Nutrition security in times of hunger

For the first time IPA has launched a non-educational project to support a group of farmers in Malawi. Our help came not a week too soon. In times of hunger men and women now harvest big quantities of potatoes, vegetables and maize in Zigodo.

It was one of those encounters some members of IPA will remember for ever. In the remaining light of the sun which was about to set they were sitting among a group of farmers in the midst of their fields in Zigodo. They were all making jokes and were laughing. The visitors did not understand a single word, but they enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere. But then the farmers began to talk about their problems. They suffered from hunger and poverty, and the longer they spoke, the quieter everybody became. With tools farmers used in ancient times and with water buckets they tried to cultivate 7.5 hectares of land. There were not even enough watering cans. "We only manage about 1.5 hectares, but that is not enough to make a living", the woman in charge of the group described the problem. The level of despair was considerable, about half of the over 100 members had already left the community.

At the limit of their strength

A private donor made a new start possible. This brought big hopes, but it also meant that all those who were directly involved reached the limit of their strength. For six months two well-trained specialists for irrigation technology and cultivation coached the farmers. They not only organised eight workshops, but also worked with them on their fields almost every day. New plots of land had to be cleared from reeds and made ready for cultivation. The making of natural compost was not difficult for the farmers to understand, but teaching them the basics of management and profit accounting required a lot of patience. "They were extremely willing to learn, but we had to explain everything several times", one of the specialists said. And then there was the flood basin. Working with only hoes and shovels the men and women dug out a pit measuring 20x20x3 metres. Only the thought of improving their situation allowed them to bear the strains.

The profit is their salary

Since the end of last year Malawi has been struck by a period of hunger. The rainy season was both too short and too intense. The last months were marked by floods and crop failures. But during the same time the farmers in Zigodo harvested 5.7 tons of potatoes. "The members of the group are overwhelmed by the high yield", IPA partner James Gondwe wrote in an interim report to Switzerland. The fields were immediately reused to grow vegetables, tomatoes and maize – once more successfully. The feeding of families is ensured, part of the crop was set apart as seeds or seedlings for next year and the rest was sold to grocers. Everybody makes a contribution to the corporate fund from his profits. But above all the children benefit: they receive school materials, clothes and medical care. The farmers in Zigodo can hardly believe in their luck. The chicken – a present to IPA – was probably just a foretaste to all that will be waiting for the visitors on their next trip to Zigodo.