USADF Grants MK119 Million to Luwani Corporative

 USADF and Luwani Corporative officials sealing the deal USADF and Luwani Corporative officials sealing the deal - pic by Steve Kalungwe

The United States Africa Development Foundation through Umodzi Consulting have signed a K119 million grant to Luwani Producers and Marketing Corporative Limited in Neno district in a bid to improve the livelihood of rural people including those with Non-Communicable Diseases.

USADF Country Program Coordinator Linda Ndovie Jere says their aim is to see improved healthy and economic status of people using locally available resources while ensuring that farming activities are environmentally friendly in the next three years of the project.

"We want to transform lives of these people through grants, so that they reap from whatever farming business they do, and improve their livelihoods", she said.

He further warns the recipient against abusing the funds, saying they must employ well trained personnel to manage the funds in a bid to inspire the donor to identify more beneficiaries.

Luwani Producers and Marketing Corporative is geared to implement goat, pig, chicken and drip irrigation projects using the funds, donated by the Hemsley Charitable Foundation Trust of the United States of America.

USADF president Travis Adkins is urging the beneficiaries of the grant to use it for its intended purpose and not for any substance abuse related activity.

In his letter to the Malawi government, Adkins says his desire is to see people suffering from Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD's) getting the much needed food nutrients through farming.

He notes that, abuse of the funds will be a frustrating move but hopes the people entrusted with the funds will make better use of it.

Luwani Producers and Marketing Corporative chairperson Faston Gongolo Mbewe, says the grant will help alleviate some of the challenges that NCD patients face in sustaining their healthy diets.

"I feel good to announce our gratitude to Umodzi Consulting and USADF, they have helped us a lot. We will make a good use of these monies as we have also been impacted with good experise”, he said.

He further thanked the department of agriculture in the district for technical support saying it will help them manage their projects well.

Umodzi Consulting Livelihood Improvement Program (LIP) Agronomist John Njalam'mano, has since called on the Corporative to defy all odds and shine with the grant while making sure that the environment is protected from any harm.

Noel Kwapata from the Neno Agriculture office, says the grant is an answer to the food security of people of Luwani in Neno, a part which is hot, and suitable for irrigation and livestock farming.

So far, USADF through Umodzi Consulting has ditched out six grants to six corporatives in Neno district, out of the fourteen it has lined up.

The grants are part of governments program on Livelihoods Improvement Program (LIP).

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