BY MFANUFIKILE KHATHWANE
MBABANE – The Baphalali Eswatini Red Cross Society (BERCS) has officially launched Phase 3 of the Enhancing Livelihoods in Sub-Saharan Africa (ELISSA) Project, alongside a comprehensive Disaster Management and Drought Resilience initiative, aimed at strengthening food security, climate resilience, and institutional preparedness across the most vulnerable regions of Eswatini.
This follows a Stakeholder Engagement and Inception Meeting, held today August 4, 2025 at Hilton Garden Inn Mbabane. It brought together key partners, including community leaders, government officials, and humanitarian actors to outline the strategic direction of both projects.
Under Phase 3 of ELISSA, the programme will target 5,853 households approximately 39 800 people across nine communities in the Shiselweni region. With poverty levels in Shiselweni soaring at 71.5 per cent and maize production down by 47 per cent due to drought, the need for urgent and coordinated intervention remains critical.
The project adopts a holistic, multi-sectorial approach focused on climate-smart agriculture, income-generating activities, and improved nutrition and health systems. The goal is not only to alleviate current hardships but to build long-term resilience and self-reliance within communities.
KEY EXPECTED OUTCOMES INCLUDE:
- Increased access to life-saving nutrition, health, and psychosocial support
- Strengthened food production systems and diversified income sources
- Expanded access to financial services through savings groups and microfinance
- Enhanced capacity for community-led disaster preparedness and response
Simultaneously, the Disaster Management and Drought Resilience Project will boost Eswatini’s ability to prepare for and respond to climate-related shocks. The initiative will focus on training communities in conservation agriculture, providing conditional cash transfers for home gardens, and supporting 500 vulnerable households with multipurpose emergency cash.
In the Lubombo region specifically in Lomahasha and Mhlume the project also targets improved access to clean water through WASH-focused activities such as community education sessions, fencing of water points, and water management training.
Both projects are a timely response to the rising national food insecurity, with 304 000 emaSwati currently facing acute food shortages, according to IPC data. Vulnerable households particularly those reliant on social welfare continue to bear the brunt of economic and climate shocks.
As the nation grapples with overlapping crises, BERCS Programme Manager Dr. Elliot Jele reaffirmed the importance of sustained humanitarian support. “This phase is not just about aid it is about empowering communities to withstand and recover from future shocks,” he stated.
With implementation running through March 2028, the ELISSA and DM projects are expected to leave a lasting impact on livelihoods, food systems, and disaster preparedness in some of Eswatini’s most hard-hit communities.
