IARD Study Abroad Opportunity
Villages in Partnership - Malawi - Africa
Villages In Partnership develops partnerships between “villages” in the developed world and villages in rural southern Malawi to address the lack of the six essential interdependent resources necessary to survive and thrive: water, food security, health, education, economic development and infrastructure. Through relationships with chiefs, religious leaders, grassroots leaders, government agents, other local NGOs in Malawi, and in partnership with “villages” in the USA, VIP promotes the sharing of challenges, solutions and resources with a focus on empowering the poor, marginalized and most vulnerable living in the 26 villages of VIP’s catchment area. VIP operates from Naming’azi Farm Training Center where village farmers are invited to learn best practices in farming, livestock care, beekeeping, and reforestation. VIP provides partnership opportunities for students/interns, offering experiences on the farm and in the villages, tailoring the experience to the needs of the farm/villagers and interests of the students.
Location: Zomba District, Malawi, Africa
Timeframe: Flexible (Dec.-March not recommended as this is the rainy season)
Contact: Liz Heinzel-Nelson, 609-468-6029
Cost: 8-12 weeks - $2960 minimum (dependent on project consideration/ length of stay)
Availability of Medical Facilities
St.Luke’s Anglican Hospital,
P.O. Box 21,Zomba, +265-1-539247
Mwaiwathu Private Hospital
Old Chileka road, Blantyre, Malawi +265 1 822 999
Blantyre Adventist Private Hospital
Robins Road Kabula Hill, Blantyre Malawi +265-1-820-488; 265-1-820-537
Immunizations and Anti-Malaria Considerations
Your doctor or health-care provider should determine what you will need, depending on factors such as your health and immunization history. To have the most benefit, see a health-care provider at least 4–6 weeks before your trip to allow time for your vaccines to take effect and to start taking anti-malaria medication.
If you are not up-to-date with routine shots such as, measles/mumps/rubella (MMR) vaccine, diphtheria/pertussis/tetanus (DPT) vaccine, poliovirus vaccine, etc., it is recommended that you start there. The following vaccines are suggested for travel to Malawi: Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Typhoid
Project Opportunities 2016
The aim of the 2016 VIP projects listed below is to invitethe student intern to integrate individual interests and classroom lessons with the initiatives being supported in the rural villages and on the Naming’azi Farm. If the intern visits and notices initiatives on the website but not listed below, the student is encouraged to open discussion for other possibilities and vision. Since VIP is small, we are able to tailor design opportunities, i.e. VIP is building a school and the intern would like to have an opportunity to teach…
Crop Diversification
In the year 2016 the project will develop nurseries at the Naming’azi farm centre to raise disease free varieties of cassava and sweet potatoes. The nurseries will become distribution centers for the villages. The project will also seek to buy new seed for CG7 groundnuts to replace the seed that has been over recycled in the project and that it is not doing well any longer. This will also be promoted in the villages.
Goat Distribution to Vulnerable Households.
The aim for distributing goats is to allow households to generate assets. Vulnerable households such as child headed, widows keeping orphans, the elderly… will be considered to receive a goat. Recipients of a goat are trained in care and responsibility. Continued effort will be on improving housing units for the goats and health of the goats. Efforts will be made to encourage village committees to make continued follow-up of the goat pass-on program. It is further planned that that there will be selected villagers who will be trained as “drug box handlers” that will contain livestock drugs. These people will be responsible for treating minor livestock diseases before a project livestock officer is consulted. During the year 2016, the project will continue assessing the performance of goats in six new villages where VIP recently expanded the catchment area.
Egg Distribution to Farmers
The project has in the past two years been distributing eggs of improved Mikolongwe chickens. The eggs were given to local chickens to improve on meat size. This project has not thrived because the improved chicken has continued to die due to poor handling of the pullets at village level. The project will in 2016 concentrate on supporting to sustain the lives of the village local chicken by developing a regularly scheduled vaccination plan for the chickens. There will be continued consultation with veterinary experts based in Lilongwe.
Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR)
The aim is to create a disaster resilient community that will be able to regenerate in the event of a disaster or calamity such as prolonged dry spells and drought. Activities under this component will largely be aimed at preparing community members to fight disaster so that its effects do not cripple and erode independence and sustainability. To achieve this, community members will be encouraged to explore integrated farming techniques.
- Conservation Farming
Conservation farming is a practice that promotes soil and water conservation without farmers losing energy and resources in their fields. The practice leads to increased crop yields for the farmer. The project will work through 26 lead farmers to set up village demonstration gardens where the village farmers will meet to learn best practices.
- Small Scale Irrigation Farming
Malawi has one rainy season during which farmers grow their food. In a season where rainfall is not adequate, crops fail and the farmers starve. Irrigation farming provides farmers with another opportunity for harvest during the dry season, increasing yields for their homes. In the year 2016, the project will work with selected villages that will have water sources to grow maize and vegetables. All farmers taking part in irrigation farming will receive technical training in irrigation technologies prior to commencement of the work. This year, the project will also scout for a permanent irrigation site where a large community will farm together during the dry season.
- Environmental Rehabilitation
Past work on tree seedling multiplication has been at village level. In as much as we have experienced successes and challenges, the project will need to change course in 2016. The approach will be to team up several chiefs to identify 3 communal sites where they need to rehabilitate through the planting of trees. This will be either along river banks or bare hills since these lands do not compete for growing crops. These three chiefs will form a communal nursery for their work. Extra tree seedlings will be planted in members households as well. Community members will continue to visit and learn from the tree nursery established at Naming’azi Farm Training Centre.
Promotion of Energy Saver Stoves
This is a new project that has recently been introduced to the community. The stoves are made from locally available materials. VIP is promoting the making of these stoves since they use nearly 2/3 less firewood for cooking compared to the traditional way. Beyond using the stoves by the manufactures themselves, they can also be sold to generate household income. Adequate information will be available to project villages through drama shows and plays to encourage households to use energy saver stoves.
Community Debates on Climate Change
Climate change has affected communities in various ways resulting in loss of food and property for different communities. The project will engage local leaders, community groups and the youth in discussion forums to learn about climate change and adaptation measures. The project will partner with a local NGO known as Leadership in Environment and Development (LEAD) based in Zomba to explore areas that we can do together .
Some of the activities will include;
- Community debates
- Setting community plans for environmental protection activities
- Engaging with the local community radio station to air out debates
Kitchen Gardening
The project encourages households in all the 26 project villages to set up kitchen gardens where vegetables are grown to provide ready fresh vegetables for the homes. Use of wastewater as well as kitchen waste matter, chicken and goat droppings to be used in compost will be promoted in the establishment of these gardens.
Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene
The project has so far machine drilled 20 water holes between the year 2013 and 2015. The communities have also excavated up to 14 water holes that have been fitted with hand pumps by the project to provide protected water. The experience has been that most shallow wells have dried up during certain times of the year due to low water tables associated with climate change.The project will continue to work with people to find ways for making available clean, safe drinking water. In the year 2016 the project will concentrate on rehabilitating broken boreholes that were installed by the government in different villages. When these are repaired, their committees are trained in maintenance and upkeep practices. It is estimated that 20 boreholes will be assessed and rehabilitated.
Health and Hygiene
The project will work with households to improve water hygiene and household sanitation. Communities will be encouraged to treat water before drinking. They will also be encouraged to set up household hand washing stations, waste disposal mechanisms through setting up clean pit latrines and rubbish pits. This project will be implemented in close collaboration with government health surveillance assistants who are the health personnel working with grass root communities.