Building a team is one of the most critical steps towards successful implementation of development projects. In a spirit of promoting team work, cooperation and collaboration, the Greenbelt Authority recently underwent a team building exercise which saw its staff members and interns learning how to work together towards common goals.

The Greenbelt Authority (GBA) has pledged commitment to open engagement with communities it serves, as a way of facilitating transparency and accountability.

The Authority recently engaged stakeholders in projects which it is implementing in Karonga, Nkhatabay, Salima, Mangochi and Chikwawa Districts on its compliance to ATIA and how the communities can benefit from the law.

Speaking during one of the sensitization meetings, GBA's Director of Corporate Services Rachel Silungwe said the organisation was trying its best to abide by all applicable laws in its work to serve Malawians better.

Silungwe said GBA takes the ATIA seriously as it realises the dangers of concealing information from the general public.

"Where there's lack of information, there's room for speculations and misunderstandings. GBA aims to build a good relationship with the public, the community we serve and other stakeholders," she said.

Sub Traditional Authority Mwangolera of Karonga hailed GBA for engaging with the public and its affirmation to be cooperative in the provision of information.

He said, "GBA has always opened up to the public, which is a very good thing because it promotes trust and honesty".

Media personnel across the Greenbelt Authority's project areas recently vowed to support implementation of the projects in order to ensure Malawians' benefits.

The pen pushers based in the project districts of Karonga, Nkhatabay, Mangochi, Salima, Chikwawa and Thyolo made the commitment during orientation sessions that the Authority conducted in the project sites as a way of enlightening the media on GBA work across the country.

The Greenbelt Authority conducted the media orientation meetings as one way of opening up the fulfilment of the Access to Information Law, as well as creating familiarisation of the Authority's work with the general public.

Speaking during one of the sessions in Karonga District, Director of Irrigation Operations Dr. Chisomo Kumbuyo said the GBA fully understands the role that media plays in bridging the gap between institutions and right holders, hence the need for media to play their role positively.

"As members of the media you need to be the first ones to understand projects such as the one that you have here under GBA so that you can be able to write positively about it and civic educate the masses here on how they can support the project as well as benefit from it all together," he said.

He further went on to invite members of the media to play the watch-dog role in protecting government investments, reminding them that they are citizens first, before they identify as media personnel.

"When government invests, it invests our money, all of us. So even before you play your usual role of as media, remember it is your tax money, and if anything wrong is going on, you need to play the good citizen role and report to authorities so that government investments can be protected," he emphasized.

In agreement, President for Karonga Press Club, Jordan Phiri commended the Greenbelt Authority for considering media sensitization a critical part of its projects implementation, adding the meeting was an eye opener.

He said at times media personnel end up reporting negatively or wrongly about issues simply because there was not enough information in their possession, as such the GBA sensitization was a stitch in time.

"On behalf of my colleagues, I would like to reaffirm our commitment to accord you with all the support required for your projects to receive citizen ownership and participation," Phiri said.

In a similar vein, his Salima counterpart, Fostina Kamanga of Malawi News Agency found the orientation session being a key activity that allowed her team to positively interact with the GBA in reportage of its projects.

The Greenbelt Authority is implementing projects at Nthola-Ilola in Karonga, Lweya in Nkhatabay, Chikwawa Scheme in Salima, Mlambe in Mangochi and Nchalo and Mwananjobvu in Chikwawa District.

The Greenbelt Authority (GBA) recently reaffirmed its commitment to refrain indulgence in corrupt practices in the execution of its operations.

GBA's Chief Executive Officer, Eric Dudley Chidzungu made the solid commitment on the sidelines of an orientation session for the organisation's instituted Institutional Integrity Committee (IIC).

According to Chidzungu the Authority understands the critical need to safeguard tax payers' money with which it operates, in order for it to deliver on its goals, hence the establishment and orientation of the committee.

"At GBA we value transparency and accountability that's why we engaged the Anti-Corruption Bureau to orient our IIC which will be working hand in hand with ACB in preventing and fighting corruption internally and externally," explained Chidzungu.

The National Anti-Corruption Strategy II (NACS II) establishes the Institutional Integrity Committees to exist in public institutions with an aim of playing the role of internal controls against the occurrence of corrupt practices as well as assist in dealing with cases of corruption after occurrence.

Speaking in an interview, Anti-Corruption Bureau's Principal Public Relations Officer, Egrita Ndala commended the move by GBA in establishing the committee.

In a stride towards agricultural excellence, Greenbelt Greenhouse Limited (GGL), a subsidiary of the prestigious Greenbelt Authority, has demonstrated its commitment to growth and sustainability.

