As part of its mission to promote sustainable agriculture and climate resilience, Imagine Afrika, through the Agroforestry Regenerative Communities (ARC) initiative, facilitated a transformative five-day permaculture training for 20 lead farmers drawn from Nsanje and Chikwawa districts. This training took place at the Permaculture Paradise Institute, where participants gained hands-on skills in regenerative agriculture.

👩‍🌾 Building Local Champions for Regenerative Agriculture

These lead farmers, carefully selected from communities across Nsanje and Chikwawa, were equipped with the knowledge and skills to:

• Implement permaculture design principles and build resilient food systems.

• Utilize green manure cover crops to enhance soil health and moisture retention.

• Reduce dependence on chemical fertilizers through organic farming methods.

• Practice agroforestry by integrating trees and crops for mutual benefit.

Upon return, these farmers have become community educators, helping to scale climate-smart practices across the region.

🌳 Key Interventions & Local Innovations

The ARC initiative in Nsanje and Chikwawa included the following key projects and community-led innovations:

• ✅ Construction of Tree Nurseries: Community-run tree nurseries were established to support reforestation and farm-level agroforestry practices. These nurseries are now a reliable source of indigenous and multi-purpose trees for both environmental restoration and farm productivity.

✅ Demonstrating the Power of Green Manure: During a recent drought year, Willy Maononga’s farm stood out in stark contrast to neighboring fields. While others suffered from withered crops due to extreme heat, Willy’s fields remained green and productive—thanks to the use of green manure cover crops, which retained moisture and improved soil fertility.

• ✅ Livestock-Related Challenges: A major obstacle to adopting green manure practices in Nsanje and Chikwawa is the high population of free-ranging cattle, which often graze on young cover crops. To address this, farmers have started planting Acacia galpinii, a hardy tree species known to act as a natural barrier, protecting crops from livestock intrusion while also enriching the soil.

• ✅ WASH & Sanitation Innovations: Communities were also equipped with chlorine-generating machines and Eco-San toilets, enabling localized water purification and hygienic waste management—critical in flood-prone and remote areas.

• ✅ Humanitarian Relief and Resilience: Following natural disasters that led to the loss of crops, Imagine Afrika supported farmers with tools, seeds, and guidance to recover and rebuild. These interventions have strengthened food security and restored hope among vulnerable households.

🌱 A Regenerative Path Forward

Together, these actions reflect Imagine Afrika’s holistic approach to land restoration, sustainable farming, and community empowerment. The successes in Nsanje and Chikwawa demonstrate how locally appropriate innovations—combined with strong community ownership—can combat the challenges of climate change, land degradation, and food insecurity.