The Malawi Project, Inc.

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

    The Chicago Tribune headlines it as "Food Success Story in Malawi. No longer extending a begging bowl, African nation now feeding its neighbors." (December 1, 2007).

    The New York Times was more direct with its headline, "Ending Famine, simply by ignoring the Experts." (December 4, 2007).

    The news was so different than 5 years ago when BBC News headlined "Malawi’s ‘worst ever famine’" and ‘Southern African Famine: What Went Wrong?" as an estimated 15 million people faced food shortages in the sub-Sahara.

    According to Richard Stephens, Director of the Malawi Project, "the famine situation in Malawi had been extremely serious from mid-2000 to as late as early 2007. We had been seeking food assistance during that period of time. It was not that the people of Malawi were lazy and it was not a matter of over population or living in a region where the soil could not support the population. The main reasons were a period of changing weather patterns combined with government miscalculations by the previous administration in Malawi. These factors brought on the worst period of famine seen in this region since the early 1950’s." The BBC added HIV/AIDS as another major factor with one of every seven Malawians affected.

    Then, suddenly in the harvest of 2007, Malawi reports bumper crops. They were so abundant the harvest was sufficient to begin exporting grain to assist their more unfortunate neighbors. What happened? What caused the turn around? How did the country reverse its misfortune?

    It seems the government under the leadership of President Bingu wa Mutharika changed its agricultural policies from "do as I say, to do as I do." Bingu is no stranger to western policy as compared to western action. He holds a PhD in Development Economics from Pacific Western University in Los Angeles, and a Masters Degree in Economics and a Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce from the University of Delhi, India. As a former diplomat he worked from 1990 to 1997 as Secretary General of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, and before becoming Secretary General of COMESA he worked for the United Nations as the Director for Trade and Development Finance, with responsibilities for 53 African nations.

    When it came to finding ways to pull out of the cycle of continuing famine, Mutharika is reported to have simply taken a page out of the western playbook. While the west was calling for African nations not to use fertilizer on their farm fields, the west continued to use various forms of fertilizer to enhance crop production. This past year Malawi decided to imitate the west and "do as they do." Fertilizer was offered to the farmers at subsidized rates, and the result was a bumper crop.

A Note of Caution
    While Malawi has experienced a good year in the overall view of things, this does not mean there are not scattered pockets of need. The lack of rain, the high price of fertilizer, the poor health of families, or other conditions could hinder food production. Even in a good year the people of the sub-Sahara are barely getting by. There is no such thing as full stomachs all the time. Almost no one in the village areas realizes a bumper crop year after year.

    "We must be careful," Stephens warns. "While we applaud the success of the people of Malawi to tear themselves out of the clutches of famine we have to remember that a single season of insufficient rain, or a family that has lost parents or other family members to the AIDS virus or other illnesses can change the situation for them entirely. For that family or village or region the famine is still with them. We need to sort out those who continue to need help from those who have experienced bumper success this past year. Applaud the one and give assistance to the other."

"My Name is Innocent"

His name is Innocent Banda and in many ways he lives up to what his name implies. First, he has become parentless through no fault of his own. He is "innocent". And "Innocent" was the name his parents gave him at birth. He does not know why they chose that name and will probably never know. His father died and his mother remarried and moved away. Innocent now lives in the Chimwemwe (Joy) House at Mtendere Village and acts as a senior guide and leader to the younger children in the children’s village. Innocent celebrates his birthday each year without fanfare and most often without recognition or gifts on January 5. He is the firstborn of two children. He also has a sister. His original home was in the Dowa District in a tiny village called Mkanile 2. His tribal authority was Chief Chakhaza. Innocent speaks concerning his life before coming to Mtendere, "I lived with my uncle. I slept on a bad sleeping mat, had little food, clothing and no parental care. My uncle fed his kids first, and sometimes there was nothing left for me to eat." Now, after making his home at Mtendere Children’s Village Innocent can report, "My life is very, very good. I am very happy. I have a nice bed and good food. I would like to thank God for bringing me here. My prayer is for those kids who are still living in the villages who are unable to come here."

    During 2007 Innocent found his calling in song leading and preaching at the local congregation in Lumbadzi, Malawi. In August he was selected as one of the speakers at a giant youth rally in Lilongwe. Innocent reports that he wants to grow up and go about helping other people. He is off to a good start.

