Malawi

Food security

Several climate shocks have hit Malawi in the last six years: from extreme flooding, to droughts, insect attacks and destructive flooding as a consequence of Cyclone Idai. These have led to loss of lives and livelihoods and have left many of those that were already poor in an even more vulnerable and desperate situation.

This year, before the Coronavirus pandemic hit, over one million families needed food assistance, and ActionAid was mobilizing resources to be able to help families in some of the hardest hit places.

ActionAid’s programmes in Malawi are long term: we focus on women’s rights, education, health, good governance, empowering citizens so that they are aware of their rights and are able to hold local governments and other service providers accountable. In the face of disasters, ActionAid supports the local communities where it works: it engages especially with women, young people, and vulnerable groups to strengthen their resilience, so that they are better prepared and stronger to face future crises.

We not only help by delivering food kits (and hygiene kits) to the hardest hit families, we also help farmers to choose seeds and cultivation methods that are more resistant to climate change and less dependent on expensive external inputs. We train women in irrigation techniques, seed multiplication and agro-processing techniques that make their crops more valuable to sell. We also train them in raising small livestock to be able to feed their families better. So that they are better prepared to react and survive future crises, we train communities in early warning and disaster risk management techniques.

To do this, we count on our donors: would you join the Roger Federer Foundation, the Swiss Development Cooperation and others in supporting the work of ActionAid in Malawi?

Contact us to learn more.