Sarah’s blog 4/11/26
What happens if you don’t have enough to eat? Thankfully, for most of us, we have food. There may be times in the month where we are running out of options of what to eat. However, the majority of us can afford to feed our family and buy food at the supermarket or local shops. Some may even be able to grow their own food or keep chickens and collect fresh eggs every morning. But what happens if you don’t have enough to eat?
There is a food crisis in Malawi. As well as prices continuing to rise, there is a shortage of food and a shortage of fuel to collect food. Malawi is one of the most expensive countries for fuel prices in the world. This is making a difficult situation even more challenging.
There is a food crisis in Malawi. As well as prices continuing to rise, there is a shortage of food and a shortage of fuel to collect food. Malawi is one of the most expensive countries for fuel prices in the world. This is making a difficult situation even more challenging.
If pregnant mothers don’t have enough to eat, it obviously has an effect on them and their unborn child. Age up to 36 months is a vital time for babies and toddlers. Those who don’t have enough to eat, or the correct foods to eat, will end up with malnutrition and stunted growth. How can children begin to learn if they are hungry all the time?
I really like Maslow’s hierarchy of needs as I am a visual learner. Maslow was an American Psychologist who believed that human needs have to be met on the first level before the next level’s needs can be met. No one can meet their full potential if they don’t have enough to eat.
I am really concerned, with the rainy season imminent that the hundreds of children we help to support, do not have enough to eat. Well we know they don’t have enough to eat but I mean that they have even less than they do at the moment.
We are helping to set up sustainable projects for a brighter future. At Bright Futures Campus they now have chickens and pigs and are growing fruit and vegetables….but it is all in the early stages and certainly not enough to feed over 500 orphans and other malnourished children each week. No big charities are feeding children in primary schools in the far north of Malawi.
- We are supporting a feeding programme for 500 children once a week. Children of all ages walk a long way to receive this substantial nutritious meal. Some carry their younger siblings. We can only afford to feed them once a week whilst money goes towards helping the community with sustainable projects.
- 100 preschool children are being fed a bowl of porridge 5 times a week.
- 70 students at Bright Futures Secondary School are receiving a nutritious lunch each day. Their sponsors help pay for this as part of their education and there are still students who are waiting to be matched with a sponsor.
- The elderly in the community – we would love to help them more but unfortunately can’t do everything. However, we want to invite them to Bright Futures Campus once again, before Christmas, to share food and friendship together…some were even dancing at last year’s lunch.
Overall, we need approximately an extra £100 per week to ensure that feeding the children continues as it is currently. So what would be wonderful is if we could get people committing to £5 or £10 per month to feed the children. Could you spare £5 please? contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com Or could you organise an activity to raise some funds that could go towards feeding the children? What about making a donation to our charity instead of sending Christmas cards? Your help will make a difference and the children do need all of us to help them.
Changing Lives Malawi | Localgiving This is a link to our new fundraising page so please do have a look and donate if you can.
I’m sharing these two videos again that Liz made when she and I were in Malawi earlier this year. In the second video, Levison shows the maize that has been growing successfully. However, what he doesn’t explain is that this maize will only feed that many children for two weeks and maize has to be bought for the rest of the year.
We always say it is about teamwork. We can’t continue changing lives without your help. Please will you help us feed hungry children who are in need of our support? Thank you for reading and for supporting our projects and children who rely on us, Sarah x