Malawi: Fire and Rain

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Welcome to Malawi, which in the local Chichewa language, means "flames". Fittingly, it can be hot and dry in Malawi during the months-long dry season - indeed, the average temperature has risen by around 3 degrees F in the past two decades. However, flooding events now also occur regularly, as the changing climate has dramatically increased the number and intensity of cyclones. And whereas there used be a dependable rainy season, as a result of climate change seasonal rains are now coming weeks later than "normal." This extends the dry season and imperils food security, as fully 80 percent of Malawians depend on rain-fed agriculture for food and income. 

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All this means that having enough to eat is a big problem, as a reliable water supply is the key to successful harvests. Indeed, a quarter of Malawi's people are chronically food insecure.

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NCP's partner Creative Solutions for the Environment is helping communities - and especially women, who are the primary food producers - deal with this chronic crisis. This includes teaching them new farming techniques that align with nature and eschew chemicals.

 

But water is still a key - and on our recent visit there, women's groups working with CSE made a plea for solar water pumps to reliably get water to their crops - their main livelihood - during the now longer and hotter dry season. 

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Solar water pumps are rapidly changing agriculture and drinking water access across Africa by replacing expensive diesel generators and unreliable grid electricity with clean, abundant sunshine. And it keeps young women from sometimes being taken out of school for the chore of carrying water. 

 

Overview and Benefits:

• Cost Savings: Eliminates ongoing fuel purchases, engine oil changes, and grid electricity bills. 

• High Efficiency: Delivers anywhere from 8,000 to 10,000 liters of water per day for smallholder farms during 6–8 hours of peak sunlight.

• Versatility: Operates from shallow wells, rivers, streams, and ponds to supply livestock, community drinking water, or crop irrigation

 

At $3700 each to purchase and install, these pumps are not cheap - and eight women's groups, totaling 160 farmers and their families, are requesting one. In other words, $29,600 total. And if we raise more than this, we'll put it

toward bicycles ($400 each) for girls walking up to 14 miles each way to school every day and microloans for women hoping to start small businesses (average of $115 per woman). 

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Support is welcomed from individuals, school groups, congregations, clubs - all gifts needed and appreciated!!

 

Donate at the tab below, on the Donate page of our website or by check to 117 Nature Rd., Blue Ridge, VA 24064.    100 percent of contributions go to the campaign - really.  

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