By Fair James Mpinganjira and Mark Ndipita
In southern Malawi, about 145 kilometres from the commercial city of Blantyre, a quiet but powerful transformation is unfolding among rural women farmers in Neno district. What began as a small village savings and loans group has evolved into a fast-growing poultry enterprise with the potential to generate over MK2 million (approximately USD 1,150) every week from egg sales alone.
For members of Makina Poultry Producers and Marketing Cooperative, the journey represents far more than business success. It is a story of women’s economic empowerment, rural entrepreneurship, agricultural commercialization, and community transformation driven through support from Malawi Food Systems Resilience Program.
Located in Chifenthe village under Traditional Authority Chekucheku in Neno district, a predominantly rural area in southern Malawi, the all-women cooperative is becoming a strong example of how targeted investments in women-led agribusinesses can improve livelihoods, create jobs, and strengthen food systems resilience across rural Africa.
Like many rural women across Southern Africa, members of Makina Cooperative previously depended on small-scale farming and informal village savings groups to support their households. Limited access to productive assets, financing, and structured markets often restricted their economic opportunities.
Determined to improve their livelihoods, the women organized themselves into a village savings and loans association before later transitioning into commercial agriculture.
In April 2024, the group joined the Malawi Food Systems Resilience Program (Malawi FSRP) locally branded AGCOM 2, where they received technical support, cooperative development training, and agribusiness mentorship aimed at helping rural farmers transition from subsistence production into commercially viable enterprises.
Today, the cooperative has grown into a formally registered women-led agribusiness comprising 55 active members, including 23 young women and youth participants.
Chairperson of the cooperative Esther Subili says the programme has transformed not only their business, but also the confidence and aspirations of women in the community.
“Before joining Malawi FSRP, many of us depended entirely on small-scale farming and village savings groups,” says Subili. “We struggled to generate enough income to support our families. Today, we are proud women entrepreneurs running a commercial poultry enterprise that is changing our lives.”
Through Malawi FSRP support, the cooperative accessed a matching grant worth MK96.3 million (approximately USD 55,000) to strengthen poultry production and egg marketing.
Using the financing, the cooperative constructed a modern poultry house, installed feeding and watering systems, built sanitation facilities, and procured 550 point-of-lay chickens for commercial egg production.
The results are already becoming visible. The chickens are currently producing an average of 18 trays of eggs per day. At prevailing market prices of approximately MK16,000 (about USD 9) per tray, the cooperative projects daily revenues of around MK288,000 (approximately USD 165) equivalent to more than MK2 million (about USD 1,150) per week and approximately MK8.6 million (around USD 4,900) per month.
For many members, these earnings represent life-changing opportunities. Secretary for the cooperative, Beatrice Chikhosi, says the women never imagined they could operate a business capable of generating millions of Kwacha each month.
“Malawi FSRP has given us the skills, confidence, and resources to participate meaningfully in commercial agriculture,” says Chikhosi. “This project has shown rural women that agriculture can be a profitable business capable of transforming households and communities.”
The cooperative’s long-term target is to produce and market at least 4,000 trays of eggs annually, potentially generating more than MK60 million (approximately USD 34,000) in yearly revenue.
Beyond income generation, the poultry enterprise is already creating significant social and economic benefits for cooperative members and surrounding communities.
Across many rural communities in Africa, women often face barriers to accessing productive resources, financing, and commercial opportunities. However, the Makina cooperative story demonstrates how women-centered agricultural investments can strengthen household resilience and accelerate rural development.
Members in the cooperative say anticipated profits from egg sales will help families afford better nutrition, pay school fees, improve housing, and access healthcare services.
Subili believes women’s economic empowerment is also contributing to stronger and more stable households.
“When women are financially empowered, families become more secure and stable,” she explains. “Women are able to contribute to household needs, support their children’s education, and participate in important family decisions. This project is restoring dignity, confidence, and hope among women in our community.”
The project is also expected to contribute to improved child nutrition through increased household access to eggs and improved incomes.
As the enterprise expands, Makina Cooperative is already generating employment opportunities within the community. The cooperative has employed two full-time security officers and expects to create additional jobs in production, marketing, and transportation.
At the same time, the poultry project is supporting sustainable agriculture through the production of organic manure.
With fertilizer prices continuing to rise across the region, poultry manure is emerging as an affordable alternative for improving soil fertility among surrounding farming communities.
Farmers in the area are already expressing interest in using poultry manure to improve crop productivity while reducing dependence on expensive synthetic fertilizers.
“This project is not only about selling eggs,” says Chikhosi. “We want the business to become a platform for creating opportunities for women, young people, and surrounding farming communities through employment, markets, and access to organic manure for crop production.”
The Makina Cooperative success story reflects the broader objectives of the Malawi Food Systems Resilience Program, which seeks to transform smallholder agriculture into commercially oriented, resilient, and inclusive agribusiness systems.
By investing in women farmers through financing, skills development, infrastructure, and market-oriented production, Malawi FSRP is helping rural communities build sustainable livelihoods while strengthening food systems resilience.
The story also offers valuable lessons for countries across the Southern African region on the importance of supporting women and youth participation in agribusiness development.
As climate shocks, food insecurity, unemployment, and rising production costs continue affecting rural communities across Africa, investments in women-led enterprises are increasingly becoming critical for driving inclusive economic growth and resilient food systems.
For the women of Makina Cooperative, the poultry enterprise has become more than a business venture.
It is a symbol of possibility, resilience, and transformation. What started as a simple village savings group is now evolving into a commercially viable women-led agribusiness that is creating jobs, improving nutrition, empowering women, and inspiring a new generation of rural entrepreneurs in Malawi and beyond.
