In Zebediya Zighili Village, Traditional Authority Kampingo Sibande in Mzimba District, farming is no longer a tale of struggle and uncertainty for enterprising women like Efrida Nyirenda.
She is a farmer to watch in the Kaperemehe Network Group, supported by the Empowering Women and Youth in Agriculture in Malawi (Ewaya).
The Ministry of Agriculture implements the project with funding from the Government of Flanders in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
The initiative is redefining agriculture in rural parts of the country by equipping women and youth with modern farming skills, improved inputs and access to better markets.
In the vast district's Eswazini Extension Planning Area, where common beans and honey production are the main focus, Ewaya has introduced climate-smart practices, value addition and leadership training -- turning farming into a profitable, respected profession.
Once constrained by limited access to costly farm inputs and low awareness of high-yielding farming methods, Nyirenda has become a shinning example of how targeted agricultural support can transform lives.
Before the project's arrival, Nyirenda and her fellow farmers faced a litany of challenges. The price of hybrid seeds and fertiliser were beyond her reach and soil conservation practices were largely unknown.
Drought years brought devastating losses, as crops withered under erratic rains.
"We did not have hybrid seeds or fertiliser, and we did not practice soil conservation," she recalls. "Now, we use compost manure, which keeps moisture even when the rains are scarce."
Knowledge is power
Through training sessions under Ewaya project, Nyirenda learned how to stretch limited resources further, multiplying her fertiliser and yields in the process.
Previously, two bags of fertiliser were all Nyirenda could afford in a season. Today, she knows how to complement them with compost manure, effectively multiplying their value and improving soil health.
"When you buy two bags of fertiliser now, it's like having ten -- because you know how to make and apply compost," Nyirenda says.
Her transformation is visible in the sacks of beans stacked in her home.
With just five kilogrammes of hybrid bean seed provided by the project, combined with compost manure, Nyirenda harvested three bucketfuls amid challenging weather conditions.
Two buckets will be sold when prices peak, potentially earning her up to K300000, which she plans to reinvest in fertiliser.
The third bucket will be replanted to multiply her stock.
"The trainings have made us financially independent," she says. "I have also learned to lead by example, making sure everyone counts."
Nyirenda is the chairperson of her group.
She champions women's leadership in agriculture.
Nyirenda believes women bring responsibility and foresight to farming incomes, often prioritising household needs such as school fees and nutritious meals.
"Women suffer a lot when only men have access to money," she explains. "When women are empowered, families benefit."
Self-reliance
Beyond her gains, Nyirenda sees Ewaya as a catalyst for long-term community resilience.
She encourages her peers to remain committed to the project's lessons, even after donor support ends.
With savings groups, market linkages and improved farming methods now embedded in daily practice, she envisions a community where women and youth thrive as independent agricultural entrepreneurs.
The project aims to enhance the participation of women and the youth in high-value agricultural value chains through skills training, access to quality inputs, market linkages and climate-smart agriculture practices.
In Eswazini, it empowers local communities to boost beans and honey production, empowering farmers to move from subsistence farming to sustainable agribusiness.
Before the initiative, Melifa Mhone's beehives were often abandoned by bees due to pests like frogs, ants and mice.
"We didn't know how to keep them healthy," she recalls. Training sessions taught her how to protect hives, maintain hygiene and regularly monitor bee colonies.
Starting with the two hives of her own, Mhone harvested 17 kilogrammes of honey in her first season and 35kg the next.
She saved K700 000 through her village savings group and finally bought a sofa she could only dream of.
"Now when visitors come, they sit on comfortable chairs and my heart is at peace," she says with a smile.
For John Gwayi, a young farmer from Pitala Gwayi Village, T/A Mzikubola in the district, says most young people "didn't take farming seriously and could not afford farm inputs".
"Buyers paid us very little," he recalls.
That changed with improved seed varieties and precision planting techniques introduced by Ewaya.
From just five kilogrammes of seed planted on half an acre, John harvested 160kg of beans despite erratic rains. Now he is multiplying his stock in dambos and preparing to plant one hectare.
"If I get the yields I expect, I could make K5 million," he says, "Farming is a rewarding business opportunity for young people."