AWILI Investments Limited is transforming the lives of less-privileged farmers in Malawi through Agwenda Women Input Loan Initiative.
This programme provides agro-input loans to women and youth farmers, empowering them to improve their agricultural productivity and economic growth.
According to Sungeni Ng’onamo, founder of AWILI, the initiative recognises the gap that rural women and youths face in accessing agro-input loans from formal financial institutions.
“Most women and youth farmers in the country do not have access to essential services such as modern farming inputs, including fertilizers and improved maize seeds, due to high upfront costs,” said Ng’onamo.
To bridge this gap, AWILI provides farm inputs through its agro-shops and imparts knowledge to local farmers to produce bumper harvests and boos their incomes.
The organisation aims to revitalise agriculture, making it more profitable to women and youths, and ensuring Malawi achieves food self-sufficiency, reduces food costs, and produces a surplus for export.
Currently, AWILI supports 9,652 women and youth farmers with improved maize seeds, groundnuts and improved local chickens, enabling them to sustain their agri-business ventures and income even during off-rain fed seasons.
The organisation spends close to K45,000 per individual, a significant investment in the future of Malawi’s agriculture.
Ng’onamo’s motivation stems from his experience living in a rural community where most women and youths are jobless, have children and rely on farming as their sole income-generating activity.
“These groups struggle to support their families due to lack of access to modern farming inputs, forcing them to use recycled seeds and ending up in a vicious poverty cycle,” he said.
To address this, AWILI provides chickens for manure, improving sustainable agriculture, livelihoods, and food security.
The organisation plans to support 15,000 women and youth farmers through cooperatives by 2027, ensuring local farmers have access to farm inputs on time for maximum yield.
Beneficiaries of the initiative have expressed gratitude for the programme.
Maxwell Mtambo, chairperson of Tidziwane Producers and Marketing Cooperative, said, “AWILI’s initiative has significantly improved people’s livelihoods, enabling us to pay school fees and invest in animal farming.”
Dickson Maliteni, chairperson of Chitenje Rice Cooperative in Nkhotakota, added: “The program has boosted access to farm inputs, leading to increased productivity and economic growth. Our members have bought motorcycles for business, built decent houses, and more.”
AWILI’s areas of focus include Ntchisi, Lilongwe, Dowa, Salima and Nkhotakota.
For more information, contact Sungeni Ng’onamo at +265 999 60 20 05 .
