Humana People to People to enhance presence, activities in Malawi
Humana People to People has promised its continued presence and support to Malawi after being encouraged by President Joyce Banda’s visionary leadership, which aims to eradicate poverty through economic growth, wealth creation and the preservation of people’s freedom and dignity.
Humana People to People operates in many countries across the globe through its 32 members that constitute a movement of development organizations. In Malawi, the organization has operated under the ‘Development Aid from People to People’ (DAPP) for the past 18 years.
Humana People to People is an organization that was established to help in fighting different social and economic problems that the poor face. With branches in over 30 countries, work with poor and rural communities in agricultural development, promoting good health and fighting HIV, training of primary school teachers and skilled craftsmen, protecting the environment and creating economic development.
Speaking after she had an audience with President Banda in New York, USA, on Friday, Director of Humana People to People, Marie Lichtenberg, said she met the Malawi leader to assure her that her organization will continue implementing the various programmes and enhance them to benefit a lot more communities.
Lichtenberg said in her discussion with the President, they discussed how best her organization can complement efforts and objectives of the two presidential initiatives of Hunger and Poverty Eradication and Maternal Health and Safe motherhood.
She said that it is her organization’s desire to work closely with the Malawi Government is scaling up teachers’ training and in developing the agriculture sector, particularly supporting the ‘farmers’ club’ concept being resuscitated by the Banda administration.
“We want to work closely with Malawi Government in the fight against hunger and poverty and the improvement of maternal health; we’ve seen passion in the President to rift Malawians out of poverty and as a developmental international organizations, we are more than motivated to assist,” said Lichtenberg.
During the meeting, President Banda as part of her vision to eradicate poverty, her administration had identified specific cash and food crops to target for enhanced production for both commercial and consumption purposes. She cited cassava as one of the crops.
“We have identified four districts (Karonga, Rumphi, Nkhata Bay and Nkhota Kota) where we want to promote cassava production particularly because cassava is grown both as a staple and for sale. All along, women ferment cassava in water that is unhygienic and my desire is to bring clean water to all the villages in these districts that that women use clean water to ferment their cassava,” said President Banda, urging on DAPP in Malawi to assist with both technical and financial support in this endeavour.
The Humana People to People Director said, beside their own efforts to help Malawians, they would also approach “wealthy organizations and individuals in the United States” to assist Malawi in various areas.
