Earth Day 2022 on Friday, April 22

 Earth Day is on Friday, April 22. Consider the U.N. SDGs again - are there little things you can do this week, and then perhaps every week, to help? Reducing time in the shower. Recycling. Turning lights and other electrical devices/appliances off. Composting food waste. Buying food you need, and reducing food waste and excess. Put some plants in the ground. Pick up litter in the neighborhood. Donate to and/or volunteer at a favorite organization doing good work. Post these types of actions on your social media platforms, encourage others to do the same (remember the multiplier effect on impact!). Be kind, compassionate and empathetic to others, while being grateful and respectful for what we have in our lives compared to most on the planet. 

Thanks for considering!! This is the only home we have, let's respect it and take care of it, always. 

Photos from the ground in Malawi

 Some recent photos from the Natchewu Primary School, as young scholars are helping apply fertilizer to  the school farm fields. The maize and other crops (beans, potatoes), when harvested, help feed the children and some villagers for the entire school year! 

Thank You!! to all who helped with fundrasier

 We were able to move the equivalent of 1.6 million kwacha to our friends in Malawi last month, after doing a school fundraiser. Thank you to the hundreds of students who helped collect and/or donate loose change and small bills to this effort, and the dozens who have donated online at our GoFundMe site. The GoFundMe site will remain live. 

These funds will continue to help with the purchase of seed, fertilizer and pesticides for the existing farms, and also help new schools begin the process of purchasing land and beginning this process of growing their own food for the children! 

ETHS Annual Fundraiser for Malawi has started

 If you are able to donate anything for the continued efforts in Malawi by Andrews Nchessie, to help maintain and harvest the annual crops that feed some 1500 students for the entire school year, please use our GoFundMe site. Even small donations add up, and are worth a great deal on the ground due to the strength of the dollar. THANK YOU!! 

Data and Information on Famines, Hunger since the 1860s

 The Our World in Data site, run out of Oxford University, is a wonderful source of data and visualizations for many of the world's issues. Included in this is a site with numerous data and information on global famines, some with information dating back to the 1860s. There is a separate set of data and information on undernourishment and hunger around the world, with staggering numbers such as 25% of the world's population are moderately to severely food insecure (9% severely food insecure). 

DeSIRA effort in Malawi - studying climate change adaptations for agriculture

 A multi-year effort is underway in Malawi by the International Potato Center, as they study new innovations for agriculture as climate change continues to force improvements. Part of this research effort includes how some policies may need to shift if one wants to optimize food production in this region. This is part of the DeSIRA agricultural initiative, where DeSIRA stands for Development of Smart Innovation through Research in Agriculture. Efforts like this are vital as some of the countries so dependent on small farms and family farms adapt to climate change. This is an example of a research field. 

Drip Irrigation - making a difference for those farming families who have it

 This is an interesting article about some small farmers and families in Malawi who can use drip irrigation technology to go from one harvest a year to three. Too many families are able to produce enough food for 8-9 months of the year, and have nothing for income, and then struggle for the remaining months. This type of irrigation has helped those who have tried it to produce enough food for the family for an entire year, as well as additional yield to sell and use for income and savings.