Zomba District Council has commendedthe Evangelical Lutheran Development Service (ELDS) currently implementing Climate Justice Communities (CJC) project which helped build resilience against climate shocks amongst community members at Traditional Authority Ngwelero in the district.
Speaking after a tour of some ELDS projects, the Council’s Director of Economic Planning and Development, Isaac Mkandawire said the project was an ideal intervention that also helped improve livelihood among beneficiaries.
Through the project, ELDS supported communities that were affected by climate change and climate-related shocks such as floods, droughts, and strong winds by providing them with livestock to improve their livelihood.
The project also facilitated establishment of 84 Self-Help Groups (SHGs) to promote savings and access to small loans apart from training youths at Ngwelero in various vocational skills.
Mkandawire said apart from the goat pass on programme, the ELDS also helped construct irrigation schemes to boost crop production, drilled boreholes to improve access to clean and safe water besides constructing toilets and washrooms for girls in some primary schools.
‘‘Organisations are supposed to compliment government development efforts. Evangelical Lutheran Development Service has done wonderful works in Zomba. Other organisations should emulate such interventions,’’ he appealed.
The Director said though the ELDS was exiting from Ngwelero area, its interventions stood out to be the best, adding that works will live to benefit many people.
ELDS, District Coordinator for CJC, James Masamba, said the projects targeted 150 households in 12 village heads under Traditional Authority Ngwelero.
He added that the project supported two Village Natural Resources Management Committees with 30 beehives to promote beekeeping as an income-generating activity while also encouraging environmental conservation in their respective village forests.
‘‘Project participants raised and planted 104 tree seedlings during the project period, and the tree survival rate is currently at 75 percent,’’ he added.
