Agribusiness Groups 2 & 3

Advertisements

Sarah’s blog 23/6/25

Here is the proof that your help makes a difference! Thank you to the people who helped fund these two groups of ladies from our DonorSee appeals. There had been a slight delay in them getting started. The land that they are going to be farming had crops growing which had to be harvested. This has now happened so the ladies are ready to start work.

These women are some of the poorest in their community and most in need. As they are living in extreme poverty, they have been unable to provide for themselves and their families. Some of the women have been affected by HIV and are bringing up their families alone.

Maria, in group 2, had been a student at Bright Futures Secondary School. She became pregnant and had her little boy. Maria’s aunt looked after the baby whilst Maria returned to school. She has tried so hard to continue her education but, they live a long walk from school and her little boy was failing to thrive. Maria was sitting in class worrying about him. She was exhausted. Maria decided to drop out of school. She has been working for farmers doing piecework to earn a pittance. Maria is a very hard worker and is delighted to have the opportunity to be part of agribusiness group 2 (she holding the watering can in the photo). Her little boy, Wakisa, now has a sponsor to ensure that he has a food parcel each month.

Agribusiness Group 2

Mrs Ng’ambi, whose house was repaired through another DonorSee project, struggled to feed herself and her four children. She is delighted with the new roof on her house. She has been offered a place in agribusiness group 3. Her future is looking much happier. She is on the left of the photo. Both groups have been given seeds, fertiliser, spades and watering cans. Thank you everyone who helped to give these ladies this opportunity and hope for a brighter future.

Agribusiness Group 3

We have a few projects on our DonorSee site to try to give some of the poorest people a helping hand so that they can help themselves. Everyone wants to work hard and be self-sufficient but things are so difficult for them that they need our support. Will you help please? If lots of us give a little then change will happen.

We know that our supporters care about our projects. We are asking for your help to buy more fruit tree saplings and banana tubers to help feed all the hundreds of orphans that rely on the weekly feeding programme. There are no porridge programmes in primary schools in the rural far north of Malawi. Most children are suffering from malnutrition. All are hungry. How can they concentrate at school when their bodies don’t have the nutrients they need? How can they get to sleep at night when their tummies are empty and sore? Do you want to support children to have enough to eat?

Students are learning skills for life through planting and caring for the saplings that have already been planted. We want them to be self-sufficient in years to come and have fruit to eat and surplus fruit to sell. However, when there are 500+ children who do not have food at home to eat and rely on the weekly feeding programme, that is a huge amount of fruit tree saplings and banana tubers that will be needed. Will you help them have a brighter future? Will you help us try to ensure that less children are suffering with malnutrition? Here is the link to donate https://donorsee.com/project/27708?share=1 or you can contact me for bank details contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com

We are also appealing for more tools to help students with their practical agricultural classes and also start doing some basic carpentry classes. These are all skills for life for students living in such a rural location and will help them earn a living in the future. https://donorsee.com/project/27684?share=1 or send me an email for bank details.

Many thanks for your continuing support of our charity, where you know that all money goes to the projects we support, as we are all volunteers, passionate about making a difference to the community we are helping in rural northern Malawi. However, it is always about teamwork and our donors are a valuable part of our team. We couldn’t do what we do without you. Thanks again, Sarah x

Agribusiness Update from Levison

Levison has made a great video update on the progress of the first Agribusiness Group.

Advertisements

Sarah’s blog 28/12/24

Levison made this video a few days ago to show the successful maize crop that the first Agribusiness Group have had. In his video, he says that the more groups that can be set up then there will be less hunger in their village. The people we are helping to support with these agribusiness groups are all living in extreme poverty and either volunteer their time helping to cook for the orphans at the weekly feeding programme or are looking after vulnerable children.

By giving them the basic tools and seeds each group will be able to grow their own crops, sell what they produce and reinvest the money towards buying more seeds. So far, only one group has been funded but we are hoping that, with your help, it won’t be long before groups two and three have been established. Will you help please?

Here is the link to donate to our current small projects DonorSee or you could donate through our website or contact me for bank details contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com Thank you so much for your continued support, Sarah x

Agribusiness 1 – first harvest

Look at this amazing first harvest for the agrigroup. They have worked so hard and are grateful for the opportunity they have been given.

Advertisements

Sarah’s blog 10/12/24

Levison sent these great photos and video yesterday. The first agribusiness group have worked so hard and yesterday they harvested their first crop of beans. This crop will be bought by The Feeding Programme at market value and the money will be reinvested into the Agribusiness to purchase more seeds to grow more vegetables.

The group are absolutely delighted with the success they have had from their hard work and are thankful for the opportunity they have been given. All the adults we are supporting are living in extreme poverty and volunteer their time to help hundreds of orphans and other vulnerable children. So these adults are hard workers and deserve to have this opportunity to start up their own small business.

Thank you to those who donated to help start up this project. We are trying to raise enough money to fund a second group. Will you make a small donation please so that we can buy some tools and seeds for a second agribusiness group?

Here is the link if you would like to help. https://donorsee.com/project/24574?share=1

Have a look at the photos and videos. A great start for this group. Thank you, Sarah x

The Sweet Potato Crop

The sweet potato crop is growing well.

Advertisements

Sarah’s blog 12/06/23

Food is scarce and more expensive. The maize crop hasn’t done well because at the Foundation they couldn’t afford to buy fertilizer. The Foundation is feeding 500+ vulnerable children once a week but obviously this isn’t enough. All are hungry. All are malnourished. No big charities are feeding children in primary schools in the far north of Malawi.

A donation bought sweet potato vines which students at Bright Futures Secondary School helped to plant at the start of April. Levison has sent me photos today and the crop is looking very healthy. The sweet potatoes will be ready at the end of July and will be used to feed the children. The fact that there are so many hungry children, even if this is a great harvest, it won’t last long.

We must find more people who are willing to make a monthly donation to support the feeding programme so that these vulnerable children can keep being fed. Ideally, we would like to feed them more often and we would also like to supply every family with sweet potato vines and other vegetables so that they can grow their own crops. Please email me if you would like to make a regular donation to the feeding programme or if you would like to contribute to buying sweet potato vines that can be shared with vulnerable families to help them become more self sufficient. contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com

Sweet potato vines need deep ridges
The crop is looking healthy
Hopefully there will be a good harvest of sweet potatoes by the end of July
Some of the students at Bright Futures Secondary School planting the sweet potato vines in April.

Ground Nut Harvesting

the ground nut crop is being harvested

Advertisements

Sarah’s blog 29/06/22

It’s time to harvest the ground nuts. It’s not a huge crop but enough to be used at the feeding programme once a week for 3 months. Ground nuts are what we call peanuts. They grind them into a paste which is then used for cooking with. These nuts are a great source of protein and good fats for the children.

Levison is quite concerned about possible food shortages as some of the maize crop had been washed away in the heavy rains a few months ago and prices of buying more maize, cooking oil and prices in general keep rising. The Malawian kwatcha (currency) has been devalued too. It’s a huge responsibility to try to source and buy enough food for hundreds of malnourished children. There are also people coming to the Foundation each day, in desperate need, asking for help. Unfortunately, resources are finite. When there are no other agencies that far north feeding children, the responsibility weighs heavy on Levison’s shoulders.

We are always looking for ways that people can join us to support a specific project, like the feeding programme, or to sponsor a child, or raise funds in general. If you can help us continue to support Levison and his team then please email contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com thanks for reading, Sarah x

ground nut harvesting
Exit mobile version
%%footer%%