Fountain of Hope (FOHOP) has carried out food security and nutrition interventions in Karonga district in the Northern region and Blantyre district in Southern region of Malawi where it benefited small scale women and youth farmers and people living with HIV and AIDS.
In this case, Fountain of Hope (FOHOP) has mobilised small-scale farmers in Senior Chief Kilupula, Karonga district and Senior Chief Kapeni , Blantyre district, to form clubs who are trained in agri-business and sustainable agriculture practices such as climate smart agriculture and equip the farmers with knowledge they can use to adjust to the changing environmental conditions. Demonstration group gardens have been used as learning centres. There are women groups and youth clubs formed and empowered in income generating activities in Blantyre and Karonga districts. FOHOP has intensified low cost irrigation farming using rope and washer pumps, treadle pumps and watering canes among farmers although the long term plan is to have solar irrigation technologies. The organisation conducted research on the effectiveness of solar energy borehole in attaining food security and access to clean water, a best practice from Lindeire farm in Blantyre.
The overall value of these interventions is the addressing the aspects of poverty which are those emerging from inequality between the gender and age discrimination of a large group of the population who by given the skills and the knowledge could play an active role in lifting themselves, their families and entire communities out of the extreme poverty and hunger.
By formation of farmers’ cooperatives by organising small scale farmers for easy access to extension services, markets and financial services; and by establishing farmers field schools at community level where each group village head has a field school for the members to learn modern methods of farming and by providing farmers capacity building in agriculture business, farm and family economy the organisation addresses: 1) High illiteracy rates that limit the adoption of new agricultural technologies in the target areas 2) Inadequate food storage, processing and utilization knowledge that result in food wastage and insecurity 3) Critical shortage of capacity and skills in women and youth groups that are involved in the delivery of development programmes 4) inadequate knowledge and skills on household dietary diversification, and off farm economic empowerment to increase access to high nutritive value foods for varied and nutritious diet among women 5) Limited capacity in terms of human and material resources to facilitate adult literacy and continuing education; 6) Socio–cultural factors that make people believe that men should be leaders while women are followers; 7) Increased deforestation due to increased demand for arable land and failure to enforce measures to curb problems of deforestation; 8) Lack of community participation in environment and natural resources management; 9) Limited access to water for household needs and irrigation.
FOHOP established 12 farmers’ clubs of 25 members each and trained farmers in crop and animal husbandry and family budgeting and planning for the season.
There are also organized community learning events through joint Field days, demonstration days, celebration days, farmers exchange learning visits aimed at sharing best practices for crop and livestock production.
FOHOP has provided start up farm inputs namely maize seeds, organic fertilizers, sweet potatoes vines, cassava cuttings, rice seeds just to mention a few to small scale farmers in Blantyre and Karonga district. The idea was to increase household income for vulnerable families and those with school going girl children.
The organization intends to reach out to 20,000 small scale farmers by the end of 2030 through formation of corporative, farmers clubs, field schools. The cooperatives primary mission is to increase the capacity of small holder farmers in crop production, processing and marketing through trainings, advocacy, value addition and market linkages thereby improving the social and economic well-being of small scale farmers’ and generating additional employment opportunities for farmers.
Nutrition.
As such, FOHOP has been implementing specific and sensitive nutrition activities in Blantyre and karonga districts which used integrated approach, that recognises the inter-relationship between food insecurity, Malnutrition and environmental degradation.
The organisation has carried out the following interventions:
Establishing women group vegetables garden farming, local cost Irrigation using improvised buckets in GVH Mwanjasi karonga, Training women and installation of rope and washer pump for nutrition organic garden irrigation farming all year round, strengthened Village Savings and Loans groups, livestock production for increased household income and nutrition,
Improving food processing and utilization from locally available materials, introduced value addition through bakery services, Provision of clean energy baking equipment for improved quality of nutritious food products,
Demonstration plot of organic garden farming( slow food garden) at VDC level in Senior group Manesikapeni, SNR Kapeni, Blantyre.
