CAN WE TRY THIS IN KENYA:— President Dr. Joyce Banda says her Government is geared to empowering families in the country to own livestock in addition to crop farming as one way of reducing poverty in the country.
Dr. Joyce Banda was speaking Friday at Mhuju Primary School ground in Rumphi district when she was presenting 30 cattle to vulnerable households in the area through the “a Cow a Family initiative programme.”
The President said the initiative which is under the Presidential Initiative on Poverty and Hunger Reduction targets vulnerable households to own cattle in the rural areas.
“I am committed to reduce poverty in the country through the initiatives I have set aside because to me, when we talk of reducing poverty is when people in the country more especially in the rural areas, have got enough food, health facilities and portable water,” said Dr. Banda The Malawi leader said the livestock industry is very important as it provides food in form of meat, eggs and milk production noting that the consumption of these products at household level is most effective in reducing incidences of malnutrition.
“My government knows that only healthy people can assist government in different programmes, as such we will continue empowering people more especially in rural areas.” She said.
Speaking earlier, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Dr. James Munthali said his Ministry will continue working hand in hand with Presidential Initiative on Poverty and Hunger Project in order to make the one cow per family programme a success.
Dr. Munthali said if well taken care of the “a cow a family programme” can tremendously transform lives of the people in the country especially in the rural areas.
He therefore called on the beneficiaries of the programme to take care of the cattle so that a lot of people can benefit. According to Dr. Munthali 450 cattle have been distributed to vulnerable households since the initiative started in Phalombe some few months ago.
In his remarks, Sub- Traditional Authority Mwahenga who was also elevated to Full Traditional Authority during the function thanked the Dr Joyce Banda’s administration for introducing a Cow a family programme, which she said will tremendously transform the lives of the people in his area.
Traditional Authority Mwahenga said the programme( A cow a family) will also assist the people of the North in paying dowry (lobola) when performing the marriage rites.
Source-Malawi News Agency (Lilongwe)
Joyce Banda’s “One Cow Per Family” to benefit 1m families in Malawi
