Rice mill empowers Talandira Women's group - By Harivansh Nair
Mbando Village, Malawi, November 2022 - A rice mill whirs and spits out polished, full-grain rice - and an enthusiastic crowd has gathered in Mbando village to celebrate it.
“My area is privileged to have such an investment.”
- TA Mposa on the official launch and handing over ceremony
The rice mill project was the brainchild of Ms. Ruth Mumba, director of Abundance Worldwide, through collaborations with women in the local community in November 2019.The mill, it was decided, would be the most sustainable and effective solution to problems
faced by the women and wider community.
faced by the women and wider community.
why the Rice Mill?
Over 100 households in Mbando village rely on fishing or farming, specifically rice farming, as a means of subsistence. It is no surprise, then, that rice milling, the production of rice from paddy, plays a vital role in the local economy. In short, the rice mill removes the husk layer from harvested paddy, producing the edible, white form of rice that we are familiar with.
By constructing the mill, the local community saves a significant amount of time and money spent travelling and purchasing milled rice in a town 10 km away. Positive externalities like this benefit the entire village as well as the women’s group running the milling
business, Talandira Co-operative.
Over 100 households in Mbando village rely on fishing or farming, specifically rice farming, as a means of subsistence. It is no surprise, then, that rice milling, the production of rice from paddy, plays a vital role in the local economy. In short, the rice mill removes the husk layer from harvested paddy, producing the edible, white form of rice that we are familiar with.
By constructing the mill, the local community saves a significant amount of time and money spent travelling and purchasing milled rice in a town 10 km away. Positive externalities like this benefit the entire village as well as the women’s group running the milling
business, Talandira Co-operative.
“All along and especially when the other mill in this area breaks down, we have been travelling long distances to have our rice milled. With the coming of this brand-new rice mill, our problems have been addressed.”
- Member of Talandira Co-operative
The rice mill is a fantastic economic opportunity for the members of Talandira, too. Rice polished in the mill fetches drastically higher prices - in both the local market and within Mbando village - than unprocessed rice.
The rice mill project was primarily funded by a $8,168.33 grant from WorldConnect, an NGO focused on “self-sustaining development”.
The rice mill project was primarily funded by a $8,168.33 grant from WorldConnect, an NGO focused on “self-sustaining development”.
Funding & Revenue Distribution
The revenue generated from sales firstly goes towards the running costs of the mill, ensuring the venture is a self-sustaining one. Any remaining profits will flow into a co-operative fund, which is available for members to borrow from, empowering them to start a
business and be financially independent. Twice a year, members review the fund and allot resources to similar community projects. Previous examples include a bicycle ambulance,an E-learning Centre and Abundance's latest venture, a biogas cooker.
The revenue generated from sales firstly goes towards the running costs of the mill, ensuring the venture is a self-sustaining one. Any remaining profits will flow into a co-operative fund, which is available for members to borrow from, empowering them to start a
business and be financially independent. Twice a year, members review the fund and allot resources to similar community projects. Previous examples include a bicycle ambulance,an E-learning Centre and Abundance's latest venture, a biogas cooker.
“With this assistance, we are able to increase our household income since we are accessing the rice processing service easily and cheaply.”
- Member of Talandira Co-operative
Challenges
The realization of the rice mill wasn’t all smooth sailing, however. Abundance and Talandira faced a number of roadblocks along the way, including a devastating Cyclone in 2020 which damaged the building earmarked to house the mill upon completion. It was then discovered that the building was lacking in structural stability, which prompted a thorough rethink through the project.
The realization of the rice mill wasn’t all smooth sailing, however. Abundance and Talandira faced a number of roadblocks along the way, including a devastating Cyclone in 2020 which damaged the building earmarked to house the mill upon completion. It was then discovered that the building was lacking in structural stability, which prompted a thorough rethink through the project.
"Cyclone Eloise caused the roof of the building to be blown away. We then got an expert to inspect the building and he informed us that the building was unsafe for our use and had to be demolished and rebuilt with additional safety and structural support to withstand strong winds in the area."
- Dr. Deepa Pullanikkatil, co-founder of Abundance
The women, however, were highly resilient in the face of these delays and setbacks. After a successful crowdfunding campaign through Global Giving, the structure was redesigned and rebuilt in 2022 as the functional building that stands there today.
Next steps
Abundance Worldwide and the people of Mbando Village are keen to constantly improve projects like these to keep them practical, efficient and sustainable. A number of next steps were suggested for the rice mill co-operative, including:
Abundance Worldwide and the people of Mbando Village are keen to constantly improve projects like these to keep them practical, efficient and sustainable. A number of next steps were suggested for the rice mill co-operative, including:
- The seasonality of rice and consequently seasonal profitability of the rice mill. A machine that mills both rice and maize, however, is profitable year-round. As such upgrading the compatibility of the mill to process maize is currently a priority.