Promoting nutrition through sustainable agriculture, Youth engagement in nutrition awareness and orange fleshed potatoes farming, Cooking demonstrations, Empowering indigenous youth and women in protecting and promoting their food heritage with resilience and sustainability through slow foods nutritious gardens, Promoting organic manure production so that health food is produced in abundance, Promoting local varieties of crops and animals to fight against extinction, FOHOP interventions have focused on improving household incomes, child feeding and care practices, knowledge of growing nutritious food and food processing and utilization.
Wayforward
On climate change, FOHOP envisions a society with secured livelihood and able to withstand shocks arising from climate change. FOHOP strives to improve the living standards by building resilient society to climate change impact.
FOHOP has conducted Climate change and environmental conservation awareness campaigns in Blantyre and Karonga districts. The organisation has also facilitated for the planting of 30000 trees of different species in 2 districts as one way of mitigation. FOHOP has also promoted usage of clean energy cooking stove through 13 demonstration sessions of how to construct these stoves among 1000 community beneficiaries in order to reduce cases of cutting down trees carelessly.
The organization has promoted crop and livestock diversification as well as income diversification among targeted beneficiaries as an adaptation measure to climate change impact.
In addition the following activities have taken place:
FOHOP has held different activities in this field such as sensitization of importance of rope and washer pumps for improved clean water supply, community triggering, Increasing knowledge of people benefiting from markets facilities on hygiene and sanitation service, training people using public facilities in reduction of diseases arising from poor hygiene practices. The organisation holds Community action days in promoting water, sanitation and hygiene practices. These interventions have reached out to 16000 people in Blantyre and Karonga districts.
In addition, FOHOP conducted research on effectiveness of Rope and washer pumps in water supply as well as Solar Energy Borehole for clean water supply and economic development..
On WASH apart from access to water the organisation carries out door to door campaign to ensure each household is practicing improved hygiene practices.
However the long term plan is to secure 5 borehole drilling machines which will be operated by youth and women to ensure that access to clean water is achieved sustainability while economically empowering these groups.
Menstrual Health and hygiene management (MHHM).
The organization has provided services of home based care, HIV and AIDS and TB prevention, care and treatment, Establishing of support groups and training in income generating activities. 3820 people have been benefiting from the project up to date. Intensified HIV testing campaigns where 24000 children and women knew their HIV status followed by Formation of 50 support groups for people living with HIV/AIDS. The idea was to enhance the fight against HIV/AIDS in all aspects of life. These support groups are linked to relevant institutions of both government and private. These support groups were oriented in how to protect their rights as well as children rights. The \organisation emphasized on HIV prevention practices from which support group members were used to disseminate HIV prevention practices to young people in their localities. HIV infected Female Sex workers were also mobilized to join the support group work. Formation of Home Based Care (HBC) groups also plays vital role in taking care of the sick in the community on voluntary basis.
Formation of 7 widow and widower groups to reduce the burden of loneliness especially when it comes to household problem solving on financial issue. They are organized in having village saving loans and promoting each other on small business. These group members have girl children whom if not taken care of, would be forced into early marriages.
FOHOP has also reached out to religious and traditional leaders through training in fighting against stigma and discrimination on PLWHIV in religious gathering places and Organized workshops of 135 religious and traditional leaders aiming at fighting stigma and discrimination and among their members in their respective religions. These include Christians, Muslims and chief leaders.
FOHOP, has distributed relief items in floods prone district of Karonga district where the organization distributed out mosquito nets, clothes, farming inputs and tools, seeds, and assorted food items. FOHOP has further distributed clothes, school learning materials for early childhood development in Blantyre and Karonga. 9430 people benefited from the process.
FOHOP has 13400 active youth in Karonga and Blantyre districts who are engaged in community developmental work. But the organization has trained 45 youth in different vocational skills of Barber shopping, welding, bricklaying, Computer operations, Saloon and tailoring and designing. Computers were given to youth for income generating.
FOHOP supported the government in establishing and revamping youth clubs. According to the government’s youth department, every Group village headman was supposed to have a youth group or club a situation that had not existed in many areas. As such, FOHOP and her partners revamped 24 youth clubs which were actively participating in community development. However, the biggest challenge was the high unemployment rate of these youth from which only 1 in 50 was employed.
Then 1500 youth were enrolled into newly established clubs from which 120 youth were doing secondary school education and the rest were just staying. These youth were organized using the government structure and able to participate in community work collectively. For instance, they established a woodlot, were able to manage existing trees in the community, helping the elderly with some field and domestic work just to mention a few. Led awareness campaigns against early child marriages, gender based violence and SRHR. Youth capacity in HIV prevention was successful too from which 120 youth clubs were able to reach out to 42000 people in their respective areas. FOHOP plans to train these youth in vocational skills. These youth were also oriented in how to avoid unnecessary marriages and pregnancies.
As one way of youth empowerment, the organization introduced computer lessons to youth from which basic skills were acquired among 55 youth in the operational areas. The youth were trained in Microsoft word, excel and internet. The idea was that these unemployed youth would become self-reliant through having their own communication bureaus and also getting employed by other institutions. Along the way, the project together with the youth would source some computers for establishment of youth IT center through which 3 Youth IT centers were established.
Firstly the organization Conducted Community assessment needs where 3 local need assessments sessions in the operational area took place as one way of having a clear picture of community status. These need assessments were jointly carried out by FOHOP, government structures and key stakeholders.
FOHOP introduced proposal writing lessons to 10 Youth Clubs: The organisation conducted lessons in project proposal writing skills to youth club. The aim was to have these youth able to write successful proposals on their own so that they advance their activities in the community. Then Youth were being trained in information technology as one way of improving their skills in life. The idea was that through computers they could become self employed by providing services to the community at a fee. Some youth could not get jobs because they had no computer skills which promoted child marriages and new HIV infections among young people.
Community Based Organisations (CBO’s) were strengthened by orientation of leaders and representatives in how to run CBOs, resource mobilization and provision of start up incubator for poultry production. . In this case, 35 participants were trained in poultry management, solar technology, Incubator technology and marketing development. In poultry the training, concentrated in chicken, quails, doves, Guinea fowl and ducks production using incubator. The idea was to enable participants to get wider knowledge in poultry production technology. The training was both theoretical and practical. This poultry production was not only meant for income generation but also to improve access to nutrition among household beneficiaries.
43 women groups were formed with different purposes. However majority were formed for running village savings and loan banks in order to boost the economy of their households, some groups were for agriculture while others were for business.
Promoting Girls education: Fountain of Hope has held campaigns of sending girls to school at all levels that is primary, secondary and tertiary education. In addition has been providing school materials and furniture to girls such as clothes, shoes, school bags, fabric garments, wrappers, books, desks and chairs in Karonga, Dowa and Blantyre districts. 51250 people were reached through the campaigns. This was followed by reclaiming back girls’ rights to Education where intensive campaigns of bringing back to education girls who were forced into early marriages saw 35 girls being rescued and sent back to school. Payment of secondary school fees for 35 girls in various secondary schools was done to rescued girls which included also provision of basic school materials of Note books, Ball point pens, Fabric, rulers and bags.
As preventive measures, FOHOP trained 30 girls, 30 women, 40 local leaders, 25 men, 25 head teachers, 15 Village development committee members, 15 school committee members, as paralegals in support of victims of early child marriages, sexual and gender based violence and human rights as peer educators. Has conducted 22 community awareness sessions in effecting behavior change in child marriages as well as sexual and gender based violence as one way of protecting school girls. It was accompanied by having 24 motivational talks to girl children using successful women who once got married and then went back to school and while others shared on how they overcame child marriage in their localities. 75640 people were reached through the process.
FOHOP formed of 35 school girls’ clubs in both primary schools and a secondary school involved orientation of girls on their rights to education, understanding the laws and policies that protect from sexual abuses and early marriages.
