Observing the overwhelming need that exists in Malawi, it is all too easy to become disheartened. The problems are myriad, the solutions seemingly elusive. Poverty here resembles the hydra of Greek mythology: cut off one head (or tackle one issue), and two more appear in its place.

In light of this pessimistic outlook, it seems natural to adopt a defeatist stoic position, to accept the status quo and acknowledge the futility of trying to effect change. Anything else seems just a rose-tinted view of reality or wishful thinking.

But this in itself illustrates part of the problem of poverty. It enslaves its victims mentally as well as physically. This can take several forms. Poverty can breed a mindset of hopelessness and negativity, which begets only despair. Often, the communities we encounter here have the wherewithal to change their circumstances, but they lack the belief, the courage and the initiative to do so. Alternatively, the communities here demonstrate a subconscious acceptance or acquiescence to poverty; things have been like this for so long, that is how it will always be.

Breaking these mindsets and empowering communities to take responsibility for their problems constitutes a significant proportion of our work here. We don’t want to provide unsustainable solutions or foster false hope, but we do want to bring people to a simple realisation:

To acknowledge what is real, without accepting that what is real is also final.

Our present does not need to dictate our future. We can take a stand and refuse to be victims of circumstance. We do not ignore or discount our problems, but we instead focus on solutions.

This may appear straight out of a business seminar or even a church sermon (though, as for the latter, I feel more than justified since it is Easter Weekend). The validity of the principle, whether you endow it with secular or religious overtones, remains unaltered. Moreover, its scope is universally applicable, relevant as much to England and the rest of the Western World as it is to Malawi.

God bless, and Happy Easter :)

This week, I wish to focus on one specific project, which aptly illustrates the difference between dependency-inducing aid and sustainable development.

The project in question concerns a particular village within the Salima District. Despite bordering Lake Malawi, the area is very susceptible to drought. Most people rely on subsistence farming, but if the rains are insufficient, then they have neither the food to eat nor the means to obtain it. This project, by providing a secure income source to the villagers, acts as a safety net if the crops fail; the villagers can use the profits to supplement their nutrition, and thus avoid starvation.

So what is this project? Well, this ‘income source’ comprises the manufacture and retail of fuel-efficient stoves. The charity we’re working with (AGREDS – Assemblies of God Relief & Development Service) firstly set up a loans and savings scheme within this village. This enabled the villagers to purchase the requisite equipment for making the stoves. Using only readily available materials (namely, bricks, soil and water), the stoves can be churned out at a rate of 60 per day. These are then purchased by the charity at a fair price and sold in local markets.

Already, the villagers have repaid their start-up loan and have set aside all their profits in a bank account. This money will then be distributed to the village as and when the need arises.

To the village itself, the impact is obvious. Its inhabitants do not live in fear of food shortages, as they now possess the resources to compensate for any shortfall in their maize yields. They are also able to look after themselves, rather than having to rely on handouts from the government or relief organisations. This new self-sufficiency in turn enables them to pursue more fulfilling lives: the adults have the capital to invest in enterprise and business; the children have a greater likelihood of receiving a full education.

But what difference does such a project make to the wider community, to the region as a whole? Happily, the benefits are not monopolised by this single village. Everyone in this area relies on charcoal for fuel, which is made by burning timber. Charcoal is becoming increasingly hard to obtain, due to deforestation, rising costs and the droughts (which prevent new trees growing to replenish those felled). By supplying fuel-efficient stoves, the local community can maximise the usage of its dwindling charcoal resources. In conjunction with an extensive afforestation programme, this is delivering economic and environmental benefits.   

It is projects such as this that make a real and positive difference to people in Malawi. Charities and NGOs may abound here, but this nation remains one of the most impoverished in the world. We want to help these people to help themselves, rather than fostering a dependency on foreign aid. I’ve seen with my own eyes just how projects like this can achieve this objective, and in so doing empower the target community to break out of the poverty that grips it. 

If variety is the spice of life, then this last week has certainly been of red-hot chilli proportions.

Monday – helped draft a funding proposal to the World Bank, aimed at combatting teacher absenteeism in rural schools. A surprisingly large problem in Malawi, it can prove seriously detrimental to students’ education; the official government teacher/student ratio is 1:60, but in reality it is often 1:100 or even 1:200. If teachers are skiving, then lessons remain untaught and the students remain in ignorance. We hope that, if funding is obtained, measures can be put in place to tackle this issue.

