Community Awareness Outreach at Maluwa Village in Zomba, Malawi - Foundation Office South Africa
The main collaborating organizer was the Zomba District Manager for the National Smallholder Farmers’ Association of Malawi (NASFAM), Lettons Mkandawire. While 250 participants were expected at the event, in total, 450 community members attended, with a nearly proportionate attendance of about 60 % women and 40% men. This was the biggest attendance for a community outreach ever registered in Malawi. Also present were 12 traditional leaders comprising group village headmen and village headmen/headwomen and KAS officials from Namibia, Zimbabwe and South Africa. The impressive attendance was in part attributed to the good working relations between NASFAM and two Group Village Headmen Maluwa and Chikapa. The two traditional leaders proactively engaged in the mobilization of community members through their village headmen/headwomen.
The event programme included speeches from KAS Resident Representative South Africa, Mr. Henning Suhr, the NASFAM Head of Policy and Communication, Mrs. Beatrice Makwenda, Group Village Headmen Maluwa and Chikapa and the KAS Programme Coordinator, Dr. Samson Lembani. The cultural drama and dancing group and comedy performances provided the edutainment to the audience with the messages encouraging community members to promote and embrace equitable land ownership for women. The Chancellor College community radio reporter also conducted interviews with selected community leaders and participants. The interviews and excerpt recordings of the event were later compiled into radio programmes to be aired during the month of March.
