TRANSFORMING RURAL LIVELIHOODS THROUGH CLIMATE RESILIENCE AGRICULTURE
By Noel Chatepa
Karonga Diocese CADECOM took part in the Karonga District Agricultural Fair, which took place at Karonga Freedom Park on August 20, 2024. The Climate Just Communities project and Community Transformation program of CADECOM featured a pavilion showcasing the various interventions being carried out by CADECOM in Karonga District.
Climate-friendly intervention, such as better cooking stoves for environmental management, were on show from the Climate Just Communities project. As part of CADECOM’s efforts to adapt to climate change climate smart stoves are encouraged as they use less firewood than traditional stoves.
Crop and dietary diversity, as well as climate resilient agricultural techniques, were highlighted in the Community Transformation program’s interventions. There were displays of different types of maize, including White maize for food security and vitamin A-fortified maize for nourishment.
Along with key-hole gardens, which enable farmers to grow vegetables in buckets to inspire even those with small plots of land to grow vegetables in their backyards, the pavilion also featured displays encouraging people to consume foods that are composed of the six food groups.
In order to encourage farmers to preserve food for consumption at a later period while retaining the nutrient makeup of the preserved foods, food preservation technology, such as the use of traditional solar dryers, were also on show. This approach is recommended since it preserves the food’s nutritional makeup while requiring less resources from the farmer.
At the pavilion were bags of Mbeya organic fertilizer, one of the much-lauded initiatives implemented by CADECOM Karonga Diocese. Mbeya organic fertilizer is encouraged since it is more affordable than chemical fertilizers and may be produced by the farmer with materials that can be sourced locally.
The pavilion was organized around the themes of disaster risk management, economic empowerment, and agriculture and food security.
CADECOM is implementing the Community Transformation Program with financing from Cross Catholic Outreach and it is also implementing the Climate Just Communities project in partnership with DAI UK Global with funding from the Scottish Government.