Executive Director
To be announced
Leads ISSED’s strategy, partnerships and overall accountability to the communities it serves.
About us
Sustainable development begins within communities themselves.
Initiatives for Sustainable Socio-Economic Development is a Malawian non-governmental organisation working alongside rural farming households, local leaders and vulnerable communities.
Our story
A decade of community-driven development
Initiatives for Sustainable Socio-Economic Development (ISSED) is a Malawian non-governmental organisation established in June 2015 and headquartered in Lilongwe, Malawi. ISSED was founded on the belief that sustainable development begins within communities themselves.
By working directly with rural farming communities, local leaders and vulnerable households, ISSED empowers people with the knowledge, skills and resources needed to create lasting socio-economic change.
For more than a decade, ISSED has been at the forefront of community-driven development, operating at the intersection of agriculture, food security, civic empowerment and economic resilience. Our approach focuses on strengthening local capacities, promoting self-reliance, and transforming grassroots potential into measurable and sustainable impact.
Our mission
To improve the livelihoods of rural communities through sustainable agriculture, socio-economic empowerment, capacity building and inclusive community development initiatives.
Our vision
To build empowered, self-reliant, food-secure and sustainable communities through inclusive agricultural and socio-economic development.
Established
June 2015
Headquartered in Lilongwe, Malawi, and working with rural communities across the country ever since.
10+
Years of community-led work
Working alongside rural Malawian communities since June 2015.
7
Core areas of work
From climate-smart agriculture to renewable energy and policy advocacy.
7
Strategic objectives
Each tracked against defined indicators and means of verification.
4
Renewable energy solutions
Solar irrigation, clean cookstoves, off-grid solar and biogas.
Theory of change
How the work adds up
Every ISSED programme is designed against a single chain of reasoning — from the problem rural households actually face, to the change we expect it to produce.
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Step 1 · The problem
Rural farming households in Malawi face low agricultural productivity, food insecurity, unreliable access to energy, limited economic opportunities and weak voice in shaping the policies that affect them — leaving them vulnerable to climate shocks, environmental degradation and economic instability.
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Step 2 · What we do
ISSED delivers training in sustainable and climate-smart agriculture, livestock management, renewable energy access, financial and business literacy, and civic leadership — while engaging government and partners on farmer-centred policy.
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Step 3 · What changes
Farmers adopt improved agricultural and energy practices, diversify their income and food sources, reduce dependence on firewood and unreliable power, and gain the confidence and skills to participate in local governance.
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Step 4 · The result
Higher yields, more stable incomes, improved nutrition, reduced environmental degradation, expanded access to clean energy and stronger community institutions — because households no longer depend on a single, climate-vulnerable income or energy source.
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Step 5 · Long-term impact
Resilience to climate and economic shocks, and reduced dependency on external support: empowered, self-reliant, food-secure, energy-secure and sustainable rural communities across Malawi.
What we do
Seven core areas of work
Our team
The people behind ISSED
Programme delivery, monitoring and operations — the roles that carry the work from a training register to a measured change in a household’s income.
Leadership
Programmes Manager
To be announced
Oversees delivery across all seven core areas of work and the quality of field implementation.
Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Lead
To be announced
Owns the results framework — indicators, verification and the evidence behind every claim ISSED makes.
Programmes
Agriculture and Extension Coordinator
To be announced
Leads climate-smart agriculture training and season-long extension support to farming households.
Renewable Energy Coordinator
To be announced
Coordinates solar irrigation, clean cookstove and off-grid electrification work.
Operations
Finance and Administration Officer
To be announced
Manages financial controls, donor reporting and day-to-day operations.
Work alongside ISSED
We welcome partnerships with donors, government institutions, NGOs, private sector organisations and community groups that share our commitment to sustainable development.