The aquaculture initiative is aimed at reducing the impacts of climate change as an alternative to rain fed agriculture impacted by droughts and pets. The fish farming focuses on empowering rural women and youths through sustainable agriculture and improving household income and contributing to reduced emission from unsustainable practices.
The people of Shiwalala Village of Shiwang’ndu District in Muchinga Province of Zambia have not been spared from the impacts of climate change such as droughts, pests, floods, high cost of living, under representation of women in community led initiatives as well as expensive farming inputs for women led agriculture. Majority of the women and young girls of Shiwalala village of Shiwang’ndu District are vulnerable and poor living below a dollar for an average family of 8. In order to build resilience and respond to the dare situation of persistent droughts and pests, Shiwalala women led club called Mutule Women’s club, started a club as a response to the most critical and pressing issues affecting young women and women by setting up aquaculture production.
The club started in 2008 and established the aquaculture fish farming in 2018 with 20 members composing of 15 young women aged 18 - 35 and 5 adult women above 36yrs. Most women and young women in Shiwalala Village of Shiwang’ndu District, realized that the cost of living was becoming expensive day by day as they could not grow anything enough for their families. The members sought to liberate themselves by ensuring a just transition engagement in climate resilient sustainable agriculture of fish farming. The initiative is anchored on women leadership and empowerment of young women though sustainable fish farming by ensuring that there is reduced carbon emission as well as ensuring majority of women who bare the blunt of the impacts of climate crisis are in the forefront leading the initiative.
The initiative is young women led, which focuses on reducing the impacts of climate change by promoting environmentally friendly initiatives such as aquaculture, reducing hunger and poverty. The initiative of aquaculture in Shiwalala promotes sustainable agriculture which aims to reduce carbon emissions by using organic fish farming through the process of fish production. The club has the community has the target for the market as well as primary beneficiaries of the programme. Mutule women’s clubs uses batter system as a business model in which they focus of growing local foods for local communities and villages. The business currently does not have much competition as the area remains underdeveloped. The club aims to produce organic fish for the locals and saturate the entire Shiwang’ndu for market and aims to train women and young girls while conserving the environment.
Mutule Women’s Club since 2018, when it started has engaged more than 500 youths and women in training them fish farming as an alternative to rain fed agriculture which is now being impacted by droughts due to climate change. The club within the local community of Shiwang’ndu has been working with youth and women in empowering them with skills in sustainable farming and promoting organic production which protects the environment especially discouraging local communities to move away from charcoal production to fish farming. The club has been working with cooperatives as a model of training communities in sustainable environmental management. Mutule Women’s Club has managed to train 4 cooperatives with an average of 30 members in each cooperative translating into meeting a target of 600 farmers within Shiwang’ndu district. The club has been proactive in demonstrating alternatives at government events such as the agriculture block shows, district shows and local community displays.
Mutule Women’s Club is a vibrant club led by women and young women, which has managed to secure land amounting to 20 hectors square for the club. The women have been trained in fish farming, feeding, management and organic feed production. The club trains its members in Savings and Internal Lending Communities (SILC) as well as financial literacy. The club led by women dug two fish bonds measuring 20X30 meters squared with 250 fish fingerings supported by Peace Corps organization only. The club currently has 3000 fish fingerings in the fishponds. The initiative has costs such as feed especially if feed is not locally produced, however, Mutule Women’s Club grows soya beans which it uses to produce local feed. Currently, the Club has the support of the government through the ministry of livestock and fisheries, department of environment and agriculture. The initiative has no legal conflicts as the government is currently supporting aquaculture. The club has more than 5yrs in fish farming and promoting organic production.
The club has well experienced in aquaculture production, organic farming and women empowerment with the focus of helping young vulnerable girls. The club is led by females with 95 % majority being female youths, 3% being young women and 2% women. The club has a lot of experience working with rural communities, in conducting community engagements, and sharing some best practices. However, the club’s initiative is feasible in offering trainings and capacity building to local’s young women and young female youths.
Aquaculture is part of the fisheries and livestock policy in Zambia as an alternative to dependence on rain fed maize agriculture with chemical fertilizer. Zambia is currently promoting green economy with the view of ensuring environmental sustainability and this is also the global focus. Mutule Women’s club has attracted the attention of the district administration office who is also promoting the same initiative. Aquaculture with the focus on fish farming is among the most viable alternatives in the district especially with increased cost and effects of chemical fertilizers due to climate change. The initiatives require land, security fencing of the fishponds and source of materials for feed production such as soya beans, chicken dropping and goat dropping.
Opportunities Available
What should we do next?
As Mutule Women Club there is need for a budget to Finance the following: