THE PCV EXPERIENCE AT CICOD/OXFAM IN THYOLO AND LOOKING AHEAD TO LUCHENZA Theresa C. Sanchez Peace Corps Malawi August 2008-October 2008

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

•  The “Thyolo Livelihood Project” was introduced in September 2007

• CICOD stands for “Circle for Integrated Community Development”

•  Primary funding is provided by Oxfam and distributed on a quarterly basis

• Oxfam’s partnership began in 1999 • CARD and CICOD were the only NGO’s doing

the Livelihoods Security-type project

CATCHMENT AREAS

•  The Thyolo Livelihood Project was allocated to T.A. Thomasi and T.A. Bvumbwe

• CICOD increased its coverage by adding 15 more villages in the catchment area over the course of the past year

•  Currently they assist 40 villages

CICOD’s PROJECT GOAL

•  The goal of the project is to improve the livelihoods and security of over 7,000 poor and vulnerable people in households in TA’s Bvumbwe, Thomas, Kwethemule, Nchilamwela, and Kapichi in 40 villages in Thyolo district by September 2010.

IMPLEMENTATION: Food and Income Security

•  Promote high value crops and small scale business and savings

•  Support integrated/mixed farming • Advocate soil and water conservation •  Provide basic farm inputs • Develop production of quality products and

marketing strategies

IMPLEMENTATION: Emergency Management (natural disasters, hazards, and risks)

• Encourage community-based response to emergencies

•  Train vulnerable households how to cope with natural disasters

• Mainstream HIV/AIDS education and address Gender-based Violence issues

•  Provide follow up monitoring and evaluation

THE ROLE OF THE PCV

•  Serve as HIV/AIDS officer • Major duties included mainstreaming HIV/AIDS

education and Gender-Based Issues into every aspect of village life: from food security to water sanitation.

• Design and Launch a Website for CICOD • Conduct case studies • Create a quarterly newsletter to update

stakeholders and donors on CICOD progress

PARTNERS

• WAMI, DBU, CARD, MSH, CRECCOM, NAC

• Government Agencies such as Agriculture, Fisheries, Irrigation, Hospitals, Community, Social Welfare, Forest and the District Assembly

MONTHLY PROJECTS: JULY

• Conducted initial site visit • Met with Thyolo work team: Aubrey Kambewa,

George Zuma Zuma (also extension workers, Chrissie, Christine, and Humphrey)

• Restructured my job description to match better with my CV

•  Started attending weekly Monday morning meetings

•  Procured furniture for residence

MONTHLY PROJECTS: AUGUST

•  Convened a major stakeholders meeting with members of partnering NGO’s, CBO’s, and local and state government to update them on plan implementation in the community

•  Held soil and water conservation awareness meetings •  Conducted PRA in 40 villages •  Attended PRA and Mapping at a village in Thomas &

took pictures and documented event •  Initiated the 2008/2009 Poultry Program •  Procured Mikolongwe birds for communities •  Met with Lilongwe management team

MONTHLY PROJECTS: SEPTEMBER

• Attended Thyolo Agriculture Subsidy Meeting • Assisted in facilitating the formation of small

scale business and savings for communities •  Trained several CBO’s in Business Management

and Accounting • Registered poultry (black Australope)

beneficiaries •  Identified and registered maize seed

beneficiaries • Distributed maize seed in Thomas

MONTHLY PROJECTS: OCTOBER

• Conduct strategic planning workshop •  Train beneficiaries in fruit tree and seed

management •  Procure and distribute beekeeping materials •  Seek out new markets for beneficiaries • Meet with CBO in Bvumbwe and initiate IGA

work and role of PCV there •  Identify youth clubs and potential projects • Meet with executive director in Lilongwe to

better establish role with CICOD

ACTIVITY: Conducting PRA in TA Thomas August 2008 •  Conducted PRAs in the following villages:

Mazinga, Naphiyo, Juma 2, Walani 2, Kwanjana, Mpeni, Robert, Kapyepye, Thunga, Holesi, Mpaso, Bvumbwe, Chimseu, Makwinta, and Laiti

