Food Insecurity in Malawi – Scotland Malawi Partnership meeting
Sarah’s blog 26/02/24
As Changing Lives Malawi is a member of the Scotland Malawi Partnership, we get notification about various meetings and invitations to attend. Last week there were three sessions I had wanted to listen to but we had lots of germs in our house last week and a child who was off school for a couple of days.
I was really glad to have been able to attend this meeting via zoom. Topics for this meeting included;
Malawi’s Current Food Insecurity Crisis which is impacting 4.2 million people.
The Malawian Parliamentary Women’s Caucus.
Human Rights in Malawi.
There were Malawian MPs, a Human Rights Commissioner and an NGO Board Member as speakers as well as members of Scottish Parliament and lots of charities and third sector representatives.
After listening to the speakers, who were extremely interesting, there was an opportunity to ask questions or make comments. I typed my comment into the text box, as did some others, and I was fortunate to be able to tell the panel about Changing Lives Malawi and the struggles that we face because we are helping such a remote community. There are no big charities feeding children in primary schools in that area. All the children we are helping to support are suffering from malnutrition.
If you’d like to hear me speak, you can skip forward to 49.30. You will hear I’m full of the cold but still speaking out for the thousands of vulnerable children in the rural far north whose voices aren’t heard. I was very thankful to have this opportunity. One day there will be enough food for everyone but until then, I will keep using opportunities like that on behalf of orphans and other vulnerable children who cannot speak up for themselves to say how hungry they are.
If you’d like to help towards feeding hungry children then please email contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com Thank you, Sarah x
Now is the time to plant trees. Communities all over Malawi are doing this in January. There are numerous reasons for planting trees and obviously for future food, self-sufficiency and because it’s good for the planet all rate highly along with other benefits like helping to prevent soil erosion. Thank you to everyone who contributed to help us send money to purchase these fruit tree saplings.
However, I want to share with you a piece of work that two of the teachers at Bright Futures Secondary School have facilitated. We are delighted to have enthusiastic teachers who understand the need for sustainable food sources and that children and young people will learn more by taking part in practical learning. We are hoping that the saplings grow well and will provide much needed food and also a sustainable income for years to come.
More fruit tree saplings are needed still and also hundreds of pine tree saplings are needing to be planted to replace trees that the community have used for fuel and building. Are you able to help provide some money to buy more saplings? Would your business like to have a sign in the orchard if you sponsor planting some saplings? contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com
I hope you enjoy reading part of the report from the agriculture teachers and looking at the photos of young people busy planting the fruit tree saplings. Thanks, Sarah x
Every day people like Mrs Ng’ambi and her children come to the foundation asking for help. They have no money, no food and, much of the time, are dressed in rags. It is heart breaking to see the amount of poverty that many in the community are living in. Children with their extended tummies are showing visible signs of malnutrition and are so hungry. Unfortunately, there is not enough money to help all of these vulnerable people.
Sometimes they can be given some new clothes or a small amount of food. They are able to have a shower. Sometimes they are given a small amount of money for doing some piece work like helping to weed a field. Life is so difficult, beyond what we can imagine.
Eventually, the aim is that the Foundation is self-sufficient and has enough food to feed the children. There will be more people employed meaning that more money is going back into the community. Until then, they need our help. Can you make a one off donation to support feeding malnourished children please? Or could you commit £5 or £10 per month to ensure the most vulnerable are fed despite food scarcity and prices continuing to rise?
People like Mrs Ng’ambi and her children deserve some happiness and to be healthy and to know that people care about them. If you can help please donate to https://gofund.me/d3cf8c3acontact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com Together we can make a difference and continue Changing Lives Malawi. Thank you, Sarah x
Sustainability and self-sufficiency for the community we are working with in rural Northern Malawi is always the end goal. So much is being achieved but there is still so much more to do.
Because no children are being fed in primary schools in that area, all children are malnourished. All children are hungry. No children and young people whom we help to support have enough to eat. We MUST ensure they get food NOW to help them begin to thrive whilst also ensuring that there is food for the future.
