Oxfam work report: Working with people in Malawi to uphold their rights and achieve sustainable development

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1 Oxfam work report: Working with people in Malawi to uphold their rights and achieve sustainable development Malawi has been one of Oxfam Hong Kong s areas of focus since Currently, we are working with local communities and grassroots organisations on development programmes in 24 districts to tackle the various aspects of poverty. Our work focuses on: 1. fighting for economic justice through sustainable livelihood development and promoting markets for small scale sectors, 2. fighting for essential health service and treatments with people living with HIV/AIDS, 3. protecting the rights of people in crisis through disaster preparedness and building resilience, and 4. fighting for gender justice through advocacy and by empowering women. This brief report highlights the major developments of our work in Malawi. Quick facts Population Human development index Population living below HK$10 per day 16,777,547 Ranking 170 out of 187 countries 73.9% Population facing food insecurity Under-five mortality rate (per 1,000 live births) Natural disasters about 14% 92 Floods, droughts, landslides, soil erosion Main source of livelihood Agriculture Sources: CIA The World Factbook, UNDP HDI Report 2013 etc. Lilongwe Oxfam in Malawi Malawi (852) Gender justice Essential health service Rights in crisis Economic justice

2 Protecting farmers rights in crises We are working with community members in five disaster-prone districts to increase food security and reduce their vulnerability. Causes of food insecurity and vulnerability The impacts of climate change result in more frequent droughts, which destroy crops Crop destruction from biological disasters (i.e. infestation of locusts and caterpillars) Environmental degradation and soil erosion caused by unsustainable land use practices What Oxfam is doing to tackle the problems? Providing emergency relief to address immediate needs Enhancing community members disaster preparedness capacity and building their resilience through multi-faceted initiatives combining livelihood support, and climate change adaptation Promoting agro-forestry trees for soil fertility improvement Influencing government policy on national disaster risk management and climate change adaptation Passing on skills and knowledge: an Oxfam-trained farmer shows his community members how to conserve soil moisture Mixed cropping for more diversity of food and income Multi-faceted initiatives to improve food security and reduce vulnerability Building small scale irrigation systems such as pumps and dams Providing drought-tolerant seeds including pigeon peas, cassava and sorghum

3 Stories of positive change Deliya Wasi (front right) and Ides Guya (front left) each received two goats from Oxfam; when the goats have offspring the families pass goats on to other poor families. Last year, I harvested 900 kilograms of maize but this year, due to prolonged drought spells, I was only able to harvest 600 kg of maize. We face food insecurity. Luckily, I can sell a goat in the market to buy food for my family. said Deliya. A goat is a valuable asset to a vulnerable household in Malawi. Oxfam provides community members with goats to ensure that they have enough food all year round, particularly during the dry season and thin months when individual maize harvests have run out and the earth is dry so nothing can grow without irrigation. We also provide training on livestock management. Mwandida Glinjala, a farmer in Blantyre Rural district where droughts are prevalent, said, Oxfam worked with community members to build dams and irrigation systems, which helped reduce the risk of water shortage. And, thanks to Oxfam s training on mixed cropping, I am able to grow pumpkins, maize and other vegetables on my farm, and can cultivate my farm thrice a year. My crop yield has even doubled. Previously, my family was short on food for nine months, but now, we have enough food to eat all year round. I am also happy to pass on my knowledge and experience to other people. People helped me and I am helping my fellow villagers! Programme Summary ( ): 87,956 people benefited from our programme 157 small-scale irrigation systems built (deep wells, dams and pumps) 80 farmers (52 were women) took part in marketing training 88 Village Saving and Loan Groups were set up, of which 1,717 members were women, 298 were men 375 families received goats 1,750 farmers received drought-tolerant seeds such as cassava, sweet potato, pigeon pea and sorghum and training

4 Fighting for essential health services with marginalised people What are the challenges? 1.1 million people in Malawi are HIV positive, but only 460,000 are on life-prolonging medication People living with HIV/AIDS are stigmatised and marginalised due to misconceptions and discrimination about the disease High HIV/ AIDS prevalence rates due to lack of awareness and education on prevention of the disease Lack of healthcare services, healthcare workers and medical supplies; this has made community members very vulnerable to common diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis and pneumonia What is Oxfam doing to tackle these issues? Community level: we work with people living with HIV/ AIDS to promote community solidarity including: Setting up self-help groups with people, providing capacity building and training on advocacy and lobbying strategies so that they can fight against discrimination, for better health services, and HIV/AIDS treatment Training youths as peer educators to promote awareness of HIV/AIDS prevention among youths National level: we work with partner organisations to influence government policies for equitable access to treatment and health service including: Lobbying the government for the effective implementation of World Health Organisation antiretroviral treatment (ART) guidelines Lobbying the National Parliament to increase its annual health budget to 15% Stories of empowerment Ellen Mkhwambala (right) contracted HIV when she helped a woman who didn t know she was HIV-positive to give birth. She said, I was discriminated against and isolated by other villagers. After I joined the HIV support group, I found a support system among group members. I wanted to tell other people my tragic story and how they can prevent the disease, but if I go out and speak on my own, nobody will listen to me. So, we 20 members speak with one voice, and we have convinced the village head to hold meetings with villagers for us. Oxfam also provides us with pigs so that we can support our livelihood. We will have some income soon. Marko Chimbalawala, also a member of the HIV support group, works with other members to promote awareness and prevention of the disease at the community level. He said, I was infected with HIV when I did first aid for a villager. After joining the group, we feel empowered and motivated. Group members meet every week to discuss issues affecting the community. Our village is poor and remote. We don t have a health centre and health workers don t want to work here, so we went to the district health office to complain to the officials. Eventually, we were able to successfully convince them to dispatch two health workers to our village.