Tues/Weds/Thursday – visited various primary schools in Mchinji district. Primary schools have 8 years (or ‘standards’). Primary education is free, but many pupils cannot attend as they cannot afford the materials or are required to work on their families’ farms. It is not uncommon to meet pupils in the higher standards who are in their late teens or even early twenties, who have had to repeat years or start their education late. Aside from teaching on health issues (particularly relating to water, sanitation and personal hygiene), we have given lessons on geography, history and maths. All the pupils are enthusiastic and eager to learn, and are especially interested in hearing about life in England. They keenly appreciate the difference that education can make to their lives, and it has been humbling to talk to some of them and find out their future aspirations.

Friday – helped construct pit latrines in a local school. We helped prepare the foundations, collate building materials and make cement. It’s amazing how energy-draining it can be, to work under a blazing sun doing manual work. But what was more amazing were the huge crowds of pupils who gathered to watch our every move; they even formed a long line to pass bricks along to us. These latrines may look primitive, but they are surprisingly effective.

Saturday – day off! After a relaxed morning, we travelled to a local hotel to take advantage of its pool and sauna facilities. Basically a health spa, Malawian style, all for just the equivalent of £2.

Sunday – church started at 7:30AM and lasted for the best part of 3 hours. An impassioned speaker from Cameroon gave the sermon. In the afternoon, we played basketball with some local lads, on a court that was covered with puddles and wet mud. The slippery surface definitely livened up the match; I ended up on my backside at least once! Add to that a ball in the face and an elbow to the jaw, and I almost felt like I’d been playing rugby by the time we finished.

This week we’re off to the Salima District, near Lake Malawi. Stay tuned for more updates…

After scaling the heights of Mount Mulanje last weekend, it was back to business as usual this week. Our sub-team of 3 has been based near the Zambian border, working in the Mchinji District. Primarily, we’ve been visiting schools and villages where projects have already started, to monitor their progress and also to spearhead education initiatives concerning water and sanitation.

Travelling to and from these project locations is an experience in itself. We hire taxi-bikes for the day (for the princely sum of around £5); we are then peddled around by our cycling hosts, while we try to balance on the back of the bikes as best we can. Although we do have the benefit of cushioned seats, that doesn’t offer much comfort when you’re being driven at full speed through a maize field, dodging oncoming cattle and being buffeted about by all the potholes in the road. I say ‘road’ - they’re all really dirt tracks, meandering through the lush countryside, which can turn into small rivers after a torrential downpour.  

After maybe an hour or so, we’ll reach our intended destination. We’re always guaranteed an enthusiastic reception from the villagers, who turn out in huge numbers to greet us. We usually hold some sort of communal meeting in the village, which includes a discussion forum between them and us. A lot of our work so far has centred on making impact assessments, discovering  how a particular project has benefited the community and what further improvements could be made.

We also talk about best practice, in terms of how to use water and sanitation facilities safely and effectively. Most villagers already seem to have a good level of awareness about these issues, probably thanks to previous initiatives. At times, it does feel like we’re little more than a fairground attraction – our mere presence as white foreigners adding a certain panache (but nothing in the way of purpose or practicality) to proceedings, a sort of sensationalising effect. But, it is still early days, and we will hopefully be beginning a construction project in a local school next week.

I’ve also been asked to help draft a funding proposal for our charity, which is seeking to capitalise upon a new scheme by the World Bank. There was me thinking that I could forget everything to do with my legal education whilst out here in Malawi! At least I can put my skills to good use, though as the deadline for submission is only 4 days away, it’s going to be hectic.

Must dash, I’ll send another update soon. 

Lightning coruscates across the pitch-black sky; thunder roars and shakes the buildings; torrents of rain pour incessantly through the darkness. When it rains in Malawi, there is no holding back Nature’s fury.

Remarkably, this hasn’t precipitated a power-cut (a regular occurrence here), so I can happily write this blog. Water there may be a plenty in Malawi (as the drumming rains currently testify), but it is rarely harnessed effectively by rural communities.

This inability to access and/or manage water properly can be seen in several areas. The most obvious is where villages lack even a basic source of clean drinking water. Many villages have some sort of handpump, but it is estimated by UNICEF that, at any time, around a third are out of order. In areas prone to drought, such as Salima where some of us are working, this can be particularly devastating. Sanitation also poses problems, both in terms of toilet facilities and hygiene practice. Much of our work in these villages will be in the form of education, rather than just construction. Then there is the issue of using water effectively in agriculture, in order to boost maize yields. Yields can be at least tripled through introducing simple techniques, designed to retain moisture in the soil.

Water is just one of the projects we’ll be tackling in the next few months. I’ll elaborate on the other projects more at a later date. Right, we’re climbing a mountain tomorrow, so must get some sleep!