Our Malawi contacts are Teddy and Delirah Phiri, and Victor and Gilda Munthali. Working on a voluntary basis in the Mzuzu region, their organization provides seeds and fertilizer to families fragmented by AIDS, school fees and uniforms to orphaned children, and palliative support. The community also grows a maize (corn) garden to provide staple food for AIDS sufferers who are too weak to farm for themselves. 

A multi-year project provided agricultural training for youths who are supporting younger brothers and sisters. Although successful, the program was too time-consuming to be continued since the young people required a lot of supervision.  Some of them now market their produce.

Much of the Malawi program is funded by Seeds for Malawi on Saltspring Island (a project of the Saltspring Garden Club) through African AIDS Angels. A smaller proportion is added by African AIDS Angels itself. We are the sole source of funds for this Malawian group.

In addition to the former youth agriculture training, there are 3 on-going components. For more photos, see the Gallery at the bottom of the page.

1. Educational support

Forty-five to fifty pupils in secondary school are supported with fees, supplies and uniforms. There are also travel costs involved with paying the fees in person.

2. Farm inputs

AIDS widows and grandmothers raising AIDS orphans are a vulnerable group of people with no guaranteed food security. The beneficiaries receive seeds and 2 bags of fertilizer for 3 years, and are expected to be more self-sufficient by that time. As many as 80 farmers have received help per year, but this was a strain on volunteer resources and the current target is 50 farmers.

3. Nutritional support

There are 21 beneficiaries who are HIV positive and undergoing drug treatment. The assistance is in the form of food items and cash. Nutritional support intervention is effective in prolonging life and ensuring that parents can raise their children.

Click on the next image for more photos from Malawi.

Malawi Photo Gallery