projects, indicates that Malawi beat seven other African countries to the awards.
Two projects were each awarded from Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda; one was awarded from Namibia while South Africa had six projects awarded and Mozambique four.
The awarded Malawi projects included Chilenga’s ‘Alternative Energy Source for Heating’ which combines waste reduction, alternative energy generation and youth empowerment through creating heating briquettes from rice husks.
The other seven are by Bwengu Tomato Production and Processing, Hortinet, Masole Ammele, Peacock Seeds, Recapo Community-based Organisation (CBO), Black Gold Farm Manure and People of the Sun.
Chilenga, who is acting chief agricultural extension officer for Karonga Agricultural Development Division (Kradd), said in an interview yesterday the awards were exciting as the projects involved have potential to be replicated nationwide.
