World Connect

Tisange Association Mushroom Production

Year: 2019

Country: Malawi

Project Status: Funded

Impact Sector: Economic Opportunity

Project Investment: $3,835.62

Project Launch: 10-9-19

The Tisange Association, a community-based organization in Malawi, plans to expand their mushroom spawn production business. With this World Connect grant, the association will upgrade their laboratory and construct an ablution block to improve the quality of their products. The refurbishment will include fitting the laboratory with a ceiling, windows, a sink for hand washing, painted walls, and a storage room. With higher quality spawn, the association expects to expand their customer base. The project will also enable the association to produce new strains of spawn and oyster mushrooms with a longer shelf life, thus expanding their product line and contributing to the sustainability of their business.

Project Update: 1-31-20

Tisange Association has completed the renovation of an ablution block and upgrading the already constructed laboratory by adding a ceiling, windows with steel frames and glass, a sink for hand washing and a store room and a block with two separate sections for male and female toilets and urinals as planned. Additionally, the fence has also been erected to prevent encroachers from entering the compound. Plastering, painting and drainage system are what remains to have the building fully completed. This development will enable Tisange Association produce mushrooms during the entirety of the year and will allow double cultivation in the mushroom houses with almost no additional heating needed in the winter months. Also, the finalization of this project will allow the Tisange Association to be certified by the Malawi Bureau Of Standards as it makes the building meet required standards. The project is expected to be fully completed by March 30, 2020

Final Report: 12-16-20

Tisange Association, a group of sixteen (16) members used a $3,835.62 grant from World Connect to upgrade its mushroom factory as a way of improving sanitation around the premises thereby reducing the contamination of spawn being produced. The group is currently producing an average of 120 kg of fresh mushrooms and 200 packets of dried mushrooms per month, an increase from the previous monthly production of 70 kg of fresh mushroom and 30 packets of dried mushrooms. Subsequently, the increased number of products has fetched more sales on the market, with the group making a monthly average of $1,124 (MWK820,500), a tremendous increase from the previous generated amount of $354 (MWK258,200). In addition to increasing production and sales, the project has enabled Tisange Association to meet the product certification requirements from Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS), which once granted, will enable the group to sell their products in major market outlets. Joyce Mtawali, a 65 years old woman said, “The community is excited and happy to see development happening. We are all very grateful to World Connect for giving us this opportunity to succeed.”