About Us

Who we are?

Established in January 2020, the Centre for Community Empowerment Initiatives (CCEI) is a legally registered non-profit Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) and a member of the Council for Non-Governmental Organisations in Malawi (CONGOMA). CCEI is also licensed to operate as an NGO by the NGO Regulatory Authority (NGORA). The NGO was founded to accelerate the transfer of technologies from developers to end-users, especially smallholder farmers. This focus aims to boost agricultural productivity and profitability, thereby raising living standards.

The organisation's broader goals include enhancing income, food and nutrition security, creating employment, improving water and sanitation, and supporting climate change mitigation and adaptation and environmental conservation through accessible, low-cost solutions.

Vision

To be a centre of excellence for community-transformative initiatives.

Mission

To deliver transformative technologies to the most vulnerable communities using methods that are effective, collaborative, and designed for large-scale impact.

Core Values

Integrity
Professionalism
Transparency and accountability
Transparency and Accountability
Hardworking and teamwork
Partnerships

Key Focus Areas

Improved Livestock Management System
Sustainable Smallholder Agri-Food Systems
Environment, Climate Change and Entreprenuership

Leadership

Gilbert Banda is the current Executive Director of CCEI. Gilbert is a qualified and experienced (over 14 years) development work specialist. He is a holder of a BSc Agriculture (Animal Science) from the University of Malawi and an MSc in Animal Welfare and Conservation in the UK. His area of expertise is diverse, comprising areas of agriculture and food security, business enterprise development, environment/Community-Based Natural Resources Management (CBNRM), participatory methodologies, gender, and capacity building. Gilbert’s career centres on training and capacity building for community empowerment with a view to assisting people to help themselves.