Lilongwe district council says it will ensure climate smart enhanced public works program (EPWP) which emphasizes on environmental or nature rehabilitation is linked to Community Savings and Investment Promotion (COMSIP) activities which aim at empowering the communities economically.

District community development officer (DCDO) Annie Kamwendo said this at Kavunde EPWP catchment in Traditional Authority (TA) M’bang’ombe where communities identified and prioritized environmental problems and solutions to address them.

Among the problems identified were deforestation, deep gullies, siltation, soil fertility loss, soil erosion, shifting cultivation and low crop yields.

“Communities that will be doing environmental activities like afforestation, beekeeping and irrigation farming, horticulture, woodlot creation can turn them into businesses. As they embark on addressing environmental issues, they should also consider economic activities for sustainability of the programme.

In our case, we will manage both environmental and economic activities. We will focus on changing communities’ mindset that a poor person cannot save cash and lend others,” says Kamwendo.

She said through COMSIP, community members will save in groups. “If they put their resources together, they can surprise their villages and the country at large with huge benefits they get from running small scale businesses which can also help them sustain nature including alleviating their hunger and poverty.

However, the DCDO was quick to warn men and women against getting business loans before they identify, plan and implement realistic businesses.

“They should borrow money for a purpose. Any small business makes a difference. As an office, we are going to conduct intensive monitoring of community activities both environmental and economic related,” she promises.

In her comment, an extension worker in TA M’bang’ombe, Chifundo Chikolokoto said communities will be given technical expertise on how to save what they realize from their work or business.

“Beneficiaries to this project will work for a cycle of 12 days and will be paid something and we will encourage them to save to sustain themselves without necessarily waiting for another public works activity to find another extra money,” explains Chikolokoto.

Through COMSIP, groups or individual rural poor are encouraged to operate small scale businesses and develop a culture of saving and lending to make their businesses grow.