Mchisa is a village in Mangochi, one of the most arid areas in Malawi. Farming is very challenging and depends heavily on the rain season, and food insecurity is a regular problem. We have supported these farmers to organize themselves and become an Irrigation Scheme. Since 2021, a solar powered water supply enables agriculture on over 2 hectares of land.
Project summary
The need
For the farmers to make meaningful progress and build resilience, reliable, year-round access to water was essential. Without irrigation, crop production was inconsistent, limiting food supply and income. The absence of this key factor left over 50 farmer families struggling to escape poverty and more than 5,000 community members vulnerable to food shortages.
The solution
To address the challenge, we implemented two solar systems (2 kWp each) to power two electric pumps, which supply water to two 10,000-liter storage tanks. This pipework infrastructure is designed for future scalability, allowing for potential project expansion. Solar-powered irrigation now enables farming on 2 hectares (ha) of land, ensuring sustainable agricultural production. Additionally, farmers received tailored training to enhance their farming techniques and optimize the benefits of solar irrigation.
Impact
The Mchisa solar-powered irrigation project has uplifted more than 50 farmer families, improving their livelihoods by replacing labor-intensive manual watering with an efficient solar-powered system. This transformation has increased cultivation capacity and crop yields, enhancing food security for over 5,000 community members. Farmers now generate higher incomes, allowing them to afford education for their children and sustain their families. The project's success has established a strong foundation for future expansion, promising continued community development and long-term resilience in the region. This initiative contributes to SDGs 2 and 7.
Impact story
Mchisa’s Solar Irrigation Revolution
“The shift from water cans to the efficient solar irrigation system not only liberated us from hard and heavy work but also enabled us to cultivate larger plots of land in the same amount of time and with the same effort. Currently, I am able to pay school fees for my daughter and feed my family through the returns I…”