- The mill’s diesel-powered engine is problematic on two fronts. First, it demands higher running costs in the long-term due to the high price of diesel and the regular engine servicing required. Further, the environmental impact of diesel is a secondary concern. The team are in contact with the Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM) to consider running electricity lines to a nearby mosque, thereby enabling them explore procuring an electricity powered mill which would be more cost-effective and cleaner.
- The introduction of branding on the rice sacks used by Talandira to sell milled rice has been cited as a potential next step to increase credibility and profitability in the market.
Abundance continues to support Mbando Village through such community initiatives and dreams of Mbando to become a Smart Village with many poverty reduction programmes. Visit www.abundanceworldwide.org to support projects like this one
How it began
Ruth Mumba the director of abundance Worldwide noted the need to support the community to solve their recurrent problems in a sustainable way. Therefore, Ruth Mumba through her affiliation with Young African Leaders Initiative as Mandela Washington Fellow assisted the community to identify income generating projects that would be instrumental in financing the household needs through grant funded projects.
The concept of the mill project was conceived on 16th November 2019 when the established field partner, Miss Ruth Mumba and a colleague travelled to Mbando village to have a meeting with some community members. Miss Gladys Kamwana the appointed local leader, and the community coordinator assisted to convene the meeting. An idea was hatched after some brainstorming for a development project that would be beneficial to the whole community, the maize and/or rice mill project was considered the most beneficial and synergetic. The mill project would be ideal to generate income for the community members. The income generated will help its members pay school fees for their children, contribute to the repairs of the bicycle ambulance as well as to the maintenance of the e-learning center. The mill project will also generate maize and rice husks which will be sold to the members of the community so they can implement the novel gas cooker being developed in the village under Abundance Worldwide with a grant from the Scottish Government. |
Maize and/or Rice Mill Cooperative
The maize and/or rice mill will be run as a business by fifteen community members that have formed Talandira Cooperative. All members of the Mbando village community are free to join this cooperative. To do so, they must contribute an agreed upon sum each as their capital contribution into the cooperative. This may be in cash for which would be paid direct to the cooperative.
Each community member bringing his/her maize or rice for processing will pay a fee in cash or kind or the produce to be processed. For those members of the Mbando Community that want to join the cooperative by paying fees in the form of their produce, this is also permitted. Funds paid or realized as membership contribution will be accumulated in a fund that is available to contribute to the funding of the mill working capital requirements first. Any surplus funds accumulated will be lent out to other members to be repaid over time in cash. The value of the fund will be reconciled and accessed for share allotment at the end of every six months. By establishing this fund, the mill project is expected to empower members of the Talandira Cooperative to venture into various businesses by being able to obtain lumpsum funding at once. Similarly, the fees for processing the maize or rice brought to the mill by the community members will be applied to cover mill operating costs while surplus funds will be injected into the voluntary cooperative fund. Members will decide how to share the maize or rice processing fees surplus every six months. This sharing of the fees will mostly be allotment of shares into the project. Economic StructureThe land, the building housing the mill and the mill itself were all bought using grant money from World Connect. By implementing the mill project, people of Mbando village will bring their maize and rice to the mill for processing at a fee in cash or in kind.
The fees paid in kind will be accumulated, processed, and sold to people at the mill. The initial capital contributed by the members of Talandira Cooperative, the fees collected for processing the maize and rice brought to the mill by the people of Mbando village will all provide for the working capital requirements of the mill. Any surplus working capital will be used in the contributory fund that will provide funding to the members of Talandira Cooperative that may wish to undertake other businesses. By borrowing from this voluntary fund, members of Talandira Cooperative will be able to subscribe to other membership contributions called for in the Mbando village community for accessing other amenities such as use of the bicycle ambulance, access to the e-learning center or buying the novel bioenergy gas cooker. |
Objectives
Abundance Mills will process maize and rice harvest by the Mbando village community thereby giving the people of the area benefit of value addition. The processed maize flour or polished rice will fetch much higher prices when sold unlike selling the maize and rice unprocessed.
The people of the area will now move noticeably short distances to have their maize milled or their rice processed unlike in the past. The savings to the people (walking time or transport fares) will be huge.
The people of the area will now move noticeably short distances to have their maize milled or their rice processed unlike in the past. The savings to the people (walking time or transport fares) will be huge.