Malawi is plagued by drought and poverty, and its 550,000 orphans regularly struggle to find enough to eat. That's why the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, supported by Presbyterian World Service and Development, has committed just over $60,000 and nine metric tons of mixed seed to the Soils, Foods and Healthy Communities program in the African country. The project's aim is to improve the soil fertility, food security, health and nutrition of resource-poor households in the Ekwendeni area.
“I am continually pleased and surprised by how well things are progressing,” said Rachel Bezner-Kerr, a Canadian Presbyterian working on the project. “I can really see how this long term work is making a difference in people's lives. It's very satisfying.”
More than 3,000 local farmers are participating, and research shows improvements in child growth and increases in household consumption of legumes. The program began last July and runs until July 2009 and CFGB estimates that 8,000 small farmer families will have tested legumes, droughtresistant crops and labour-saving agricultural options by the program's end.
