Rural Income Enhancement Project (AfDB)
Project / Program Summary

1. Objectives
   To contribute to poverty reduction in the rural areas of Malawi by increasing the incomes of the poorest smallholders and women farmers through facilitating the access of participants to improve farming technology, credit and markets.
2. Activities / contents
   To enhance the smallholders' productivity through training, provision of improved seed and plants, small livestock raising small scale irrigation (well-digging and diversion dykes), rehabilitation of rural infrastructure, namely access roads and drinking water supply, and introduction of low-cost and simple farm technology.
3. Expected outcomes / impacts
   The project will lead to improved and steady incomes for the poor farmers. The incomes of the beneficiaries are expected to increase by 60 per cent at the end of the project. Women, who represent about 60 per cent of population of the project area and 70 per sent of the total farm labour, will benefit significantly from the project. Provision of water and road rehabilitation will case their chores and facilitate the movement of their products and other food surpluses to local trading centres.
4. Features in line with the Agenda for Action
   The project will introduce farming methods that are environmentally sustainable, such as soil and water conservation schemes and will reduce the use of fertilisers and pesticides, and contribute to poverty reduction.

African Development Bank