Although large parts of Malawi are used for agriculture, there are often food shortages. Often the harvest is not used for one's own needs, and knowledge about balanced nutrition and the preparation of meals is also limited. Organisations repeatedly distribute high-caloric food for children under the age of two for a few months. This helps, but only in the short term. Together with the local partner organisations and communities, DIFAEM is improving the nutrition situation in the long term in this ASSET project. "We learn to use the available food properly," the women and men in the villages explain. "And we need to improve our agricultural yields, because we need a lot of money to buy corn meal when our stocks are used up before the new harvest."
Cooking demonstrations and loans
Meanwhile, the women meet regularly in nutrition groups. Specialists and village health workers explain the composition and preparation of a balanced diet and organise cooking demonstrations. The women are taught to grow vegetables and fruit in a small home garden and learn how to make milk from soya. The traditional meal in Malawi is nsima, a maize porridge. This is too unbalanced, especially for children, and can lead to developmental disorders. Many women are unaware that mangoes and papayas are good for small children.
Many food groups have developed a community savings model. The women pay into a jointly managed deposit when they have sold some of the harvest. From this fund they can get a loan. One group in Chinthembwe bought goats with the money. This gives them milk and at the same time fertiliser for the fields. Next, the women would like to learn how to start a small gainful activity, such as beekeeping, through microcredit. The construction of a village-owned granary is also planned.
Passing on knowledge
To improve agricultural yields, local women and men have been selected to take part in appropriate trainings and pass on their knowledge to other people in their village. They learn new methods of soil management and how to produce organic fertiliser from leaves, ash and compost. They now use the fertiliser to grow maize, among other things. One handful of fertiliser per planting hole is proven to increase yields. "Since then, we have had huge harvests, and malnutrition among our children is history," states a villager. An external evaluation also confirmed this success.
Small tree nurseries are also being established to counteract the problem of deforestation. In Malawi, the clearing of large areas has led to massive erosion – and, on top of that, there is no longer some shade from the trees to protect the fields from the strong sunlight.
In addition to these measures aiming at a better nutritional situation, DIFAEM supports the construction of toilets in the communities in order to improve hygiene. The building material is provided, and the construction is then done by the people themselves. Small village clinics complete the ASSET measures. They guarantee short distances to basic medical care.
Initially, these activities were started in a few villages. Now they are being extended to the whole region.
