1.0. Introduction
This report is intended to shape and inform a timely and appropriate people centred response to the current food security emergency in Malawi.
Between 11 to 15 April 2016, 29 frontline staff and volunteers from 21 different organisations in Chikwawa District, Southern Region, Malawi, came together to listen to and give communities a voice on changes in their lives over the past three years. The drivers of these positive and negative changes from their perspective were identified.
Participants came from Malawi government departments including the Department of Disaster Management (DoDMA), Agriculture, Health, Social Welfare), civil society, religious groups, National Red Cross Society, Community Based Organisations (CBOs), National and International non-governmental organisations (NGOs), United Nations and DFID. The findings in this report reflect the voices of 280 people (majority women) in 18 discussions with 9 representative community groups including vulnerable people across the district.
The exercise was convened by the UNRCO / DFID Malawi and organised by the Evangelical Association of Malawi (EAM). UNRCO / DFID would like to acknowledge all the 29 individuals and organisations who committed to the exercise at short notice. The exercise was one of the deliverables of the DFID Multi-year Malawi Humanitarian Business Case, to ensure that the revised programme Theory of Change, logframe assumptions and current humanitarian support is based on the voices of the Malawian people.
The results in the report are the statements, views and perspectives of 9 different social groups, as openly shared by them with 9 inter-agency teams of Malawians. These teams were structured and trained in ways to limit agency and project bias. These statements faithfully present the voice of the community without agency bias or interpretation. They do not necessarily represent the views of DFID Malawi or the United Nations Resident Coordinator’s Office (UNRCO).
Key observations and issues to address:
A. The people of Chikwawa are the main and key responders to their current food insecurity. External support should get behind and support their productive efforts.
B. Resilience and food security efforts over the years are paying clear dividends. The report outlines people’s own vision for change, what they are doing for themselves and how they want to be supported.
C. People are hungry for livelihood knowledge, support and protection of their assets.
D. Social organisation and social unity are key drivers of resilience and development especially for vulnerable groups. Attention to helping people to communicate better and unite together should be a key part of any external support.
E. Anti-Retroviral supplies and the Social Cash transfer programme are highly appreciated by affected groups. Further consideration should be given to see how the existing Social Cash transfer programme can be harmonised now and scaled up in humanitarian response.
F. There are high levels of justifiable community dissatisfaction with MVAC and the targeting of other programmes. Affected communities feel left out of the decisions that affect them. Lessons learned and improvements identified are encouraged in order to act on these in the next MVAC response.
G. Two way communication between agencies and communities is generally poor and needs significant improvement.
H. While communities feel they have little voice in the decisions that affect them, equally national frontline agency staff have little influence either. Proposals that do not properly engage these two critical levels at design phase should not be considered for funding support.
I. Key drivers of positive impact are government extension services and national NGOs who have a strong constituency of support among communities. Important to see these levels supported and strengthened in real ways going forward.
J. Violence against women, girls and children is increasing. Important to support various initiatives to keep girls and boys in school and mitigate trends towards forced and early marriage.