The 'Walking Back to Happiness' Article for issue 3 is very much out of date. The Mill is now built and producing maize flour. Below is an extract from a Nov 2006 project report from Plan International/Malawi.
During the visit it was interesting to note what the committee and the community members were envisaging to be the outcomes of the maize mill project.
Speaking to a teenage girl who had come for flour processing on the day of the visit, she had this to say 'Although this maize mill has just started operating, I am already seeing a change because today I have come here which is very near and afterwards I can choose to go and play or read school books with my friends and I will not be tired as I used to, hence I will wake up fresh tomorrow'.
The committee elaborated that some of the major outcomes of the project will include, though not limited to, the following:
a.. The maize mill is going to provide a social safety net especially for orphans who will be assisted in terms of their school fees for secondary school education which is always a challenge.
b.. Social capital: They also noted that the maize mill proceeds will be assisting the poor people in the village. A story was mentioned of a blind and poor woman who was allowed to process her flour free of charge because she had no money to pay for that.
c.. The committee also observed that the maize mill will be assisting in some critical social events like assisting during funeral contributions which is a benefit to all people in the community.
Apart from the community benefits, the committee noted that they had put in place a mechanism where 25% of the proceeds will be earmarked for sharing with the members who commit their time and energy at the maize mill since they had not employed anybody. It was noted that there is an opportunity for them to be involved in the maize mill project full time hence need for their own support.
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