Sustainable Farming: Relieve Hunger in East Africa

This is our third year of training in Malawi and Kenya through the grass-roots network of trainers started by Sister Miriam Paulette in Malawi. There is a steady flow of requests for training, primarily from the village chiefs, who help notify attendees and follow up with any questions after the sessions.  As trainers are added to the network, the sessions expand out into new districts. 

Last year, we obtained a small grant from the US State Department, through the embassy in Lilongwe, Malawi.  The grant was delayed due to COVID and then we had to adjust the number of villages to allow for limits on crowd size. All the villages are within the Zomba district and the distances allow for two training/villages per day(unless unforeseen events like local holidays and funerals force adjustments to the schedule.) We always bring facemasks and handwashing stations to keep with COVID protocols.  The grant started April 1 and we have trained 2350 farmers in 38 villages.

At the same time, through your generosity, the Kenya team has been busy in four districts, training as the volunteer trainers schedule local villages.  So far this year they have covered 18 villages and 565 farmers.

When our trainers went back to the Chikubeni area for a new session, one of the original farmers, James came to join in and extoll on the benefits of biochar.  He has a smallholding and had gone over completely to making his own biochar fertilizer from compost, manure, and biochar.