Building a better Malawi

Remoteness, poverty, hunger; the same three words that were said every time I asked about the challenges facing Nyambi village. It was no surprise. Malawi is the world’s fourth poorest country. An estimated 70% of its population live in extreme poverty and face food insecurity. Families were pushed deeper into poverty and hunger by the El Niño phenomenon which caused droughts and floods and wiped-out crops – an essential source of food and income for the many Malawians who rely on farming. The additional pressures of inflation and limited foreign exchange are making it increasingly difficult for families, who were already struggling.

Nyambi’s remoteness means that these issues are even more profound. Our drive to the village was slow and at times dangerous. The last 32 kilometres were off-road, on terrain that was littered with huge potholes. Two sections have been all but washed away by recent floods. One more year of heavy rains and the remaining, fragile section of road will be washed away, cutting the village and school off. For the final few kilometres there is no track. We drove through overgrown shrubs and grass, which towered over our 4x4, making it impossible to see.

An isolated community

Residents told me they felt isolated and abandoned. There is no support in Nyambi and no nearby town to trade what little produce they have. Hunger is a daily presence, with children often going days without a proper meal because families can no longer rely on subsistence farming.

Sulaimana Daudi, an elder, explained that he regularly attended meetings with the local government and heard about support for other villages. “My biggest fear was that the school would not have the same opportunity to have Mary’s Meals because we are in the remotest area. When I visited Mangochi (another area in Machinga), I saw that most schools there provide children with daily school meals, and it made me unhappy. I thought to myself, why do we not have this in my area?”

Luciano Ngiriki is head teacher at Namingwere Primary. He explained that most children in the area were forced to work rather than go to school. Although enrolment is over 300, attendance was often only a third of that. Those that did attend couldn’t learn properly as they were too hungry.

He and the elders and parents I spoke with were concerned about the long-term impacts. “My fears are that these children will not have a bright future because I believe that education is the only key that can lead them to a brighter future,” he said.

“Since these children are not doing well in class, I feel like we will not have people who will be able to develop this community since I believe that education can contribute much to the development of the community.”

The happiest of days

That’s why the first day of school feeding was one of celebration, joy, and smiles. Not only were the children receiving a nutritious school meal, but the community was resolute that education is the key to unlocking a better future for the village.

Luciano’s optimism shone from him. Smiling, he told me: “The children are so very happy. I’m also very happy, it’s like I am walking on sunshine.

“Today has attracted so many learners and I am sure if other children hear that the pupils were eating porridge, we are going to have more learners in their large numbers, so it is going to improve the attendance and enrolment, and they will be able to be active in class.”

Christian Msukwa is a School Feeding Manager for Mary’s Meals Malawi and, as part of her role, she supported the expansion to Namingwere Primary. She explained the children will be able to rely on a meal every school day – even when the rains come.

“We order food for them up to when the rainy season has finished so we order more, and we deliver before the rain starts. So, when the rain starts, we don’t have any problems because the food is already at the school, so they have enough.”

Christian knows more than most the short- and long-term impact of the school feeding program. And while she is proud that we are now providing nutritious daily meals to more than 3 million children in their place of education, like everyone at Mary’s Meals she is as committed as ever to reaching the next child.

Christian told me: “There is a need for Mary’s Meals to still expand in the other areas where we are not feeding. My dream is to see Mary’s Meals continuing giving the children the food that they need because we are building a better Malawi."

Just $31.70 provides a child with daily meals for an entire school year. Mary’s Meals is now reaching more than 3 million children with a nutritious daily meal in their place of education. While we're proud of this milestone, there are millions more children who are still hungry and out of school. Join us in the fight to end to child hunger.