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Henry
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Registered: 30-06-2008
Posts: 181
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Ten Years of Promoting MASU – Mary View
Brother Beleire, a Ghanaian FIC Brother, was assigned to Malawi Province in 1999 in order to assist subsistence farmers in neighborhood of Mary View community. In this article he reviews how his Micro Agriculture Support Unit (MASU) project has progressed in the last ten years. He writes:
“When I arrived in Malawi in January 1999, I had some background as a trained Agriculturalist and seventeen years’ experience of working with subsistence farmers back in Ghana. I started my apostolate in Mary View by spending some months visiting people in the neighboring villages. I observed farming activities in the villages within a radius of 2.5 kilometers. Having noticed the heavy soils, undulated land and rocky grounds along hills I realized that the system of farming, animal traction, which I was used to back in Ghana I could not be applied in this new place.
In the process of observing the new environment I also listened to the needs of the people. Young men and women complained of unemployment. They were looking for jobs yet they had land. In our encounters I often tried let them see farming as self-employment if taken seriously. All they needed was good training, starter-packs of viable seeds, pesticides and in some cases fertilizer and supervision.
The last quarter of 1999 was the beginning of the farming season. I therefore, decided to set up an experimental poultry farm with a group of ten farmers. These 10 farmers came in twos daily to learn how to take care of some exotic birds that I had purchased. I also assisted each of them to build chicken coops.
When the chicks were two weeks old, each of the farmers received 10 cockerels, 10 pullets, feed and drugs on loan. In this way, they could rear their own chickens. When the cocks had reached maturity (8 weeks) they could sell them and use some money for repaying partial loans owing to MASU. Similarly, income from egg sales was used to pay the rest of the loans.
From time to time I went round supervising and advising those farmers who needed assistance. General vaccinations were regularly organized for group farmers as well as individuals who had birds in the locality. In so doing, we prevented the spread of chicken diseases. This was a success as fowls were saved from dying. Most things worked rather well until 2001.
In 2001 the rains failed and famine resulted. Prices for chicken feed went up and people were preoccupied with looking for basic food. In this difficult time, most farmers were unable to repay loans to MASU. Some had to sell their birds in order to buy food to feed their families. They could not easily find other avenues for getting money to pay back their loans. Stealing of chickens was rampant and quite a few farmers lost their birds, therefore could not pay back loans. In this way, the income generating activity which was set up for the farmers collapsed.
Sadly, groups that worked together disintegrated. Interested farmers had to stand on their own by buying chicks and feed on cash basis. In spite of loan scheme failures, I continued assisting those farmers who remained interested in poultry farming in these turbulent times. The faithful ones who have persisted continue to enjoy the services the project renders to them to this present day.
Besides promoting poultry production, MASU also established a grain bank. We buy maize produced by farmers in the harvest season and store the grain for the lean season. In the season of preparing land food becomes scarce among peasant farmers. The demand goes high and prices are hiked. During this time of cultivating the land our stored maize is available for sale at affordable prices. Farmers can buy at cheaper prices than the market value.
There were also years when prices of maize went up so high, that farmers could hardly purchase foodstuff though they were hungry. In these situations MASU loaned them maize and it was returned in the next harvest season.
Apart from the above two main activities, MASU ran other minor ones; vegetable production, small–farm inputs loan scheme and sale of chicken feeds and drugs.
Constraints
MASU has taught me that working for the uplifting of lives of people trapped in abject poverty has many joys and challenges. I had a good share of both. The world is full of up and downs, therefore life cannot continue always without problems. Whatever one embarks on, we must be prepared to face hurdles in the future.
With good intentions aimed at promoting food security and income generating activities in the surrounding area of Mary View, things went very well at the beginning. After sometime some activities dwindled and had to be eliminated.
For instance in Poultry- keeping the main setback was that prices of day-old-chicks became too high, feed and drugs were also expensive, chicken were stolen, there were no markets to sell chicken products and farmers did not repay their loans.
Similarly, in the Small-farm inputs loan scheme we were faced with the hard fact that rains became erratic and therefore, crops failed, vegetables got stolen from the gardens and loans could not be repaid.
We also had difficulties in procuring funding for the project. Right from the beginning the project never got sufficient funding for its activities. Nonetheless, as a coordinator I had to always manage with the little annual allocation that we received from the Provincial Council. Once the General Council made an attempt to support it by giving a revolving fund but, I had no information as where the money went and how it was used in the Province.
Successes
When MASU rolled out, ten years ago, it was interesting to see how enthusiastic the group members came together. There was cooperation and dedication at the beginning. MASU’s activities flourished. Eggs and chickens were in abundance for families to eat and sell for cash. Vegetable producers had sufficient too. Beneficiaries could support themselves and families. Crop farmers increased their yields and could feed their families more comfortably.
Personal evaluation
Though there were hitches as MASU promoted the above development activities among few rural farmer groups, I feel happy that some impact had been made. Until today, some farmers still carry on poultry production on their own. They manage to buy feed, rear their own birds and find markets to sell for some income.
Some still patronize the project’s store in which feed and drugs are sold in small quantities for caring their flocks. Some farmers have been able to uplift their life styles. I find them better off than those who abused the chances when they neglected to repay loans.
We also observed that people who received grains when they were short of food and replaced after harvesting showed gratitude for the service. I feel happy that the project extended its services to many people who were not members of the cooperative teams.
I am grateful that the Malawi Provincial Council for supporting me in all these years so that I could be available and serviceable to the people with whom I live.
I cannot boast or count the good things that I did in the number of years of my stay in Mary View community. Only the people can tell if I were able to contribute something fruitful to them. I only thank God for having given me this chance to experience the life of different culture here in Malawi than where I come from.”
The Malawi Provincial Chapter 2009 decided to relinquish MASU because it has outlived its vision. Presently, it is in a process of phasing out. Mary View Caritas will in future take up some of MASU’s activities.
By Bro. Alexis Beleire
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| 03-06-2010 10:16:13 |
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