Evangelical Lutheran Development Service

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Evangelical Lutheran Development Service

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Compelled by the love of Christ, ELDS works to empower Malawian communities to reduce poverty and human suffering.

We want for the People of Malawi empowered to exercise their rights and responsibilities in dignity and peace.

25/09/2026

On 24 September 2026, ELDS, in collaboration with OXFAM Malawi, officially handed over the 4-hectare Nkama Irrigation Scheme to Mchinji District Council and the Nkama Farmers Organization in GVH Mzama in Traditional Authority Mduwa, Mchinji District. The scheme was constructed by ELDS under the Reducing Poverty and Inequality (RPI) Project, implemented in Mchinji and Lilongwe districts with support from Oxfam Malawi through the Irish Civil Society Partnership Programme (ICSP), funded by Irish Aid through Oxfam Ireland.

The Nkama Irrigation Scheme is an important investment in climate change adaptation, food security and sustainable livelihoods. The solar powered irrigation system will enable farmers to produce crops throughout the year, supplement rain-fed crop production and diversify into high-value crops. Valued at approximately MWK 86 million, the scheme provides opportunities for the production of high-value crops such as tomatoes, beans and rice, with potential access to markets in Mchinji, Lilongwe and neighboring Zambia.

The Guest of Honour, representing the Mchinji District Commissioner, called upon the community to work together to protect and fully utilize the scheme as a means of contributing to poverty reduction. The District Council also emphasized the importance of strengthening security and safeguarding the irrigation infrastructure. The ceremony was attended by Mchinji District Council officials, Senior Chief Mkanda, the Member of Parliament for the area, representatives from ELDS and OXFAM Malawi, and members of the Nkama Farmers Organization as well as representatives of various media houses.

25/08/2026

FROM GROUNDNUT FARMING TO A THRIVING TAILORING BUSINESS

For 28-year old Exodus Kamangeni of Chamakowo Cooperative in Mchinji, access to quality groundnut seed and collective marketing has opened a new path towards economic empowerment and self-reliance. The Reducing Poverty and Inequality (RPI) project in 2025 distributed 2,500 kilograms of groundnut seed to 7 cooperatives in Mchinji district, with each cooperative receiving 357 kilograms. As a member of Chamakowo Cooperative, Exodus received 35 kilograms of groundnut seed, which he planted on his one acre farm and subsequently harvested 800 kilograms of shelled groundnuts. In line with the cooperative's seed multiplication and sharing arrangement, he returned 150 kilograms of his harvest to the cooperative. The seed returned by members will be redistributed to other members who did not receive seed during the previous season, enabling more farmers to benefit from the initiative. After setting aside the seed contribution, Exodus aggregated 450 kilograms of groundnuts with other cooperative members for collective marketing. By selling together, the farmers secured a price of MWK 4,000 per kilogram, giving Exodus MWK 1.7 million in income from his share of the sale. Rather than spending the proceeds on immediate consumption, Exodus invested in a new livelihood. He purchased a sewing machine for MWK 500,000 and invested a further MWK 400,000 in sewing materials, including wrappers. This enabled him to establish his own tailoring business. Today, his tailoring business generates an average income of MWK 10,000 per day, providing him with an additional and more sustainable source of income for supporting his family.

Exodus attributes his success to the opportunities created through the project and the cooperative approach. He had previously acquired tailoring skills from Nkhwazi Community Skills Development Centre, and the income generated from groundnut farming provided him with the capital needed to turn those skills into a business. Chamakowo Cooperative has so far mobilized 1,440 kilograms of groundnut seed from members who benefited from the project last year, including seed contributed by Exodus. This seed will be distributed to 40 members who did not receive seed during the previous season, allowing them to establish their own groundnut production this year. Farmers who benefited from the seed distribution last year, including Exodus, have also retained seed from their own harvest. Exodus's story demonstrates how agricultural support can go beyond increasing crop production. Access to quality seed enabled him to increase production, while collective marketing helped him obtain a better market price. By investing his agricultural income in a business linked to skills he already possessed, he was able to diversify his livelihood and create a new source of income.

19/08/2026

FROM WATERING CANS TO YEAR-ROUND FARMING: MKAMA SOLAR POWERED IRRIGATION SCHEME BRINGS NEW HOPE TO NASIWODA.

For 54-year-old Nasiwoda Fusilani, a widow and household head of a family of 5 in Group Village Headman Mzama in Traditional Authority Mduwa, Mchinji district, farming has always been key to providing food and income for her family. However, relying solely on rain fed agriculture has often left her household vulnerable to food shortages. Through the Reducing Poverty and Inequality (RPI) Project funded by Irish Aid through OXFAM, ELDS has constructed a 4 hectare solar powered Mkama irrigation scheme at Mzama, creating new opportunities for farmers like Nasiwoda to produce crops beyond the rainy season. During the rainy season, the crops Nasiwoda harvests from her farm are often not enough to meet her household's food needs throughout the year. To bridge this gap, she has traditionally relied on a dambo plot where she grows sweet potatoes, beans and tomatoes using a watering can. The produce provides both food and income. She sells part of her harvest and uses the proceeds to purchase maize and meet other household expenses. However, farming on the dambo plot has been challenging due to unreliable water availability and the labour involved in manual irrigation.

