Chili Cultivation Improves Rural Livelihoods

Before Egifa Nambazo joined NASFAM, every day was a struggle for survival. Now, she is one of the most successful chili farmers in her area.
 
When Egifa's husband passed away and left her with four children, she didn’t know how she was going to feed her children.  She had a very small house and no reliable source of income.  She and her children survived by brewing and selling beer, as well as selling chilies from her garden.
“The money I made was not enough. My main problem was that I didn’t have a stable market for my chilies,” says Egifa.  Vendors came into the area every now and then, but Egifa never knew when they would come and how much they would pay for her chilies.

When the USAID-supported National Association of Smallholder Farmers of Malawi (NASFAM) came to Phalombe in Southern Malawi in 1997, Egifa decided to become a member.  She received free chili seeds, bought inputs in NASFAM’s farm supply shops and received technical advice on agricultural practises.  Furthermore, she didn’t have to worry about market access any more, because she knew that NASFAM was going to buy her product at a fair price.

“The first thing the field officer told me was that I should increase my production and look at farming as a business,” explains Egifa.  She expanded her production to 1.5 acres.  She stopped brewing beer and became more serious about farming.  “We farmers can never take holiday.  Now I work in the garden from 5 AM to 11 AM every morning and from 2 PM until 5 PM in the afternoon.  “If I have problems I contact the field officer,” says the now successful farmer.  Egifa is doing so well that the farmers in her area have chosen her as their representative.  As an area representative she has been trained in issues such as leadership and planning by NASFAM.

Little by little Egifa built a new house.  She bought goats and chickens, as well as three bikes and some kitchen utensils.  She has been able to send her children to school and also supports some of her nieces and nephews who have been orphaned.  She has taken control of her life and is pleased with her success.  By providing inputs and technical advice, NASFAM helped Egifa to help herself.  “NASFAM has changed my life,” she says.

About NASFAM

USAID/Malawi signed an agreement with NASFAM in 2003 to provide $6.3 million in assistance over a three year period.  NASFAM is a member owned, democratically governed and non-political organisation providing business services to its smallholder farmer members.  NASFAM channels members’ products to local and international markets, providing maximum returns to the smallholder. Through a variety of trainings and communications programmes, the members are equipped with both agricultural and business skills, enabling them to produce and supply better crops and manage their farms in a commercially viable manner.