LocationsGrowing Change: How Women and Youth in Eswazini, Mzimba Are Turning Agriculture into Opportunity
October 3, 2025
In Eswazini, Mzimba, farming is no longer a last resort. Through the EWAYA project, women and youth are turning beans and honey into income, leadership, and dignity.
In Eswazini Extension Planning Area in Mzimba, the hum of bees in the forest merges with the chant of young farmers walking home from their fields. Just a few years ago, this area told a different story — one of untapped potential, economic hardship, and youth disillusionment.
Many young people regarded farming as a last resort, women worked tirelessly with little reward, and local produce often fetched low prices due to poor quality, limited market access, and a lack of modern farming techniques.
That narrative is changing through the Empowering Women and Youth in Agriculture in Malawi (EWAYA) project, funded by the Government of Flanders and implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
Launched to increase women’s and youth’s participation in high-value agricultural value chains, EWAYA in Eswazini focuses on honey production and common beans. The project provides modern farming skills, high-quality inputs, and access to better markets, while also encouraging savings, reinvestment, and leadership among its members.
From Empty Hives to Sweet Success
With proceeds from her honey sales, Melifa Matilda Mhone fulfilled a long-held dream — purchasing her very first sofa.
For women like Melifa Matilda Mhone, in Kaperemehe under Traditional Authority Kampingo Sibande, Mzimba, the change has been personal and profound. Before EWAYA, her 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 just two hives of her own, Melifa harvested 17kg of honey in her first season and 35kg the next. She saved MWK 700,000 through her village savings group and finally bought something she had dreamed of since 2001 — a sofa set for her home. “Now when visitors come, they sit on chairs, and my heart is at peace,” she says with a smile.
Youth Taking the Lead in Farming
John Gwayi turned 5kg of seed into 160kg of beans on half an acre. Next season, he’s aiming for a full hectare.
For John Gwayi, a young farmer from Pitala Gwayi village, under Traditional Authority Mzikubola, Mzimba, agriculture once seemed like a dead end.
“Before EWAYA, most young people in this area lacked productive opportunities and often engaged in unconstructive activities. We didn’t take farming seriously. We had no inputs, and buyers paid us very little,” he recalls.
That changed when EWAYA introduced improved seed varieties and taught him precision planting techniques, 60–70cm ridge spacing, double rows, and measured fertiliser application.
From just 5 kilogrammes of seed planted on half an acre, John harvested 160 kilograms 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 MWK 5 million,” he says, confident that farming is now a real business opportunity for young people.
Raising Standards in Honey Processing
In Kapirinkhunga, Mzimba, Tomas Lungu shows how clean production and modern equipment are turning honey into a market-ready product.
Still in Mzimba, in Kapirinkhunga under Traditional Authority Kampingo Sibande, Tomas Lungu demonstrates that clean production and proper handling can enhance market opportunities. Before EWAYA, honey was stored in old, unhygienic bottles and extracted without suitable protective gear. With modern equipment, including smokers, gloves, sieves, and hygienic storage containers, Tomas can now produce and package honey that meets high market standards.
“The buyers we work with now expect quality, and we can deliver it,” he says.
From Struggle to Stability — Efrida Nyirenda’s Journey
Efrida Nyirenda turned 5kg of hybrid bean seed and compost manure into three buckets of beans — proving that when women lead, families thrive.
In Zebediya Zighili, within the Kaperemehe network group in Mzimba, Efrida Nyirenda has experienced life-transforming experiences in ways she never imagined. Before EWAYA, hybrid seeds and fertiliser were beyond her means, and she had never engaged in soil conservation. Irregular rains often led to crop failures.
“We did not have hybrid seeds or fertiliser, and we did not practice soil conservation,” she recalls.
Training under EWAYA introduced her to compost manure — a cost-effective solution that not only enhances soil fertility but also retains moisture during dry spells. Using just five kilograms of hybrid bean seed and applying compost manure, she harvested three buckets of beans despite challenging weather conditions. Two buckets will be sold when prices peak, potentially earning her MWK 300,000 to buy fertiliser, while the remaining bucket will be replanted to increase her yield.
As chairperson of her group, Efrida champions women’s leadership, convinced that when women control income, families benefit more. “Women think of school fees and nutritious food. Empowering us empowers the household,” she says.
A Broader Impact
EWAYA’s reach in Eswazini goes beyond individual success stories. Over 73 per cent of its beneficiaries are women and youth. The project has introduced climate-smart agriculture practices, value addition, and business skills, and linked farmers to better-paying markets. Village savings and loan schemes are enabling members to turn seasonal income into lasting assets and farm investments.
By organising farmers into strong groups, providing technical training, and ensuring access to quality inputs and processing equipment, EWAYA is helping Eswazini shift from subsistence farming to competitive agribusiness.
Partners Driving Change
This transformation is made possible through the support of the Government of Flanders, whose funding has enabled investments in equipment, training, and inputs, as well as through the technical expertise of UNDP and FAO, which co-implement the project in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture.
What’s emerging in Eswazini is more than just increased yields or cleaner honey. It’s a community reimagining what’s possible — where women take pride in furnishing their homes, young people plan harvests worth millions of kwacha, and farmers meet market standards with confidence.
As Melifa puts it, “EWAYA will come and go, but what we have learned should continue in our clubs and our households. This is only the beginning.”
About EWAYA:
The Empowering Women and Youth in Agriculture in Malawi project is funded by the Government of Flanders and implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). It aims to enhance the participation of women and youth in high-value agricultural value chains through skills training, access to quality inputs, market linkages, and climate-smart agriculture practices. In Eswazini, Mzimba, the focus is on common beans and honey production, empowering farmers to move from subsistence farming to sustainable agribusiness.