Nonetheless, the construction of the new irrigation scheme is changing this situation. The new solar powered irrigation scheme draws water from the Bua River, providing farmers with a more reliable water source than the seasonal well Nasiwoda previously depended on. For her, this means less time and energy spent carrying water and greater potential to expand production. Nasiwoda expect to increase her harvests and diversify the crops she grows. Most importantly, she will now have an opportunity to grow maize during the winter season, something she could not manage effectively using a watering can.
The establishment of the Mkama solar-powered irrigation scheme aligns with ELDS’s 2026 - 2030 Strategic Plan, particularly Key Result Area 1: Climate-Resilient Livelihoods, Food and Nutrition Security, which seeks to strengthen the capacity of communities to withstand climate-related shocks while improving food production and household livelihoods. At the national level, the initiative also contributes to Malawi's Vision 2063, particularly Pillar 1: Agricultural Productivity and Commercialization.

11/08/2026

Below are some picture highlights from a recent field visit to Kasungu District by our Executive Director and Martina, a representative of our partner, the Evangelical Lutheran Mission in Lower Saxony (ELM), Hermannsburg, Germany.

The visit provided an opportunity to appreciate the progress and impact of interventions being implemented under the Climate Adaptation for Secure Livelihoods in Migrant Communities Project in Traditional Authority Mphomwa, Kasungu District with financial support from ELM. The team engaged with communities and witnessed how project interventions are contributing to climate resilience, sustainable livelihoods, and strengthened community capacity.

11/06/2026

On 10 June 2026, OXFAM and Evangelical Lutheran Development Services (ELDS) handed over a soybean shelling machine and a groundnut shelling machine to Nkhunguyambe Cooperative and Miwawa Youth Cooperative in Traditional Authority Mkanda in Mchinji District.

The handover ceremony was attended by ELDS Executive Director, OXFAM Programmes Manager, Senior Chief Mkanda, Mchinji District Director of Agriculture Services, who represented the District Commissioner and other government officials, community leaders, cooperative members, and stakeholders.
Speaking during the event, the Director of Agriculture Services commended the project for supporting farmer cooperatives with value addition and post-harvest processing machinery. He encouraged the beneficiary cooperatives to make effective use of the equipment to increase productivity, strengthen agricultural commercialization and contribute to the realization of Malawi Vision 2063.

The machinery support was provided under the Reducing Poverty and Inequality (RPI) Project, which is being implemented by ELDS in Mchinji and Lilongwe districts with funding from Irish Aid through OXFAM. A similar handover ceremony is scheduled to take place in Lilongwe District today as the project continues to empower communities to enhance sustainable livelihoods and resilience.

08/06/2026

One of the beneficiaries of the Evangelical Lutheran Mission (ELM) funded Migration and Climate Change Adaptation Project in Traditional Authority Mtwalo, Mzimba District, proudly displaying part of her cowpea harvest.

Through the project, ELDS supported 300 households in Mzimba District with cowpea seed under a pass-on arrangement, improving access to early maturing and drought-tolerant crop varieties. Cowpea production is helping farming households build resilience to climate change by providing a dependable source of food, nutrition, and income, even in the face of erratic rainfall and prolonged dry spells. The crop's ability to thrive under challenging weather conditions is contributing to improved household food security and sustainable livelihoods.

This harvest is a demonstration of how climate smart agriculture is empowering communities to improve food security, build sustainable livelihoods, and reduce vulnerability to climate related shocks.

27/05/2026

From vulnerability to independence, Veronica Milanzi and Alinafe Chipeta are shining examples of the impact of Community Based Vocational Skills Training for the youth under the Evangelical Lutheran Mission (ELM) funded Migration and Climate Change Adaptation Project. After completing tailoring training, the two female youths were supported with sewing machines as start-up materials and are now successfully running their own tailoring business at Dwangwa Trading Centre in T/A Mphomwa, Kasungu District. Their journey reflects how empowering youths with vocational skills and start-up support is creating sustainable livelihoods for vulnerable youth in the face of climate change. Through such initiatives, many youths are now able to earn a living within their communities instead of migrating in search of jobs and better opportunities elsewhere.

08/05/2026

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.

27/04/2026

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.

01/04/2026

ELDS 2025 Annual Report is available for download on our website: www.eldsmw.org
Learn more about the work, achievements and partnerships that made this last year possible.
You can also access the full report using the link below
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lY8EYpgDESTcDNYE1HGQ3OWMbuleWHS9/view?usp=drive_link

Address

Off Chidzanja Road, Chipasula Turn-off
Lilongwe

Telephone

+265884543607

Website

http://eldsmw.org/

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