Nsanje District Commissioner, Dominic Mwandira has encouraged people in the district to focus much on activities that will help them generate income and have food security in their respective homes like businesses and farming.
This has been said to the Malawi Union for Informal Sector (MUFIS) members who gathered at Simbeko Lodge where he was the Guest of Honor in an event organized by the organization to give a trophy to an Organization-member branch that had done well in organizing and recruiting new members in to the organization.
MUFIS Members from Nsanje cerebrating together with the leadership and the Guest of Honour after receiving a trophy
Speaking during the event, Mwandira who was also the guest of honor, said that, as government, they recognize that the district is going through a lot of challenges which includes unemployment and hunger in many of the households.
“A recent report is showing that 17% of people in the district are victims of food insecurity and this happens to be a time which many people have harvested, but before then, people facing hanger was about 59%”, he said.
Mwandira took this as an opportunity to recognize good things which MUFIS is doing in the district which includes giving the members education that help their businesses grow, supporting them with different food stuffs in time of need and giving them loans to help them top up their businesses.
Cecilia Kam’bwemba, one of the members in said that through different business trainings she obtained from MUFIS about business, she is now an independent woman in terms of farming as everyday business.
“At first, I had to rent a farm where I planted Groundnuts and at the end of season, I harvested 54 bags. Then I sold 35 bags and I was privileged that the owner of the land told me that he is selling the farm. However, using the money I obtained from the business, I managed to buy the land and now it belongs to me”, She explained.
Cecilia Kam’bwemba, one of the beneficiaries of MUFIS activities.
On giving MUFIS Nsanje branch a trophy for recruiting more members, President for MUFIS, Ken Williams Mhango said that this has happened to appreciate the progress that has been done in recruiting and organizing the informal economy workers, hence making sure that there is food self-sufficiency in Nsanje.
The District Commissioner, however, appreciated the effort that is being done by MUFIS leadership in Nsanje to reach a point of being recognized on a first position in the whole country.
“As government, it is a high time we have to work hand in hand with the organization and take part in their activities whenever necessary. To make this a reality and as a way of showing our commitment, we have agreed to dedicate a building which as of now, just needs some few maintenances to MUFIS so that they will be using it as the office here in Nsanje”, said Mwandira.
He continued by encouraging the team in the district to continue with their effort so that it will be easy to address the challenges faced by the informal economy workers in the district. He also asked MUFIS leadership to take them as role models and let other districts learn from them on how they manage to come up with large numbers when it comes to membership.
Participants during the workshop
Maria Lazaro, Chairperson for MUFIS in the District said that they took an approach to recruit more members in the district so that when time goes all the informal economy workers in Nsanje should be self-sustained as well as well recognized by the authorities.