5 Fighting for gender justice with people Gender inequalities and gender based violence are a major driving force behind the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Malawi. Women and girls face higher risk of HIV infection because of their diminished economic and social status. Oxfam works with local partners and communities in Malawi for gender justice. Here are the highlights of the programme: Over 70% of our projects participants are women. By setting up the STAR circles (Societies Tackling AIDS through Rights) at the community level, we provide a platform for people to discuss issues affecting them and to address violence against women and girls. By providing training on gender sensitive land laws, human rights, women development, we empower women to fight for their rights. By supporting victims of gender based violence to access legal aid, we ensure that their rights are protected. By supporting women to participate in farmers conferences and meetings at the national level, we make sure their voice can be heard. By engaging men in the programme, we are raising awareness about gender equality and are helping to promote anti-gender based violence among them. Stories of positive change Christina Kayiwe lives in a village in Zomba District. She said, My parents died when I was a little girl. I had no one to rely on, and life was very difficult for me. So, I got married at 15. In Malawi, women have to depend on men so as to survive because women normally lack education, opportunities and resources. Christina joined the STAR Circle in She took part in courses on human rights, gender-related laws, land laws, women s empowerment and business management. I feel more confident and I am willing to speak out at community meetings. After my parents died, my uncle took the farmland which I inherited. I did not know what to do to get the land back. I brought the issue to the STAR Circle. With the support and encouragement of my group members, we went to his village and confronted him. He felt pressured because he knew that if we brought the issue to the court, he would be in trouble. He finally returned the farmland to me. Bleesing Maulidi (fourth from the left), is one of the few active male members of a STAR Circle in Disi Village in Zomba District. He said, I used to drink a lot and when I got drunk, I created disharmony in my family. After I joined the STAR Circle, I realised that mutual respect is important for a family to run happily. I also want to help tackle HIV/AIDS in my community. This group is a good platform. I actively talk to other men regarding the negative impacts of violence against women. I tell them it is against the law. Some men are becoming more positive about this issue while others just ignore me. Change is never easy but we will keep trying.

6 Fighting for economic justice with small scale farmers Our work include: Supporting women farmers to access markets; ensuring their rights to own land and access capital. Supporting various farmers groups in registering their cooperatives; helping them participate in profitable soya bean, groundnut, cassava and mushroom production; providing value chain and market training. Providing farmers with capacity building training on advocacy strategies to obtain agricultural resources from government. Lobbying the government and private sectors on pro-poor market policies and regulations. Summary of the economic justice programme ( ) Programme districts Total number of cooperatives set up Total number of Village Saving and Loans (VSL) Groups set up Total number of beneficiaries 11 out of 28 districts ,516 people Oxfam supports small scale farmer groups to register their cooperatives and helps their voices be heard at national conferences. Story of positive change Keolise Ben, 48, lives in a village in Zomba District. She said, My husband died of illness in Since then, I have been the breadwinner of the family. I have five children. They dropped out of school because of poverty. I worked very hard but I only have a small piece of land. We were short on food five months a year. Things started to change after I joined the cooperative supported by Oxfam. I work with other cooperative members to grow cassava. We then process it and sell cassava flour to different buyers for income. I have also learned some useful skills such as operating the processing machine, business management, marketing, and how to use cassava flour to make fritters. Now, I can make and sell fritters for some extra income. Last but not least, I have learned mixed cropping. With a wider variety of vegetables available, my family and I can absorb more nutrients in our diet. Building a world without poverty in Malawi When smallholder farmers speak with one voice, their rights can be collectively achieved. Oxfam believes that temporary assistance is not the solution to eradicating poverty and injustice. Community members can only truly escape poverty when they can develop skills and confidence to achieve sustainable development and help themselves. We will continue to work with civil society and people in Malawi to influence policies in order to build a future where there is no poverty or injustice. Photos: Poon Wai Nang