FVR LISTENER CLUB UNDERTAKES INCOME GENERATING ACTIVITIES (IGAs)

Chimvano Radio Listener Club - Mushrooms

Mrs. Esnath Kwalira, chairperson of Chimvano Radio Listener Club at Mitundu, Lilongwe, recalls how people in her community wondered skeptically why adults should assemble regularly just to listen to FVR radio agricultural programs when they could use the time to work in their fields and earn a living as they had always done.  “What did not seem to make sense to most people is now the envy of almost everybody”, she reports.

After FVR community sensitization and mobilization activities, the community decided to form a radio listener club called Chimvano (close cooperation).  Although FVR radio programs helped to transform their agricultural practices for increased maize and groundnut harvests, they sought to engage in other rapid turnover agro-business for fast income generation.  The idea of mushroom growing surfaced, and FVR trained the group on income generating activity (IGA) management skills.

Chimvano Club members

The club prepared over 200 plastic carrier bags for culturing the mushroom spawn. The mushrooms were ready for harvesting every six weeks with a yield of about 15 kilograms per week. The club secured a supply tender at Lilongwe Shoprite at a selling rate of K750.00 ($5) per kilogram.

Chimvano Radio Listener Club Members are far better off economically, and no longer wait for long maize growing seasons alone to earn money for their club and their families.  The initiative has silenced original critics, some of whom have since sought membership in the Listener Club.

The club prepared over 200 plastic carrier bags for culturing the mushroom spawn. The mushrooms were ready for harvesting every six weeks with a yield of about 15 kilograms per week. The club secured a supply tender at Lilongwe Shoprite at a selling rate of K750.00 ($5) per kilogram.

Chimvano group in session

Chimvano Radio Listener Club Members are far better off economically, and no longer wait for long maize growing seasons alone to earn money for their club and their families.  The initiative has silenced original critics, some of whom have since sought membership in the Listener Club.