Dowa, March 4, 2016: The World Food Program (WFP) which, in partnership with a local Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), is distributing food and cash transfers to people registered under the Malawi Vulnerability and Assessment Committee (MVAC) in Dowa district has admitted facing challenges particularly in the first months of implementing the exercise.

WFP’s Monitoring and Evaluation officer, Ronald Kamwendo said this in an interview during the Dowa district MVAC response and supplementary feeding update.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE – REACTING QUICKLY

LOVE WINS AFRICA who has a few thousand woman in southern Malawi realised early that with late rains possible it was important to start a ‘waterpump’ project urgently.  The ongoing El Niño has resulted in a severe drought across Southern Africa. Rains, which typically begin in October/November, have been 10 to more than 50 days late and significantly below average.  Pumps was distributed amongst many women busy with their LITERACY program.  These ladies started planting their maize but this time around using irrigation pumps to set them up for the planting season.  While many other small farmers in the area reported crops lost due to late rains the woman in the literacy programs reported good crops.  While many communities had to get help from the World Food Program many ladies in the literacy program could be self sustainable for their families and even in their villages.

The waterpumps that was donated with the help of many wonderful donors, changed the landscape for many woman who in the past did not have enough to eat.  By digging shallow wells in the ground and using existing rivers far out it was possible to irrigate well using the pumps.  Here is a few photos taken a week ago to prove how woman will be able to not just feed their families but also look after others:

PHOTO: Newly maize planted looking healthy after good irrigation using pumps that was sponsored by LOVE WINS AFRICA.

PHOTO: Ladies are trained to use the manual waterpumps to get it to their crops which would otherwise not be possible.

PHOTO: New seedlings looking good. This phase is crucial and getting good irrigation to seedlings is important. Many small farmers never saw this phase as their crops died due to the El Nino effect.

PHOTO: Even the husbands of wives voluntarily helped their woman in operating their waterpumps.

PHOTO: Woman leaders received bicycles to transport their waterpumps to various villages.

PHOTOS: Proud woman leaders in Malawi receiving their bicycles and waterpumps.

PHOTO: Waterpump ready to be transported as pastors helping the ladies to load their bicycles.