World Connect

Chitipi Cooperative Mushroom Production Project

Year: 2020

Country: Malawi

Project Status: Funded

Impact Sector: Economic Opportunity

Project Investment: $2,671.23

Project Launch: 8-5-20

Chitipi COMSIP, a community organization, will use this World Connect grant to start a mushroom farming project. Managed by ten cooperative members (7 women, 3 men), the project will directly benefit over 60 members and hundreds of potential customers. The grant will be used to purchase equipment for setting up a structure for the mushroom project and security fencing around the plot. They will also use the grant to create market access and establish an online platform for the cooperative to market its mushrooms. The cooperative at large which has 60 members, will benefit from various trainings that will encompass those that are not directly implementing the mushroom project but can utilize the knowledge and networking to grow their businesses and indirectly contribute to the success of the cooperative.

Final Report: 3-31-22

With a $2,671.23 World Connect grant, Chitipi COMSIP (Community Savings and Investments Program) led by their Established Field Partner, Barbara Banda started a mushroom production business aimed at diversifying the cooperative's income-generating sources. A total of 32 females and 11 males were successfully trained and gained knowledge in mushroom production, nutrition, and marketing. As an enabling activity, the cooperative erected a security fence and constructed a shallow well, a toilet, and two mushroom houses for better incubation and storage. In the first cycle of production, the group made K47,000 ($57.59) only. While the group’s production was initially not impressive, it picked up since the restart in September, 2021 supplying 100kg of mushrooms every week at K100,000 ($122.53) as a group while individual members have flourished as well selling the mushrooms generating K30,000 ($36.76) in income per week. The members are using the profits gained from the business to settle their loans which they took from Chitipi Comsip prior to the World Connect funding. The production unit has also been recapitalized and will be used as the center for learning and marketing mushrooms produced individually.