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| DAPP country director |
A local NGO, Development Aid from People to People (DAPP) has celebrated 20 years of existence with more success stories from beneficiaries who are enjoying range of programmes being implemented by the organization.
At the commemoration event marking 20 years of its existence held in Lilongwe, beneficiaries of programmes related to agriculture and food security, environment, health, vocational training and community development had pavilions showcasing what they learn and benefits from such programmes.
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| Joyce Kalima: benefited from Agriculture Programe by DAPP |
Joyce Kalima a member of Gilevulo Farmers Club in Lumbadzi, said Farmers Club Programe from DAPP has enormously improved economic state of her family. She said this is because she was trained on good farming practices that have enabled her to produce more yields from her garden and earn good income after selling some range of produce from her garden.
“Apart from the fact that food security status in my family has been improved, DAPP programme has also empowered me economically because I now can support my family” she said.
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| Other beneficiaries explaining to participants |
“DAPP organized us to be in groups. We were trained on various farming skills including techniques on conservation farming which focus on the use of organic manure, use of pothole for cropping with good plant spacing, planting of vertiver grass to control soil erosion and animal husbandry.
Am very thankful for DAPP, because we were also linked to buyers for some of our produce, and we were encouraged to join Village Saving Loan groups, and practice hygiene and sanitation as well as construction of firewood saving stoves.” Explained Kalima
From DAPP programme now Kalima said she is able to pay school fees for her child at Secondary School and she also build a nice house because she is earning better income from small scale faming through skills from DAPP.
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| Lisbeth Thomsen |
Speaking in an interview, Country Director for DAPP, Lisbeth Thomsen said some of the major highlights for 20 years has been the contribution to the education, health, food security and community development.
According to Thomsen within the two decades, DAPP has established four Teacher Training colleges which has produced over 2000 Primary School Teachers and establishment of vocational school which has trained more than 7 thousand youths in more than ten skills offered by the school.
She also disclosed that DAPP has worked with over 70 thousand small scale farmers through Farmers Clubs on increasing food security, worked with more than 1.4 million Malawians in programmes that focus on reducing spread of HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria as well as reached to over 50 thousand families in order to improve the lives of children.
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| Charlotte from DAPP interacting with some participants at the commemoration |
“I think over the 20 years, many people have benefited from the programmes and all the programmes have been implemented in close collaboration with Government of Malawi both at central level and local level. And also the big support we have had from various partners, our Donors but also through the selling of the second hand clothes which has been the big source of income throughout the years.” Said Lisbeth Thomsen
Looking ahead, she said DAPP wants to increase its efforts in promoting social and economic development through its number of programmes.
“There will be many more products to come, much more to do, many more good teachers to be trained, many more farmers who can be food secure and many more children who have a god life and good health that’s what we want”
DAPP country manager added; “DAPP Malawi we don’t see ourselves as typical NGO, we are here to stay as long as they need as there. And we are that way, shoulder to shoulder with the people of Malawi to improve the lives of people most in need.”
DAPP began in 1995, its programs sapn all the regions of Malawi and benefiting over one million people annually.
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