FUM empowers Mwanza youths in livestock farming
Farmers Union of Malawi (FUM) says engaging adolescents in livestock production is critical to wealth creation and intake of balanced meals.
FUM Mwanza district coordinator Caswel Kachingwe said this on Friday during a visit to beneficiaries of small livestock production component under Adolescent Nutrition Sensitive Agriculture project in Traditional Authority (T/A) Nthache.
Through the component, FUM distributed five goats, five rabbits and 10 chickens to 450 adolescents aged between 15 and 19 in the district.
Kachingwe said apart from increasing production and consumption of nutritious food, they want to improve beneficiaries’ access to livelihood interventions.
He said: “The project encourages intake of six food groups, but most beneficiaries are from poor resource households.
“We provided livestock for their source of protein because it is easy to slaughter them.We also want to venture into livestock business to boost their socio-economic status.”
Mwanza district food and nutrition officer Helen Bango said the intervention complements their efforts to improve the health of communities.
“They were provided with nutrient crop inputs bio-fortified with Vitamin A, iron and zinc. Intake of these has reduced malnutrition cases among adolescents,” she said.
One of the beneficiaries, 19-year-old Chikondi Sitty from Kagulo Village in Nthache, commended FUM for addressing their needs.
In the project funded by Japan Social Development Fund through World Bank, FUM is the implementing partner of the Malawi Government.
