Many of you will recall the desperate situation we reported on in early December last year, after hundreds of thousands of families were affected by a devastating food shortage in Malawi. Floods, followed by drought and very late and erratic rains, had wreaked havoc on the maize harvest, leaving much of the country starving and people literally fighting over scarce supplies.
Open Arms had begun to recognise the tell tale signs of malnutrition amongst a number of the children they visited as part of their Outreach Programme, which monitors those who have returned home from the Infant Homes, and it soon became clear that additional support would be essential to help the most vulnerable families through this difficult time.
Even with the annual distribution of Starter Packs, which provide fertiliser and seeds to help families grow sufficient maize to last them almost a full year, the decimated harvest and dehydrated ground meant many families, and especially children, were regularly going hungry, save for a few dirty maize husks they’d managed to gather from the floor at the grinding mills.
In total, 190 families were selected to benefit from the distribution of over 30 tonnes of additional food supplies, the first wave of which has now been completed. Our Outreach teams travelled widely throughout the arid villages and crowded townships surrounding Mangochi and Blantyre, delivering 50kg of maize, 20kg of nutritious porridge (Likuni Phala) and 10kg of beans to each of the beneficiaries, with every one of them eager to put the food parcels to good use.
One of the recipients in the Blantyre District was Grace, a ten year old girl who had returned from our Blantyre Infant Home into the care of her elder half-sister. Despite receiving a monthly Cash Transfer, which helps cover Grace’s basic requirements at school and at home, the family were struggling financially due to the recent death of the girls’ uncle. With inadequate rains, their crops had dried up without bearing any fruit, and with the price of maize escalating to almost four times that of normal, the family was unable to cope. The appreciation of the family on receiving the extra supplies couldn’t have been more obvious and we were incredibly touched to subsequently receive a beautiful letter from Grace’s guardian, thanking all those who made the food distribution possible.
Signs of hope are slowly beginning to appear, with some areas now receiving adequate rains, and travelling across Malawi now it is encouraging to see the familiar green strands of maize emerging defiantly at the roadsides. In Namalo Village, for example, the Chief’s daughter, Maggie, has put their Starter Pack to good use, with careful daily hoeing to help ensure a good crop in April’s harvest.
There is a long way to go yet, however, and a second wave of food distribution is now underway throughout the remainder of February, in the hope of protecting families against malnutrition during the lean months ahead.
With the help of the Starter Packs, funded by Strathclyde University’s Malawi Millennium Project, and the support of your generous donations, our goal is to sustain these families until the new harvest comes in. If you would like to contribute to this cause, please text OAIH01 £3 to 70070, to donate just £3.
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