These individuals from the Kanyenyeva area recently attended a week long training at E3 Worldwide. The purpose of the training was to help them learn about sustainable farming techniques. “Every year almost all rural households which make up 85% of the nation have to grow the bulk their own food during the 3-4 months rain season. The process of crop production is the foremost poverty trap in that it is costly in more ways than just financial for poor households.” (e3worldwide.org/food-security/)
“E3 Worldwide is working to help reduce the cost of growing food by exploring much cheaper substitutes for chemical fertilizers, offering training for alternative methods of agriculture such as permaculture to attain maximum yield per acreage that also nurtures the ecosystem to retain fertility naturally, introducing irrigation agriculture to beat seasonality, and encouraging the cultivation of ‘cash crops’ to generate income.” (e3worldwide.org/food-security/)
While at the E3 Worldwide training they also learned about eating a healthy and more sustainable diet which will decrease their dependency on maize
(which is not native to Malawi) and increase their consumption of native fruits and vegetables.
The people that attended the training will share their new knowledge with others in their community. They said that they were very excited and thankful for that week long course and are very eager to use what they have learned. They reported that the training is eye opening and life changing.
The past few years the harvest in Malawi has decreased due to flooding and mistimed rains. With the training which they received, they should become less dependent on the rains and be able to grow crops year round which will increase their food security.
We pray that what they learned during this week long training will continue to be shared in their community and beyond while it provides ways for them to have year round food security.