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IFMSLP has adopted an approach of sourcing stories from the field from both the communities and frontline staff to monitor achievements, impact and also lessons.
The programme is experimenting with using the Most Significant Change technique which is a participatory monitoring and evaluation method that collects stories from beneficiaries of project or programmes to monitor and get feedback and to evaluate outcomes and impact.
The technique can be compared to the use of stories in a newspaper. A newspaper does not summarise yesterday’s important events via pages and pages of
"indicators" but by using news stories about interesting events. Papers are structured into different subject areas (foreign news, sport, leisure etc) in the same way that MSC uses different domains of change. The most important stories go on the front page and the most important of these is usually at the top of the front page.
The domains of change that the programme is using are:
- changes in peoples lives,
- changes in relationship between stakeholders,
- changes in how people use the forest,
- any other changes (open)
This section outlines some of the stories that have been collected so far and will be updated as more stories are collected. Some stories are told by communities themselves and collected by frontline staff others are collected by forestry officers and programme staff.
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Chisomo Pottery Club Diversifies Livelihoods Strategies
Joyce Banda and Godfrey Bweya, Ntcheu
 Potters from a small mysterious Kachimanga Village TA Kwataine Ntcheu have now diversified their pottery from flower pots and cooking pots to include Chitetezo Mbaula as they aim to become prominent in the trade. This is in response to dwindling sources of firewood in the area.
The Chitetezo Mbaula which was launched on 7th August 2007 in Ntcheu is an energy saving technology. It consumes less firewood as compared to the three stone cooking place. Apart from firewood the Chitetezo mbaula is also compatible with briquettes, crop residues, and bamboo.
Mai Liza Steven is a strong member of the club, she says, 'Chitetezo Mbaula is our energy breakthrough. We have been struggling all these years going to the forest very often and travelling long distances. Now our workload will be reduced. Most important of all this is our new source of income. We will make plenty of them for sale. We urge all Malawians to come and buy Chitetezo Mbaula and save Malawi forests'.
Members of the Club requested the District Commissioner to assist them with a road side site to establish their market. He has since pledged to consider their request,
'Indeed given support this technology will contribute to solving the deforestation crisis and poverty in the district so my office will support you'
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Increased Benefits from Market Analysis
Members of Monkey Bay Turn Off curio group were involved in the training of community members in market analysis and enterprise development plan preparation recently run by the programme. They were introduced to new markets and that has had immediate benefits.
Previously, the curios makers had sat by the Monkey Bay turn off and waited for tourists to pass for them to make a sale. During their market survey they met a buyer in Lilongwe who had heard of them but had only bought a few of their curios from a third party. On being introduced he was immediately interested in coming to an arrangement on purchasing curios in bulk from them. Shortly after the meeting the buyer arrived at the curio makers site and proceeded to buy the higher quality curios in bulk.
The benefit to the buyer was that he had now missed out the third party seller and was able to purchase the curios at a cheaper price. The benefit to the curio maker was that they sold them a slightly higher price (as no third party had to make a profit). It also meant they were selling in bulk – over MK200,000 worth of curios were sold during this transaction.
The buyer will return again to Monkey Bay turn off.
However, this is not the end of the story. The curio makers now understand the value of direct access to markets and if they are to keep that access they must keep quality. They, also, realise that if they are to meet demand they need to be able to access a sustainable source of wood – members of the curio group are involved with committees in establishing co-management blocks within Mua-Livulezi Forest Reserve which will allow them controlled access to more materials for their products. They are also keen to improve their
"premises" at the turn off to make it more accessible to tourists and have an area that can be accessed by those wanting to bulk buy.
All this has come from an introduction to markets and basic business principles. Too often we just establish businesses to meet targets with little consideration of those key principles. The Monkey Bay Turn Off Curio Makers have shown how easy it is to improve already established businesses.
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District: Dedza
Impact Area: Kafulama
Story Teller: Jalazi William
Publication: Yes
Recorder: F.J. Kalema
Date and place of Recording: 05/11/07 G.V.H. at Kafulama
Period: 15/08/2007
1. How is he involved with the department of forestry?
He said he was convinced with the work his fellow villagers were doing with the Forestry Department as regards to how they were managing the forest. Currently he is involved in nursery establishment where he has already filled 1700 tubes out of which 1200 have been planted with various species such as: Mbawa, Kesha and Bluegums.
He is also involved in Bee Keeping as a business where the Department of Forestry has promised to assist him with 30 Bee hives which will be hung in the forest.
2. Most significant change since his involvement?
Previously Forestry Department staff used to beat and confiscate bamboos firewood from them but now since they are working together they are able to collect the same forest products through a formal process and sales them and use the money to uplift their families and their relationship has improved as there is trust in one another.
3. Why is this significant to him?
There is transparency and Accountability on both parties as there is openness.
DOMAIN
- Change in peoples lives
- Change in relationship between stakeholders
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