Amid the apparent government and donor fatigue in providing some safety nets to the citizenry, Thyolo District NICE Trust civic education officer, Moses Kaunda believes it is high time everyone stopped relying on handouts or external help to develop.

Kaunda has since asked the faith community and development committees to package their messages in a way that would encourage communities to work hard, prosper and be independent.

He gave an example of encouraging locals on manure making a and use for agriculture at a time fertilizer is scarce and expensive.

"People should change the way they think about development in their areas and homes. For a long time, people have relied on help from either the government or other well-wishers. We are not saying it is bad to be helped like that but it has reached where people are over reliant on external help," Kaunda said.

Speaking to Zodiak Online on Sunday, Thyolo District Interface Alliance Committee (DIAC) chairperson, Pastor Lloyd Somera has committed to take up the task.

This comes when there is growing stress among many smallholder farmers on how they should get fertilizer since its expensive while others have been dropped on the beneficiaries list under this year's Affordable Inputs Programme (AIP).

NICE is spearheading the mindset change enabler of the Malawi 2063 development blueprint.