Farmers' Cooperative in Rural Malawi Transforms Lives, Improves Livelihoods

Malawi: In TA Mphomwa, Kasungu, Malawi, a small country in southern Africa, a group of farmers have formed the Bowe Mission Farmer's Association (BOMFA) Cooperative in order to improve their lives and the lives of their families.

BOMFA, which started in 2005, was previously supported by the Rural Livelihood Economic and Enhancement Programme (RLEEP), and it is now collaborating with the Transforming Agriculture Through Diversification and Entrepreneurship (TRADE) Programme to improve its Agro-processing capabilities.

The farmers, who come from a variety of different backgrounds, are united by their desire to lift themselves out of poverty and build a better future for themselves and their communities.

One of the key ways that the farmers have been able to do this is by producing cooking oil. The cooperative has invested in the necessary equipment and resources to process oil from locally grown crops, such as sunflowers.

In addition to producing cooking oil, BOMFA Cooperative is also working to improve the lives of its members in other ways. For example, the cooperative has set up a credit system to help members access loans and invest in their farms.

Dexter Pilingu, another cooperative member from Kasungu, says BOMFA Cooperative has changed his life in every way.

Overall, the BOMFA Cooperative has transformed the lives of farmers in rural Malawi by providing them with access to resources and support that they need to increase their crop yields, access credit, and improve their livelihoods.