Financial Inclusion & Entrepreneurship Scaling

MAIIC’s Role In Improving Biodiversity

African Honey and Foods Products (AHFP) is a Malawian company involved in apiculture i.e., honey production, processing, and distribution under the “Fredricks Honey” brand. The business also imports and supplies modern and innovative beehives, equipment, and accessories.

With MAIIC’s help the company has had the following impact:

1. Beekeeping which brings numerous benefits for biodiversity as well as reducing activities harmful to the natural environment, while increasing pollination of plants for healthy ecosystems.
2. Improving livelihoods of the rural communities through income generation; supporting agricultural activities (through facilitating processes of cross pollination thereby improving crop yield) and contributing immensely to forests conservation efforts and facilitating healthy linkages towards sustainable livelihoods.

Pictured: The African Honey Products packaged Honey

MAIIC’S Role in Green Energy

A fertilizer company located in Liwonde needed a solar power plant to ensure reliable and consistent fertiliser production.

MAIIC was able to provide finance for the solar power plant which is expected to realise savings from lower electricity bills and fuels from the use of generators thus reducing the companies carbon footprint while increasing fertiliser output.

The impact of the financing for the Solar Power Plant is as follows:

1. Increase fertilizer production capacity from 150,000 tonnes to 500,000 tonnes a year.
2. Increase export potential for Malawi fertiliser to countries like Zambia and Congo and earn the country foreign currency
3. Increase availability of fertiliser in country thus restoring soil health and contributing to food security.

Pictured: The Solar power plant in Liwonde

MAIIC’s Role in Bio-Waste Management

A bio-recycling company, distributes and installs small, medium, and large Biowaste Bin systems that convert waste (agriculture or household waste) into biogas energy and fertilizer. The company recruits and trains youths to work as Community Sales Agents that find customers, install biogas products, and provide after-sales services for a commission. This provides a source of income for women and youth and empowers them to advocate for the use of renewable biogas energy, biowaste recycling, and climate smart agriculture in their communities.

EcoGen has installed more than 30 of the 80 biogas systems sold to date to dairy farmers and there is a huge potential in this space for biogas systems.

The Impact is as follows:

1. The business promotes the use of clean energy in line with a global initiative.
2. The business promotes youth and women empowerment by offering employment as agents.
3. Providing them with a source of income through harvesting and selling gas and manure.
4. Through this initiative the smallholder farmers will have access to cheap manure that is environmentally friendly. It will reduce deforestation and carbon dioxide emission into the atmosphere.

Pictured: The Bio-Gas digesters.

MAIIC’s role in Powdered Milk Production

A Milk powder start-up business produces affordable powdered milk that would substitute imports. The business acquired a piece of land in Mpemba, along the new road being constructed, connecting Mpemba and Chigumula.

MAIIC financed the purchase of milk production equipment. The equipment being bought includes a milk powder production plant, a packing machine, a fresh milk cooler and a motor vehicle tanker. Included in the cost of machinery is an installation cost and technical training for use of the machinery as well as repairs and maintenance.

The Milk Company has entered into agreements with Milk Bulking Groups to ensure sustainable supply of milk for continuous production.

Projected Impact

1. The introduction of powdered milk which can be stored well for longer periods, targeting the rural population will provide improved nutritional status. Marginalized communities will benefit from good quality locally produced powdered milk which is produced and sold timely without long storage in transit from Europe.
2. The project has created employment to about 32 people.
3. Small scale raw milk producers who are being supported by the company have increased their raw milk production collated at the bulking centers. Dairy processors have also increased their farm gate price from MWK170 per liter to MWK180 which has encouraged the farmers to produce more. About 1 500 local dairy farmers will benefit from the setting up of the factory as they will have a guaranteed market at a higher price offer.

Pictured: The Powdered Milk Company

MAIIC’s Role in Increasing Exports:

A crocodile farm, located in Mangochi, produces high quality product skins for the international fashion industry, crocodile meat for luxury restaurants and turns crocodile carcass into fish feed production. The farm also uses the surplus water to irrigate local farms in the community.

The farm accessed a loan from MAIIC to build a slaughterhouse, butchery, salt room, grading room, cold room and single crocodile pens plus equipment for these rooms and the cold room equipment.

The development of the farm also led to the building of drainable fish ponds and a provision of catfish fingerlings that now produce an income of K600,000 – K800,000 per pond, per 8 month cycle.The farm has 60 ponds.

This investment has had the following impact:

1. The farms method of extracting fertilised water from the crocodile pens and into dams accessible by the community has boosted farming in fresh produce which is supplied to local hotels in the area.
2. The community around the farms were employed for both the building of the dams and irrigation systems and the day to day running of the farm thus increasing job opportunities and quality of life.
3. Drainable fish ponds built from the farm have also increased economic activity and fish production in the local fishing community.

Pictured: Crocodile Farm in Mangochi