•  Major observations: High percentage of elderly-headed households, child-headed households, and single mother-headed households; high incidence of orphans, illiteracy, HIV/AIDS, poor leadership, corruption, water sanitation, and food security

ACTIVITY: Seed Fair Village Tamkukula TA Dowa in Thambwe, September 25, 2008

•  Encouraged organic farming and growth of indigenous crops for sustainability

•  Addressed need to increase crop diversification and promoted use of manure as fertilizer

•  Partnered with Malawi Plant Genetic Resources Center

•  Worked with 7 villages, 25 farmers participated •  Held a similar fair in Nchisi the next day covering 10

villages •  Gave the priority to women in the villages

ACTIVITY: Seed Distribution in Thomas

• Distributed maize seeds to at-risk and vulnerable adults/families in TA Thomas

• Met with recipients on the ground and discussed their needs

•  Interviewed 68-year old chief Ellena Thomas, who was the 1st female chief there

•  Identified village’s major challenges as having a lack of capital for running small scale businesses and the lack of husbands (due to deaths)

ACTIVITY: Strategic Planning Workshop October 7-8, 2008 •  A 3-year strategic plan was

developed in 2005 to guide CICOD

•  CICOD embarked on a strategic planning process for a new 5-year plan from 2009-2013

•  Worked with stakeholders, Oxfam, and CICOD staff

•  Addressed socioeconomic, global, environmental, and logistical changes and the impact (positive or negative) on the program

ACTIVITY: BVUCCO CBO Attachment in Bvumbwe •  Assist orphans and

vulnerable children •  Write and report and

proposals •  11 villages in all: would

ideally target those who were vulnerable in these areas

•  Focus on nutrition and mainstreaming HIV/AIDs

•  Assist in creating and implementing IGA’s

•  Goals are to compliment each other’s work and see progress

ACTIVITY: Planning and Implementation of HTC Week November 9-16 •  Theme of this year’s program: “A Key to Care – HIV

Testing As a Family” •  Its purpose is to mobilize men, women, and children

to know their status (TARGET: 10,000 people in Thyolo)

•  Attended planning meetings to strategize the best way the event should be conducted

•  Balanced program budget of MK 1,956,342 for 150 NGO participants, 10 supervisors, and 250 counselors for 7 days

•  Ensured adequate coverage of over 31 static sites, with 2 counselors at each site

LOOKING AHEAD: WORKING WITH THE TOWN OF LUCHENZA •  Left Oxfam in October because although it was a great NGO, it just wasn’t

the right fit and transportation was an issue •  Met with the CEO, Director of Planning, and Director of Data at the

Luchenza Town Assembly •  Established the town’s highest priorities as being 1) sanitation, 2)

environment, 3) HIV/AIDS and orphans, 4) poor infrastructure and 5) lack of capital for small businesses (sustainability)

•  After IST, I will be meeting with the directors of the various government agencies, CBO’s, and NGO’s and will hopefully start work as the town’s AIDS Coordinator

•  I also have started working with a youth club on an IGA to build a roof for their church. I am currently waiting to get T-shirt designs back in order to print them and sell them for funds

•  Work twice a month with the private health center doing under 5 clinics, water safety, and life skills

Challenges •  Malawi’s “office atmosphere” was very different than

the professional environment I was accustomed to in the U.S. It was somewhat difficult to assimilate

•  Directness/Indirectness hard to distinguish •  Expectations of myself and my counterpart, i.e.

funding, work load, transportation, and overall role were unclear

•  Having to restructure my understanding of success and readjusting my goals

•  Lessons Learned: patience, perseverance, acceptance, constant self-evaluation, and diplomacy

A LOOK AT LUCHENZA •  Has 7 villages •  Under TA Nanseta (Lolo, Chiromo,

Kanthawire) •  Under District Mulanje, TA

Mnthiramanja (Chonde, Njete, Mwarama, Kulu Lira)

•  8 schools (primary, secondary, private)

•  Founded in 1987 •  Population 15,000-20,000 •  14% of the population has

HIV/AIDS: “It’s a small town but very active”

•  Over 10 CBO’s & NGO’s •  2 Private Health Centers •  Closest Hospital is in

Thyolo