Page 2 - The Daily Builder - Day 02

The Chikondi Women’s Group began by learning farming techniques and receiving animals from Heifer
International. Even though their program has successfully phased out, they’re not done yet.
Chikondi Women’s Group
By Worldbuilders was unanimously approved by early success, have done far more
Video narration by the village elders in 2014, and than what is normally required by
Kelly Sue DeConnick the women who volunteered to Heifer’s self-help programs. Once
participate were taught the entire they started doing things as a
very bouncy, dust-filled gamut of self-help: money and group, they encouraged each other
drive brought us to a business management, animal care, to pursue individual businesses that
A small village, surrounded farming techniques, and more. The would not only help the members’
by green fields. Again, we felt women, many of whom are single families directly, but would also
like rock stars as the Chikondi mothers or divorced, with a wide contribute to the success of the
Women’s Group greeted us with variety of ages and backgrounds, group as a whole.
dancing and a song about good established the Chikondi Women’s We got a brief tour of the village,
harvest. Do we even need to Group in 2016. When we visited, surrounded by lots of singing and
mention that “chikondi” means there were 32 members. smiling faces, before we arrived at
“love?” We were there to see what As part of the group, members a long table set up with produce,
they had accomplished in the plant trees, operate a low-interest bread, and a large box on one side
four years since they started their village savings and loan, and run a with several padlocks. Two of the
Heifer project. collective market. But the Chikondi women gave a presentation, telling
Participation in Heifer’s program Women’s Group, inspired by their us how a few members of the
2 Donate!
Two members of the Chikondi Women’s Group show us a table with samples of their harvest. The covered bowl in
the lower left (behind Maria’s hat) is full of those delicious fritters.
women’s group achieved success less firewood, which helps combat one man who had difficulty
on their own. erosion and moisture loss in their walking but still joined us. As a
farmland.
With group, the farmers are all working
One farmer received a goat. surrounding
She used manure from the goat this stove, she started a business on a vegetable garden. We stood
to fertilize her crops, and its milk making fritters—fried sweetbread in the evening sun between rows
as a source of nourishment for her that is popular in the region (and of huge, lush cabbage plants while
family. When the goat gave birth, smelled amazing, by the way). She two members of the women’s
she passed on the gift to another sells fritters at the local market for group told us how it works.
family. In the past two years, she 50 MK (about 7 cents) each. She Each member pays 100 kwacha
has kept some of her goats, passed told us that not only is she proud (about 14 cents) for seeds, and
some on, and sold others. The to be helping the environment, her everyone pitches in to care for
money from those sales allowed life has improved overall and she the garden. When they started the
her to build a house and send her no longer depends on her husband garden in 2016, it was only used to
children to school. for family income. While the feed the village. Since then, almost
Another farmer borrowed 5,000 fritter business is hers, she does everyone in the village has their
MK (about US$7.00) from the contribute some of her income to own kitchen garden they use for
group-run savings & loan to invest the group account so others can food, which means the Chinese
in a cooking stove that uses very benefit as well. cabbage, mustard, and potatoes
little firewood. While she worked The singing resumed as we they raise in the community garden
in front of the stove, she told us followed the village down to a is 100% for profit and income to
how she was inspired by the idea field—and it really looked like benefit the community. They will
that a more efficient stove uses everyone had turned out, including also be purchasing an irrigation
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