Center for Community Organisation and Development

11/05/2026

🌍 has officially kicked off in Manila, Philippines, and CCODE is proud to be participating as part of the SDI delegation.

In his opening remarks, the IIED Director, Tom Mitchell reminded participants that the time for neckties is over, and that the time has come for all of us to roll up our sleeves and be on the ground with climate action.

Representing the REDAA project, CCODE co facilitated a session on Nature Based Urban Solutions for urban resilience, sharing lessons and experiences from the REDAA project currently being implemented in the cities of Lilongwe and Mzuzu.

The session explored what makes urban NbS work in practice, including community stewardship, inclusive planning, contested land and governance dynamics, and livelihood sensitive restoration. The discussions highlighted the importance of locally led action and community knowledge in building resilient and sustainable cities.



Slum Dwellers International - SDI.
Know Your City TV Malawi
fans
Youth Corner Malawi
Know Your City. TV

22/04/2026

Yesterday the Center for Community Organisation and Development CCODE and the Federation of the Rural and Urban Poor had the pleasure of being hosted to a meeting by the new Chief Executive of Lilongwe City, Mr Clement Stambuli at his offices in Lilongwe.

Lilongwe City Council and CCODE have been strategic partners in urban development for quite a long time.

Our meeting mainly focused on :

✅Land regularisation in informal settlements as a pathway to strengthen tenure security and unlock service delivery

✅The meeting also discussed opportunities within the circular economy in waste management. Looking beyond composting to innovative ,livelihoods driven models that create jobs, reduce environmental risks and contribute to fighting urban poverty in Malawi.

✅To collaborate on the operationalisation of the newly constituted CDF, ensuring it responds to the needs of informal settlements and supports sustainable community development.

Yesterday gave us another assurance and hope in service to the communities we work with.
Know Your City TV Malawi
Slum Dwellers International - SDI.
Tilitonse Foundation

17/04/2026

30 years of Slum upgrading
30 years of women empowerment
30 years of serving the marginalised
30 years of grassroots mobilisation
30 years of improving livelihoods.

UMEME

17/04/2026

10/04/2026

Challenges within communities are often overlooked or under-prioritized, largely because those responsible for planning and implementing development interventions lack a clear, lived understanding of the realities on the ground. Without direct exposure, it becomes difficult to grasp the urgency and scale of these challenges. To bridge this gap, CCODE, together with federation members and community leaders, conducted community degradation assessment exercises to identify and document key areas of concern and propose solutions to the problems.

Challenges within communities are often overlooked or under-prioritized, largely because those responsible for planning and implementing development interventio

02/04/2026

Life, neglect, and survival along a forgotten passage in Mzuzu


Mzuzu, a city of approximately 280,000 people in northern Malawi, is among the fastest-growing urban centers in the country, with an annual growth rate of about 4.27 percent. While this rapid expansion reflects its rising economic importance and its role as a regional hub, growth at this pace is not without consequence. It is evident that the expansion has outpaced infrastructure and public service delivery.

The result is a mounting urban crisis in Mzuzu. Solid waste management has become one of the most visible challenges. With limited collection capacity and weak enforcement, garbage is increasingly dumped in open spaces, drainage channels, and along footpaths. Over time, these sites evolve into informal and illegal dumping grounds, posing serious environmental and public health risks.

In Mzuzu one such a place stands out

There is a narrow strip of land between St. John of God and the busy M1 Road.

Life, neglect, and survival along a forgotten passage in Mzuzu   Mzuzu, a city of approximately 280,000 people in northern Malawi, is among the fastest

28/03/2026

We are delighted to announce that the Center for Community Organisation and Development and Habitat for Humanity Malawi have entered into a formal relationship in Mzuzu.

HFHM whose vision is to see a Malawi where everyone has a decent place to live is implementing a Home Equals project in Mzuzu.

The project which will deliver safe and decent homes in Nkhorongo and Geisha communities will see the two organizations work together closely where CCODE through the Federation for Rural and Urban Poor will mobilize the would be beneficiaries into Savings and Loans groups.

We will keep you updated for more…
Slum Dwellers International - SDI.
Know Your City TV Malawi
Tilitonse Foundation
Know Your City. TV

24/03/2026

We are thrilled to host Mikkel Aagaard Harder from the Slum Dwellers International - SDI. Secretariat in Cape Town. Mikkel is SDI Partnerships Manager leading the development of partnerships for the transformation of slums.

Mikkel is visiting on his official capacity to support Center for Community Organisation and Development organizational development efforts.

So far there have been meetings with CCODE staff and Federation leadership. Discussions have ranged from reviewing Systems Audit which was recently conducted, Federation building and our sustainability efforts.

Know Your City. TV
Know Your City TV Malawi
Tilitonse Foundation

20/03/2026

Extreme rains in Lilongwe are exposing the climate vulnerability of low-income urban communities

Mrs. Botha stood frozen at the entrance of her compound in Area 25, Sector 9 Lilongwe. Staring in disbelief. As she moved closer, reality sank in.
“When I got closer, I realised it was my house,”she recalls. Mrs. Botha, a vegetable vendor at her local market, had left home that morning as she always did to earn a living for her four children.

As she approached her home from the market, she noticed something unusual: her children were outside, surrounded by neighbours. There was dust in the air. Bricks scattered across the ground.
Then she saw it. It now dawned on her. Her house had collapsed. “I was at the market ordering vegetables for my business. “When I was coming back, I saw my children outside with people gathered in my compound. When I got closer, I realized it was my home,” she said.
Mrs. Botha is a widow.

Extreme rains in Lilongwe are exposing the climate vulnerability of low-income urban communities Mrs. Botha stood frozen at the entrance of her compound in

20/03/2026

Click on the link to enjoy our latest blogpost

International women’s day 2026 As the world marked International Women’s Day on March 8, 2026, the global theme “Give to Gain” reminds us of a simple b

14/03/2026

Yesterday we introduced our new project at the Lilongwe Urban Executive Committee at the Civic Centre.

Center for Community Organisation and Development is implementing a

REVOLUTIONALISING THE USE OF GEOSPATH DATA FOR CLIMATE-HEALTH AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES.

The project is being implemented in collaboration with Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT) in Mtandire.

The research project is a response to limited geospatial data constrains effective disease surveillance and response in informal settlements like Mtandire.

The project’s aim is to strengthen the use of geospatial data and digital mapping tools to improve understanding, prevention, and response to climate‑sensitive infectious diseases in vulnerable communities.

The data collection tools to be used are drone‑based and field data collection. In this project in Mtandire, the community will co-design the mapping activities as well be trained on mapping tools to enhance capacity for community‑driven climate‑health action.

Slum Dwellers International - SDI.
Lilongwe City Council
Know Your City. TV
International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED)
Know Your City TV Malawi
Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT)


OpenStreetMap Team
Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT)