Madalitso fisheries group in Golowa village, Traditional Authority Nsamala in Balaka District is a shining example of how fish farming can transform lives and communities.
Through their dedication and hard work, the group has not only improved their livelihood but also inspired others to follow in their footsteps.
By adopting innovative and sustainable aquaculture practices, they are showcasing the possibilities of fish farming as a viable and lucrative venture.
One of the fish farmers, Elina Lasford, says the group started in 2007 with the support of Concern Universal—a humanitarian organization.
“The organization sold us the idea of fish farming, and we immediately adopted it and started digging fish ponds using hoes, knowing the rising demand for fish products in our area,” said Lasford.
She added: “However, Concern Universal phased out their project in 2011 but this fact did not push us backwards. We gathered extra energy after noticing that the fish business is not only lucrative but also a readily available source of proteins for a majority of people in our area.”
In 2023, the group got a major boost after securing a matching grant worth MWK32 million from the World Bank-funded Malawi Watershed Services Improvement Project (MWASIP).
With the grant, the group scaled up their activities and dug another fish pond where they are raising 10,000 fingerings of Oreochromis shirunas fish, locally known as Makumba.
Lasford beamed with excitement at the new development.
“I am so excited, we are going to share more proceeds from the sales. With my share, I intend to support paying school fees for my children who are in secondary school. I will also afford to buy necessities such as food, salt, clothes and many others,” she said.
The farmer group has 30 committed men and women who are passionate about breaking through the chains of poverty by selling fish from the ponds.
After six months of hard work, which includes daily feeding of the fish, the farmers are anticipating harvesting at least 5 tonnes of fish in April 2025.
Balaka District fisheries officer Austin Malizeni said it was pleasing to witness the fruits of MWASIP support towards initiatives aimed at alleviating poverty among ultra-poor households in the villages.
“As a sector, we are happy that the group is making significant strides as far as fish farming is concerned. It has been our cry for a long time to have such kind of farmer groups be assisted because the only funding we get from the Other Recurring Transaction (ORT) is not enough to support such kind of farmer groups. Therefore, the intervention by MWASIP is a plus to us,” said Malizeni.
As a way of sustainability, Malizeni says the Department of Agriculture in the district has planned to facilitate market linkages so that farmers should get better rewards for their hard work.
Currently, Balaka District has 124 fish farmers, with 184 fish ponds covering 12.4 hectares of land.
MWASIP will directly benefit about 350,000 people, a majority of which are small-holder farmers to enhance agricultural-based livelihoods and boost household incomes.
