Those were the words I heard when I told one of the Malawian farmers that I had attempted to grow tomatoes but kept forgetting to take them off the vine, finding them rotten or half-eaten by squirrels. “You must not be hungry enough,” he told me, “because if you were, you wouldn’t forget your crops”. He was right because for me, growing food is a hobby. But in rural Malawi, growing food is necessary for survival.
More than 95% of the individuals in our service area rely on farming to survive, but it’s not easy to grow enough food for an entire year. One needs sufficient rain, farming implements, fertilizer, good seed, and adequate labor.
Right now, it’s the rainy season in Malawi – the prime time for farming. The conditions and resources have to be just right to reap a bountiful harvest.
It’s our busiest time of year at Pamoza. We are out in the fields working alongside farmers – monitoring their crops, supplying resources, providing training, and praying for them.
Last year, we discovered that nearly half of the families we serve were only growing enough food to last 4-6 months. We worked with students from Eastern University to launch the Food Security Initiative targeting families struggling with persistent hunger. The program was so popular, we added 50 more families this year.
Now we are busier than ever. But it feels good because we can see the impact.
“I have never had a maize crop like this in my life, I thank God for working through Pamoza to help me with resources including training. May God bless those who have helped us.”
-McCloud Kasiya, Food Security Program Participant