Evangelical Lutheran Development Service

On Thursday, 7th May 2026, we hosted PELUM Uganda, the Consortium Lead for the Rooted in Diversity (RiD) Project, on a field visit in Nkhotakota. Three Farmer Field Schools(FFS), Tiyanjane FFS, Chisomo FFS, and Tigwilane FFS located in Nsenjere EPA under Traditional Authority Kanyenda where visited during the field visit. With financial support from Norad, OXFAM, in partnership with the Department of Agricultural Research Services (DARS), Centre for Integrated Community Development (CICOD) and Evangelical Lutheran Dvelopment Service (ELDS), is implementing the Rooted in Diversity: Partnerships for Food Security and Livelihoods project in Malawi in Dowa and Nkhotakota Districts. The project aims to strengthen food and nutrition security, enhance agrobiodiversity, and promote climate-resilient local food systems among farmers to participate in identification of solution towards attainment of their agrobiodiversity and resilient food systems. It targets smallholder farmers in Dowa and Nkhotakota districts, where access to diverse crop varieties, nutritious food, and resilient agricultural practices remains limited due to factors such as climate variability, low dietary diversity, and underutilization of local food species. The project uses the Farmer Field School (FFS) model and is implemented through three key approaches: Local Food Plants (LFP), Participatory Plant Breeding (PPB) and Local Value Chain (LVC).

During the visit, farmers showcased their strong commitment to agroecological practices and the preservation of local seed varieties. Across all three Farmer Field Schools, diversity blocks have been established to multiply planting materials for Local Food Plants and Neglected and Underutilized Species (NUS) including rice, Bambara nuts, pigeon peas cowpeas, maize, cassava, sorghum, millet and groundnuts. Through these initiatives, the farmers are enhancing household food security while conserving indigenous crop varieties that are well suited to local climatic conditions.

From 21 to 23 April 2026, we held our Planning and Review Meeting at Lakeview Hotel in Salima, bringing together our project officers from across our impact districts to reflect on the past year and plan the way forward. Over the three days, we reviewed our achievements, shared best practices in project implementation, and openly discussed the challenges we encountered. These reflections allowed us to draw valuable lessons that will help strengthen our work and improve our impact in the year ahead.

The meeting was officially opened by our Board Chairperson, Rev. Bertha Mnkhondya, who reminded the participants that this was a moment for honest self-evaluation. She emphasized the importance of teamwork and collective effort in achieving our goals and serving our communities effectively.

As we move forward, we remain committed to learning, improving, and working together to deliver meaningful and sustainable change and restoring hope for the hopeless.

On 28 January 2026, our Executive Director joined local leaders, Bwengu EPA staff, forestry officers and community members from GVH Chipusile Gondwe in Traditional Authority Jalavikuba, Mzimba District, during a tree planting exercise following the national official launch of the 2025/2026 tree planting season. The exercise marked an important step in strengthening community-led efforts to protect the environment and promote sustainable natural resource management.

Through our ongoing Climate Resilience and Sustainable Livelihoods Project II in T/A Jalavikuba, we are promoting tree planting by supporting establishment of community tree nurseries, training community members in tree nursery management and planting techniques, and integrating agroforestry practices into farming systems. The project works closely with extension workers, Village Natural Resources Management Committees (VNRMCs) and local leadership to ensure that households not only plant trees but also care for them until maturity.

We remain committed to supporting communities like GVH Chipusile Gondwe in building a greener, more resilient future for generations to come.