The launch took place on a sunny day at Kambewe Junior Primary School in Balaka District, about 3 hours drive from Lilongwe. The objective of the launch was to create awareness among the general public about the importance of planting trees as part of natural resource management and climate change mitigation. On this day seedlings of different species, such as Msambumfumu and Sienna siamea, were planted. It is expected that the exercise will last for the next four months in order for the organization to achieve the annual target of 3 million planted trees.
The Government of Norway has provided a total of NOK 147 million for NASFAM activities in three agreements. The latest agreement covered the period from 2007 to 2011 and was for the sum of NOK95 million.
During the last five years, over 120,000 smallholder farmers across the country have annually benefited from NASFAM interventions. For example the recent NASFAM impact assessment study indicates that NASFAM members’ incomes have increased by 51%, from US$840 at the start of SDP II to US$ 1,272 currently.
Another major achievement during the last five years of the NASFAM-Norway partnership has been the empowerment of women farmers. Women have been empowered to take up leadership positions at all levels of NASFAM and four of the last five years have been a female farmer elected as Chairperson of the Board.