Dowa District Is North of the Capital
    The Dowa District is the district or state just north of the capital of Lilongwe. It is situated just across the river to the north from the Lilongwe District where Mtendere Village is located. From his home in Mtendere Innocent can actually look over the hills to the north and see his home district. In 2001 the Dowa District had an estimated population of 434,693. The population is expected to reach 526,604 in 2008. The Dowa District is home to the Mponela Trading Center and the Madisi Trading Center where many of the early programs of the Malawi Project originated.

Without Our Help They Will Die
By Smith Chibaka, Sacred Promise Healthcare
        One of the astonishing events in Moses’ life was that he had been sentenced to death long before he was even born. After his birth, his survival depended on his parents’ faith in God. Unbelievably, after 3 months of being secretly hidden in the house, his mother put him in a basket and hid him by the banks of river Nile until that basket came to the attention of  Pharaoh’s daughter.

        When the basket was brought to Pharaoh’s daughter, she opened the basket and saw a baby in it; the baby wept and she had compassion on him. The death sentence was lifted and Moses’ life was then destined for the king’s palace.

        This was the Moses who led the children of Israel out of Egypt; The Moses who received the Decalogue on Mt Sinai.

        Today thousands and thousands of the children of Malawi are born into a hopeless society. Their fate decided long before they are even born. Providentially, some people have extended their arms reaching out to commute the death sentences of these helpless children.

        The world has shown compassion on these children and is determined to give these children a future. Aid is being extended in the form of shelter, food, clothing and school. Some are less fortunate and are only enrolled at day-care centers where they at least get some meals. Shelter is taken care of by some well wishers or next of kin.

        One area that is a burden to handle is that of healthcare. It is quite difficult to walk long distances to some Health Centers where medical help is rendered. The problem becomes unbearably when the guardians are quite elderly and are themselves in need of some assistance as regards activities of daily living. The sick children under their care are left at the mercy of nature. It is worse when those children are parentless.

        Our appreciation for the great work done by thousands world-wide, who have come to our rescue, can only be shown by the role we can play in uplifting the lives and welfare of these innocent children. Our part is to look into the health of these orphans, vulnerable children and elderly guardians.

        This is an enormous undertaking, but we feel the little we can do will make a difference.  Our program at the Sacred Promise Healthcare Center shall target on a few centers that are within the townships of Lilongwe. This is because of the difficulties in transport from place to place. 

Tuberculosis in Malawi
        Malawi has declared tuberculosis a national emergency. Currently over 27,500 people are being diagnosed with the disease every year, but this figure is estimated to be only 50% of all cases in the country. The USAID estimates the total number of new cases each year to be 52,000. The Malawi Ministry of Health has called for urgent and extraordinary actions to halt the spread and fatalities of TB in the country.

        In March 2007 the visiting WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Luís Gomes Sambo appealed for national and international solidarity to fight TB in Africa. Dr. Sambo made the declaration of emergency while on a four-day mission to the continent with the UN Special Envoy to Stop TB, the former President of Portugal Mr. Jorge Sampaio. At the meeting the Malawi Ministry of Health announced a new five-year plan to address the emergency through increased access to TB diagnostic and treatment services, TB and HIV services and community involvement.

HIV/AIDS Gets The Most Press Coverage
        In spite of the prevalence of the reporting by the world’s press concerning the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa’s sub-Sahara there remains a critical crisis with tuberculosis that receives far less attention. The seriousness of the problem can be seen in the following USAID website report:

    "The Malawi National TB Control Program (NTP) has been implementing Directly Observed Therapy, Short-Course (DOTS) for two decades, achieving nationwide coverage. The NTP also provides for home-based care using community "guardians" to observe and follow up with TB patients. Despite these advances, the high HIV/AIDS prevalence has had an impact on the success of the TB program. Case detection has remained between 36 and 40 percent during the past five years, well below the 70 percent international standard. Treatment success has remained steady at about 73 percent over the past five years, which is below the 85 percent target."

    The report draws a strong parallel between HIV and T.B.

    "In 2004, Malawi had an HIV/AIDS prevalence rate of 14 percent, and more than 1.7 million adults and children in the country were living with HIV/AIDS. An independent, countrywide survey indicated that 72 percent of all TB patients were HIV-positive, a much higher percentage than previous estimates. High rates of HIV infection led to increasing numbers of patients with difficult-to-diagnose smear-negative pulmonary TB, an increasing case fatality rate in patients with all types of TB, and an increasing rate of recurrent disease."

    According to the World Health Organization the total incidence rate of TB in all forms is 8,811,100 with South-East Asia leading the way at nearly 3,000,000. Africa is second at over 2,500,000 cases.