Success Story 4

Nsanama Cassava Women's Producers and Marketing Cooperative

Location: Mbonera EPA, Traditional Authority Nsanama.

Products and Services: cassava production, processing of High-Quality Cassava Flour (HQCF) and cassava seed multiplication.

Origins and support

Registered in 2008 through the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism, for women facing gender based violence. In 2008 it had 10 members and this increased to 42 in 2017. Since 2008 the group ventured into various businesses from selling maize bran to cassava production and processing. The group has worked with GIZ since 2016 through C:AVA in cassava seed multiplication and production of High Quality Cassava Flour. In 2017 and 2019 the group was engaged with UMODZI Consulting to be trained and coached in business management.

Mission

To improve the livelihood of the members by selling of High Quality Cassava Flour.

Key achievements

• Understood the necessary ratios of mixing HQCF and wheat flour for cooking confectioneries
• Conducted annual general elections after 6 years of lack of leadership change
• Initiated effective financial record keeping and monthly reporting system
• Purchased land for cassava seed multiplication
• Identified a market and supply 2 tonnes of HQCF after 2 months
• Aggregate more than 2000kgs of fresh cassava monthly from members

Challenges

Some of the challenges the cooperative faced included; inability to supply to Supermarkets due to lack of MBS certification, lack of employees to guard the warehouse and lack of solar dryer for HQCF during rainy season.

Future plans

• Understand procedures for certification of High Quality Cassava Flour by Malawi Bureau of Standards to package and sale in retail shops
• Employ well trained and skilled manager
• Purchase a 3 tonne vehicle for ease of transportation of HQCF
• Process 500 Kgs of HQCF per week