Lezita is a Malawian farmer whose fortunes have improved due to an irrigation scheme supported by Irish Aid.

The irrigation channel provides Lezita and her fellow villagers with year round irrigation for their crops. This allows them to harvest up to three times a year. Most Malawian farmers are dependant on only one harvest per year. The project is one of nine such sites built by the NGO, Concern Universal with the support of Irish Aid.

“It feels like we have opened a gold mine” says Lezita, “In the past we survived on one harvest per year. I have already harvested my second crop of maize this year. We are now able to grow enough food to last throughout the year. I can also afford to sell some food to buy basic items and send my children to school.”

Irrigation channel built by villagers of Kanganya with Concern Universal-Dedza district-Malawi

Irish Aid supports development efforts on a national level in nine partner countries:  Ethiopia, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Uganda, Vietnam and Zambia.

With Irish Aid's support:

The percentage of people in Mozambique living in absolute poverty has decreased from 69% of the population in 1997 to 50% now;

Number of primary schools in Zambia increased from 5,300 in 2000 to 8,000 in 2006. In that same period the total number of primary teachers increased from 37,000 to 50,000;

50,000 pregnant women have received drugs to prevent transmission of HIV to their unborn children in 2008.

If you’d like to find out more call into the Irish Aid Volunteering and Information Centre on Dublin’s O’Connell Street.

Photo by Daniel Rowan