Conducted 38 awareness sessions for religious leaders, men and young boys to get involved in fighting for girls’ rights to education this led to establishment of 6 Girls Rights and Gender Based Violence (GBV) Case Management Committee for following up of GBV and child marriage cases. These stakeholders included Social Welfare and Child Protection department, Police Victim Support Unit, local leaders, religious leaders and the Magistrate Court representatives who visit local community structures including girls’ rights protection volunteers.
The organisation conducted special training to 60 girls on Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) and basic Human Rights as peer educators as well as paralegals in support of victims of gender based violence and child marriages which was followed by advocacy on protecting girls and women rights. FOHOP also engaged traditional leaders to campaign against harmful cultural practices where the organisation fought to abolish harmful cultural practice which forced girls into early marriages in Blantyre and Karonga districts where the organization targeted local leaders, religious leaders and natural leaders so that they would understand the difference and relationship between culture and children rights including the consequences they would face if they had used culture to abuse girls and women.
Established 45 Community Based Child Care centers (CBCCs) where FOHOP joined hands with community members, government officers as well as other relevant stakeholders in establishing these CBCC’s which are important for early childhood development. Among these centers only 7 were provided with porridge while the rest are not.
Formation of Child protection committees was carried out to protect the rights of children which had been violated in different forms of violence, hence with the help and guidance of the government, Child protection committees were formed. These committees ensure that cases of early child marriages, sexual violence, dropping of girl children from school, e.t.c. are reported and acted upon accordingly.
The organisation went on further to form 15 mothers groups to protect the rights of girls’ children to education which reduced cases of drop outs and established gardens in 45 child Based care centers to improve children’s access to nutritious food.
The organization’s focus areas of work strive to empower women and girls who are exposed to different form of injustices.
The organization has carried out a number of interventions:
Prevention of Gender Based Violence by addressing the root causes and promoting transformation of harmful social norms: The project targeted 15400 citizens of Blantyre district aiming at ending gender based violence, domestic violence and sexual violence.
Promotion of an early referral system of violence against women and girls: This project aimed at enabling women and girls in accessing information, knowledge and services to increase their ability to make informed decisions about their futures, and better enable them to lead the lives they choose.
Increasing positive gender roles project: This ensured women and girls were safe, equal and respected by challenging socio cultural norms that perpetuated violence against women and girls and engaging communities in advocacy and lobbying campaigns in Senior Group village Mwangwera.
Promoting women and girls’ decision-making power and inclusion project: The project had overall object of addressing power imbalances and reduce gender stereotypes.
To Identify and build the capacity of 200 community volunteers and community group leaders as paralegals and advocates of girls, women and vulnerable groups in accessing and defending effectively their human rights as equal partners in development. b)To Strengthen gatekeepers knowledge of sexual and GBV, child marriage, Sexual reproductive health barriers prevention and response particularly traditional and religious leadership. Activities include: i. Conduct dialogue, advocacy, awareness-raising sessions, form community-based groups, ii. Provide psychosocial support and safe spaces for survivors of child marriage. Iii. Support economic empowerment and livelihood trainings. Stakeholders are government, local leaders and non-state actors. Results: 1) Terminated 80% of identified child marriages and established mechanisms for de-normalising SGBV, child marriages, SRHR barriers cases; 2) Empowered girls, women and vulnerable groups who actively participate in decision-making processes, advocate for their rights, and lead independent lives economically. 3) Increased community awareness and understanding of girls, women and vulnerable groups rights as regards to SGBV, child marriage, Sexual reproductive health (SRH) barriers prevention and response and addressing social and cultural norms.
FOHOP has supported girl children, vulnerable women, sex workers, person with disabilities in karonga and Blantyre through integrated interventions which fought against child marriages, gender based violence, stigma and discrimination, food insecurity, SRH and education barriers to girl and women. In this case, FOHOP has supported over 300 girl children with school materials, school fees, school uniform and empowered over 1500 women with income generating initiatives and trainings in business management and marketing, human rights awareness, Violence prevention and response including reporting. Over 84 girls were rescued from child marriages, 13 children were rescued from child trafficking and 145 girl children were retained back to school through the courtesy of the Right to be a Girl program aiming at ending child marriages.
Other activities include:
