Nkhotakota District Council has called on the district`s Extension Workers to show seriousness in the implementation of the Enhanced Public Works Program (EPWP) about to roll out in the district.

The Council`s Director of Planning and Development (DPD) Ben Tohno made the call, Tuesday when he opened a four-day workshop for the Extension Workers on Nursery Establishment and Soil and Water Conservation taking place in the district.

Tohno observed that the Extension Worker`s dedication and seriousness is key to the success of the program in the district.

“You need to exploit your potential, work hard and be creative in the implementation phase of the program. As a district we are relying on you and have confidence in your capabilities” said Tohno.

Chief Agriculture Environment and Natural Resources Officer (CAENRO) for Nkhotakota, Precious Chautsi advised the training participants to strive to stand out among the group in the program implementation.

“Always try to do your best because you will be putting yourself on the spotlight and help your area. This is a pilot phase and the outcome from here will determine the next course of the program.

“We don’t want to see that your catchment area and our district failed to perform to the expected standard, and you are the ones entrusted with the task of representing the district” he said.

Speaking in an interview, Nkhotakota Land Resource Conservation Officer, Arthur Mazengela Chiwayula who is also EPWP Desk Officer for Nkhotakota, said five catchment areas had been selected for the EPWP pilot phase in the district.

He said the micro catchment areas are Thanga and Kasangadzi in the area of traditional authority (T/A) Mwansambo, Dema and Msenjere in T/A Kanyenda and Lupachi in T/A Kafuzira, adding these have been divided into sub-projects.

Chiwayula said the current training was important because it will impart knowledge and skills to the extension workers on various topics, covering both theory and practical sessions.

“We are sure that once the project rolls out in the next two weeks or so, our colleagues will be able to train their communities in these technologies without any problems” he said.

The Desk Officer said the communities in the EPWP pilot areas have among others identified, gully reclamation, soil and water conservation, fish pond, a forestation and irrigation projects.

EPWP is an 8 months community driven pilot project being implemented in 10 districts of Chitipa, Karonga, Nkhotakota, Kasungu, Dowa, Lilongwe, Balaka, Chiladzulu, Phalombe and Blantyre aimed at addressing the challenges faced during the implementation of the Malawi Social  Action Fund (MASAF IV) Productive Public Works Program.

It is designed to achieve the dual objective of strengthening household resilience to shocks and creating durable community assets.

The National Local Government Finance Committee (NLGFC) is supporting the project by setting and regularly reviewing standards operating procedures for payment processes and providing funds for administration, operations and wages among others.