On February 25, one of SFHC’s annual Field Days was hosted in the area surrounding Dedza, in the southern region of Malawi. This is a new area for the MAFFA project, and we were delighted with the level of participation: a total of 2301 people attended (1178 men and 1213 women) excluding 230 children. Field Days are educational and promotional events held in the rural communities each year. They consist partly of several field visits, where outstanding farmers show their fields and explain to the audience the techniques they have used. It is a method of sharing ideas to farmers who are new or experienced members of the project, and showcasing the successes of households using agroecological techniques. The District Agricultural Development Officer and the Traditional Authority Kachere both commended MAFFA for the great crops and crop husbandry technologies displayed. They expressed excitement about farmer to farmer visits and learning, reviving orange maize and the cooperation with the Agricultural office which they said was good for continuity of MAFFA’s work.

Photos from recent Dedza Field Days below. Photo credit: Carmen Bezner Kerr.