This is why we are asking for more people to join our feeding team. By committing to just £5 per month, you will help us feed 500 malnourished children and young people more than just once a week. They deserve our help. They deserve food. They deserve to thrive. They need us. Please will you help us help them? contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com Our bank details are: Bank of Scotland, Changing Lives Malawi, Sort Code 80-22-60, Account Number 21605268. By donating £5 per month you WILL make a difference. You WILL help a child thrive. Please put ‘feeding’ as the reference.
It is a juggling act because we cannot spend all of the donations we receive on feeding the 500 orphans and other vulnerable children and young people. That just isn’t sustainable and there will be nothing to help the community be self-sufficient in the future. So whilst we are investing in this vulnerable community’s future, we need more help from our supporters to be able to provide enough food for the children now.
A couple of years ago, over 100 fruit tree saplings were bought and planted at The Foundation. The orchard was named after my lovely mother-in-law who had recently passed away. We made a personal donation towards buying some fruit tree saplings and lots more were bought by other people through an appeal. Unfortunately, the weather and also termites have killed some of the saplings. However, the majority are thriving and I was delighted with these photos that Levison sent me yesterday.
Amazingly the guava saplings are producing fruit now, even though the plants are still quite small. The orange and lemon saplings are doing well but have no fruit yet. Some more saplings are going to be planted soon. We would also love people to help pay for more saplings contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com Our bank details are: Bank of Scotland, Changing Lives Malawi, Sort Code 80-22-60, Account Number 21605268. £5 will buy two fruit tree saplings. Please put ‘saplings’ as the reference.
The hope is that this project will be sustainable for people and planet. Planting more trees is obviously vital for the planet and climate change. It will also help prevent against soil erosion in the heavy rains. Levison will send photos of the children eating the guavas when they are ready to be harvested in about a month’s time. In future years, especially if you help us plant more trees, there will be fruit for the children to eat and there will be extra fruit that will be able to be sold which will bring in an income for The Foundation. It’s really exciting to see the trees bearing fruit….may this be the first of many harvests supporting the 500 malnourished children.
I’ve put the links to previous posts about the fruit tree saplings and the orchard. I know Levison would like to also grow bananas in addition to the fruit trees in Isa’s Orchard. Who is driving you bananas that you would like to name a banana plantation after? Enjoy the photos of the first guava fruits and thank you for your support, Sarah x
The first guava fruits are beginning to growThe oranges and lemons are also growing wellSome young people planting and watering the saplings a couple of years agoThe fruit tree saplings when they were planted in Isa’s Orchard
It would have been my lovely mother-in-law’s birthday today. After she passed away, we sent money to Levison for him to buy fruit tree saplings in memory of her. Levison has kindly taken photos of some of the saplings for me to add to this post and we are sending more money to mark her birthday and to buy some more tree saplings.
As you know, it’s so important for the planet to plant more trees and we are hoping that people will join this initiative and support us. With COP26 having just finished and there still being a huge amount of work to do, it’s so important to plant hundreds of tree saplings to protect the environment and planet.
As wood has been the only source of fuel for cooking and warmth, previously lots of wood has been needed. However, Levison and team are going to look at making briquettes from agricultural waste and the eco-stove project is continuing so much less wood will be used in future. The eco-stoves use far less fuel and are enclosed so they are much safer to cook on.
Although these fruit tree saplings are small, Levison assures me they will grow fast during the rains which will be coming within the next few weeks. There should be fruit in the next couple of years. This project benefits the planet and the people. The most vulnerable people. The William Stewart Foundation supports over 800 orphans and other vulnerable young people and there are no agencies feeding children in schools in that area. Approximately 500 malnourished children are fed a nutritious meal once a week at the Foundation. That is their one substantial meal of the week. Imagine being able to add fruit to their diet too? A huge orchard of fruit trees will mean a healthier community. It will also create employment and any surplus fruit will be able to be sold as a source of income for the Foundation, helping them on the road to self-sufficiency.
Four fruit tree saplings are £10. I am buying 8 today in memory of Isa Black, my lovely mother-in-law. We would love your help to support this project to plant a sustainable future in rural northern Malawi. I can change the wording on e-gifts for any occasion and personalise them. You could also have a sign in the orchard in memory of a loved one. Just let me know and I can help. contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com . Thanks for reading, Sarah x
