The gender dimension in building climate resilience

By Charles Mkoka

In the beginning, Bertha Maloya was able to buy better varieties of rice seeds which boosted her harvest. She sold that extra rice to buy iron sheets to help protect her home. Then she bought cement to further improve her house. Bertha’s most recent purchase was a bicycle.

This has all happened since 2012, when Bertha decided to join her local village savings and loan group (VSL) in Group Village Headman Vethiwa, Machinga district in Malawi.
VSL groups, where villagers start their own small bank, saving and lending to members with interest, has helped mitigate the impact of tough times, brought about by floods and other disasters. But people can also use the money to improve their homes, buy essentials and invest in business ideas.

For many people in Malawi, it is difficult to open an account with a commercial bank. And base lending rates are high for borrowers such as farmers. This has long been a challenge to many who wanted to start or invest in small businesses but lacked the necessary capital.

With interest rates between 15 and 20 percent, VSL enables financial empowerment and liberation for poorer people. Women in particular have embraced the groups.

Through the Enhancing Community Resilience Programme (ECRP) more than 50,000 households now participate in VSL groups across seven districts, including Machinga and Chikwawa. This programme blends well with the Gender, Climate Change and Agriculture Support Programme (GCCASP) implemented by the New Partnership for African Development  where women and other vulnerable farming groups are dealing with the effects of climate on agriculture.

The vision is to see farming women empowered for effectiveness and efficiency in dealing with the vagaries of climate change through policy changes and access to climate smart agriculture technologies.

During the second conference for women in agribusiness 2015 held from 3 - 5 November under the theme, “Women in entrepreneurial development:  A must for success on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in Africa” New Partnership for African Development, Director of Programmes Estherine Fotabong in her speech told delegates that women being key producers of food it was time to take action and realise their dreams. As such without VSL, Bertha said, it would have been impossible to make progress as she has.

GCCASP aims to integrate gender issues and concerns of women scale farmers   in responding to climate change in agriculture. This is in recognition of the insurmountable role women play in African agriculture.

In Jacob village, Group Village Headman Fombe, Chikwawa district, the Chitsanzo VSL group has received support from ECRP partner Eagles Relief to build the capacity of members in financial procedures and management. Members have been able to buy iron sheets, bicycles and livestock.

‘This has strengthened us in the face of climate change,’ said Zefa George, a single mother of five who chairs the Chitsanzo group, whose membership has now grown to 27. ‘More new participants have now joined us after seeing the benefits from the group.’
‘Women have now broadened their understanding and knowledge of climate change resilience. They have been trained in various interventions such as conservation agriculture, livestock rearing and seed systems.’

Chitsanzo member Doris Kamoto explained how VSL returns helped her start a bicycle taxi business. The money she earns from hiring out the bike to fellow villagers and people with small businesses has enabled her to invest in improved drought-tolerant seeds that grow better in the climatic conditions.

‘VSL provides this financial support base in a rural setting,’ Doris said.‘To buy improved seed you need money. VSL is the foundation for all these initiatives.’
Doris added that ECRP encourages farmers to grow different crops, such as cow peas, pigeon peas, soya beans, millet and sorghum which improve diet diversity, nutrition and food security. If one crop fails another may do better, and can be sold to buy food for the family in leaner times.

Joyce Amos, of Group Village Headman Khungubwe, Chikwawa district, has been a VSL member since 2011. She initially invested in a small business and bought a cow. ‘Today, I have four cattle. My son is now in Standard 8 and I am capable of paying fees on my own.’
Eneless Madi, from Vethiwa VSL, said savings and loans were used during times of disaster, after the loss of livestock. It also helps to pay school fees and hospital bills. ‘This is the reason we have maintained the group – it provides the needed support.’

Fellow member Loness Mussa added: ‘Initially, when ECRP brought the VSL idea I was hesitant. After seeing the benefits, the members were able to gain I changed my mind and joined. So far, I have managed to mould bricks and burnt them to construct a house after receiving my earnings. Later, I bought goats and the droppings are used as manure in my conservation agriculture initiatives.’

It is onwards and upwards for the VSL groups supported by ECRP. Members realise that for the idea to continue to grow and develop they must save larger amounts. This, in turn, will allow those wanting to embark on bigger business ventures to borrow higher amounts from the VSL too.

Greater investment should result in higher returns, so even when loans have been repaid members will have more in their pockets to improve their lives and livelihoods. Ultimately, this will help ensure food security and mitigate the crises – such as droughts and floods – that many communities and families face in these vulnerable districts of Malawi.