Since November, 2023, GGL has marked a significant milestone as it has consistently cultivated prosperity, exporting a total of 70 tons of premium Bell pepper to South Africa, valued at over $65,000; reinforcing its position as a leader in the country’s agricultural sector.

This achievement not only showcases GGL's dedication to quality and service but also highlights the company's pivotal role in the economic growth of the country.

Tamandani Chanza, the Sales and Marketing Manager for GGL, emphasizes the dual impact of these exports.

"Our efforts extend beyond mere transactions; they are a testament of our potential in generating foreign exchange and supporting the country's import substitution strategy," says Chanza.

Speaking on GGL’s competitive edge in a market dominated by South Africa; one of the global leaders in food and vegetable exports, Chanza emphasized the company’s stringent quality control measures that it has set on its produce.

“From greenhouse to packaging, we ensure precision and regulation, particularly in water, fertilizer, pesticide usage, and even light exposure for the plants,” she explained.

The project, which began four years ago, has played a crucial role in the domestic market and contributed to the reduction of fruits and vegetable imports in the country.This development also aligns closely with President Lazarus Chakwera’s vision, as articulated in his 4^th State of the Nation Address, where he advocated for agricultural commercialization as a solution to the economic hurdles faced in the country.

Mesiya Moleni, the Agriculture Production Manager for the Greenbelt Authority, echoes this sentiment saying the trajectory that GBA has set for GGL aligns perfectly its overarching goal of national development.

“These exports are not just about revenue; they're about setting a precedent for the future of agriculture in our country,” Moleni asserts.

He further highlighted the initial challenges in market penetration, with a focus on international markets.

“The breakthrough with South Africa has opened doors for expansion. We are currently negotiating with the Democratic Republic of Congo and Botswana, and we are very pleased with GGL’s performance,” Moleni elaborated.

As GGL targets external markets and opens the export door to South Africa, it stands as a beacon of innovation and resilience.

The company's journey is more than an entrepreneurial venture; it is a narrative of empowerment, progress, and unwavering dedication to the betterment of Malawi.

Minister of Agriculture, Sam Dalitso Kawale, recently reiterated government’s commitment to support the Chikwawa Irrigation Scheme under the Greenbelt Authority, in Salima District.

He was speaking in appreciations for a good workmanship the Greenbelt Authority put up at the 100 hectare Chikwawa Irrigation Scheme during the 2023/24 growing season.

He said the Authority’s work was inline with his Ministry's obligation of guaranteeing adequate food supply towards total eradication of hunger in Malawi.

“I must admit I am very impressed with the work that the Greenbelt Authority has done here in Salima, and I would not be wrong to predict that government will earn a lot of yield from this farm. This is what we need as government in order to move forward,” he added.

The Greenbelt Authority cultivated at 100 hectares of the 500 hectares available at the Chikwawa Irrigation Scheme in Salima during the past rain-fed agriculture season, as a way of contributing to government’s efforts to eradicate hunger.

Kawale further highlighted that in government’s plan, 200,000 hectares had been earmarked for irrigation across the country, adding that the Ministry was hopeful that the initiative would empower farmers more, ensuring that the actual cultivation is done by them, rather than the government.

In his remarks, Board Chairperson for the Greenbelt Authority, Wester Peter Kosamu outlined an ambitious goal of securing K10 billion to extend irrigation to a 1,000 hectares land in the same area, which he says is crucial for the expansion of the scheme and the realization of its full potential.

On the ground, the impact of the Chikwawa Irrigation Scheme is outstanding as it has provided employment to about 140 casual workers from the community, who are eager to display assets earned through working in the GBA farm.

Owen Kasonda, a local farmer and one of the many beneficiaries of the scheme, shares his uplifting journey which started with a simple idea of starting livestock farming from the money he got from GBA.

“When I joined as a labourer, I decided that I was going to use my money to buy chickens and start keeping them; however afterwards my dream got bigger that currently my livestock keeping includes four goats, but my goal is to have at least 20 of them. I know it will happen.” He explains with excitement.

 Equally, a 61-year-old single mother of four, Kelita Layison, expressed her joy over a positive change in her ability to address household needs; “thanks to the income generated from working in the fields,” she says.

She managed to rent a hectare of land from the money she realised from piece works at the GBA farm, and managed to cultivate maize, geared to feed her family this year.

The Greenbelt Authority is working against a goal of achieving a 300 Billion Kwacha Investment in the next five to seven years, the Authority recently revealed.

The Greenbelt Authority and Mpatsa Holdings Limited in July signed a shareholding agreement to form a joint company through which the two parties are expected to work together in implementing irrigation and livestock agriculture projects.

South African Members of Parliament from the KwaZulu Natal Province have tipped the Malawi Government on the possibility of sugarcanes being the answer to the country’s financial entanglements.