21st Century Woman
Spokes person of her community, she outlines winter Maize planting scheme, in the Umsuma project, south west of Mzuzu and at least a mile from you would consider a rudimentary dirt road. She spoke in English, and told us the history of the crop behind her. Proud of her own and her village's achievements, she told us that the crop was sown on Aug 29, using the “SJOG” method. They used hybrid seeds, one seed in each location, 250mm apart, fertiliser in between, individual beds 6 metres square, watered by gravity in contoured channels. At selected locations they placed an “offering” for the rodents. Soya was intercropped with the maize and had been harvested and sold to pay off the cost of seed and fertiliser.She added that the crop was good and almost ready for harvesting. She expects more than 3 tonnes per acre, at least 3 times the national average and twice the amount required by her family.
This was their second crop of the year facilitated by water from treadle pumps at first, then by a diesel pump later. (She loves the diesel pump as saves all the laborious pumping with the treadle pump, but the harsh reality is that the cost of the diesel makes the maize very expensive, and only marginally economically viable.) If water can be stored here next year, her field can be irrigated by gravity without the need for the diesel pump.
This is Lonice Chiuma who lives in the village of Kayombo, 23 km south west of Mzuzu in northern Malawi. She is a 47 year old, farmer, widow, and mother. She lives with, and takes care of her mother, her old and blind father, and her five children. She has standard 8 certificate education and is Roman Catholic.
She is a true citizen of the 21st century – a multi-tasking manager with daily performance targets. She wakes early to fetch water, from the Kayombo stream store it, distribute it and if she had sanitation facilities in the home, she would manage this as well. She goes to bed long after dark, when the cooking, cleaning, laundering and other chores are done. She probably has more work than her mother, being also responsible for food security and issues surrounding Aids.
This 21st century woman participates in community development work, being treasurer to her sub group and council member to the village head man. She uses her “spare time” to generate income, making clay pots. She lives a high-pressure executive lifestyle, lacking only, the income, the status, the holidays, the water, the electricity, the TV, the mobile, the help in the home, a lifestyle guru, a retirement date and a pension.
Will the action decade – 2005 to 2015 - Water for Life - make a real difference to her life? 
