Mwana Alirenji Food Selfsufficiency Radio Magazine Turns Malawian Farmers Into Researchers, Innovato

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Mwana Alirenji (Food Self-sufficiency) Radio
Magazine Turns Malawian Farmers Into Researchers,
Innovators, And Food Self-sufficient

• By Gladson Elemiya Makowa
• Educating Through Entertainment
• in Malawi

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UNIQUENESS-RELEVANCE TO FARMERS

• It features
• Problems which farmers face
• Farmer-to-farmer innovations sharing
• Motivating stories
• Issues according to the farm calendar
• Dialogue in present form
• An encouragement of listen-learn-modify method

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METHODS TO DETERMINE IMPACT

• Audience competition letters
• Live interviews by the reporter
• Monitoring and evaluation team findings
• Farmers testimonies (case studies)

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OUTCOME IN PHASES

• Sept 1999 -2000 Voice of the Voiceless
• Research Phase highlighting major problems
• Problems Identified
• Low knowledge on new farming technologies
• Soil degradation
• Rising prices of fertilizer
• Overdependence on maize as food crop

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• 2. 2000 to 2002 As a Teacher
• Radio as learning forum
• Detailed lessons by model farmers
• Benefits of the method discussed
• Results
• Increased Knowledge but low adoption of
  technologies
• How Was It Noted?
• Many people enquiring if a particular
  technology could work in their area

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• 3. 2003 to 2006 As Researcher
• Monitoring and evaluation team employed
• Listener clubs as monitoring centres introduced
• Radio Research Gardens centres introduced
• RADIO RESEARCH GARDEN CONCEPT
• A village chooses research issue from various
  issues aired
• Progress aired on radio once every month
• Most Popular farmers research
• Manure versus fertilizer

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• Manure Versus Fertilizer
• Msanjama village discoveries about manure
• Keep moisture in times of droughts
• Do extremely well if applied twice in maize
• BUT
• Difficult to make and carry (more labour
  intensive) compared with fertilizer
• Second application difficult as it comes at
  labour peak season
• Great need for easy-to-make and carry manure

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4. 2008 -2011 as Information
Exchange Centre

• Focus on entire village not individuals
• Village identifies priority food security issues
• Model farmer brings his innovations to overcome
  the issues
• The lessons and action plans are aired to
  motivate other listeners

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Farmers sharing biochemical innovations
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IMPACT

• The zeal to solve own problems
• Good and effective manure innovations found
• Increased food production and diversification
• Case Studies
• 1. MAZOLO MANURE
• 4 parts chicken droppings
• 2 parts leguminous leaves
• 1 part ashes
• Pound and mixed
• 5 to 8 grams per maize plant

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Characteristics of Mazolo

• Can be applied immediately
• Shed drying only
• Longer life if kept in plastic bag
• 5-8 grams per planting station
• 2-3 bags per acre roughly 8 bags /hectare
• Can use droppings of small animals

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• 2. MATUMBO/NINE MANURE
• The two modified liquid manure
• 3 parts water plus 2 parts goat droppings
• Stir once per day for 21days
• Make on day of germination of maize
• Apply 21days after germination
• No diluting
• 16 to 20 grams for 2 maize plants
• More room for research on life span

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Mrs Matumbo and Maize from her manureInnovation
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CHALLENGES

• No strong advocacy
• Minimal publicity
• Low appreciation of local innovations
• Insufficient motivation to innovators
• Government scientists take time to adopt
  innovations due to policies

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RECOMMENDATIONS

• Enhance advocacy
• Ministries to have policies desk and liaison
  officer
• Research to be demand driven and prompt
• Government to prioritise local innovations
• Government to reward and publicise innovations

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CONCLUSION

• Radio if consciously and effectively used
• can change
• Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices
• Mwana Alirenji (Food Self-sufficiency) Radio
• Magazine Turned Malawian Farmers Into
• Researchers, Innovators, And Food Self-
• sufficient

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The End

• As a tree trunk feeds its leaves with water and
  nutrients, in turn leaves feed the trunk with
  food, similarly Story Workshop as media NGO
  teaches and encourages farmers to become
  researchers in turn they tell us their innovations