Better Farming in Malawi

So much of our culture expects instant results, which may make development seem very slow, but as the saying goes ‘slow and steady wins the race’.

In 2016, Tearfund’s partner AG Care started working in the Chirambi community, Malawi, to tackle food insecurity. They introduced the Foundations for Farming programme (FFF) alongside self-help groups (SHGs). FFF is a short course, including theory and practice, teaching simple techniques to farm dry, barren land and make it productive again.

I have written previously about Polly and Sylvia two farmers who live only 70 km apart, but their stories were different because Polly’s community was the first to benefit from AG Care Foundations for Farming course.

Sylvia’s husband abandoned her, leaving her with one bag of maize to feed a family of five. She had no hope. But the FFF training enabled Sylvia to harvest 25 bags of maize this season. Sylvia says, ‘Since 2017, we have been able to eat three meals a day’. Praise God for his abundant provision.

Sylvia was initially unsure about the benefits of FFF and had not correctly mixed her fertiliser, resulting in a poor crop. But with perseverance and support Sylvia’s yield (and knowledge) increased. Praise God that she is now confident about the future.

Sylvia is now selling groundnuts and has brought chickens and a goat. She is using and selling her animal’s manure, helping to increase her yield and her income. Sylvia and her children’s faces now glow with joy. Families like hers have not only seen their incomes’ grow, but also their confidence and faith.

FFF and SHGs are being rolled out across northern, southern and central Malawi, bringing life-changing skills and opportunities to people living in poverty.

Thank you for your financial gifts and prayer that make it possible for Tearfund through its partners and local churches, to reach these poor communities.

Mandy McIntosh