By Vincent Gunde
The Ministry of Agriculture is implementing Accelerating job creation and social protection through integrated Agriculture value chain in Dowa East and so far, the project has created 1,500 jobs.
This is a global accelerating joint programme which is being implemented for two years from 2025 to September, 2026 in the Nachisaka E.P.A. in five sections working with 21 Field Officers targeting 2,500 direct beneficiaries.
Presenting the Global Acceleration project progress report to the District executive committee (Dec) in Dowa, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer for the Department of Agriculture Extension Services in Lilongwe Isaac Chirwa, said the project is being implemented using the SHEP Approaches which are specific methods and techniques for empowering Smallholder farmers and it includes a series of training session for both farmer groups and extension staff.
Chirwa said the Global Acceleration project has an overall goal of accelerating the creation of decent and productive jobs and achieve universal, adequate and sustainable social protection.
He said Agriculture employs a majority but characterized by low productivity and seasonal employment saying women and youth face barriers to accessing productive assets, financing markets, and leadership position.
The M/E Officer said many workers are engaged in informal low income employment with limited social protection saying strengthening agricultural value chains, promoting entrepreneurship and expanding social protection, can improve livelihoods.
Chirwa said the major activities implemented include enhancing capabilities of extension workers on integration of Gender Transformative Approaches in agricultural entrepreneurship and building capacities of farmer organizations on value addition and Climate Smart Agriculture.
He said the Global Acceleration project has registered sustainability mechanisms such as strengthening of Field Officers through financial management, business skills, and building of leadership, supporting access to finance mainly through Village Savings and Loans Association (VSLA), among others.
” Promotion of inclusive leadership and provision of demand – driven value addition machines, are also sustainability mechanisms,” said Chirwa.
However, Chirwa said the major Global Acceleration project challenge is short duration for implementation to gain high impactful results besides the challenges such as limited numeracy skills among some participants, lack of standard record books, limited access to processing equipment, packaging materials, and storage facilities, among others.
Chirwa said the Global Acceleration project has made recommendations to conduct targeted follow – up coaching and mentorship what enterprise development, value addition and marketing, improve logistical and transport support for extension staff to enhance supervision and follow – up.
In his remarks, Dowa District Council’s Principal Environmental Officer Yusuf Laki, called on partners implementing Agriculture interventions in the district to support the project so that it achieve its objectives as planned.
The Global Acceleration project is being implemented in Dowa district with support from the UN Women.
