Donations heading to Malawi, helping in time for planting season

 THANK YOUs go out to everyone who helped either in school or online, where we raised a quick $1020 to send to our friends in Malawi! This is equivalent to 1.042 million kwacha, and will be used by some new schools to prepare land for planting crops as they go into their spring and planting season. Our model will help over 10,000 children once the couple dozen schools harvest their crops towards the end of their summer in 2023. Each harvest will feed the kids at the school for an entire year, and this model has largely been adopted as a national model to avoid famine and kids missing school due to hunger.

See our EMPATHY Project site for details. We also have a GoFundMe site to raise money any time. 

ONE-THIRD of Malawi's population expected to be on brink of Extreme Hunger

 The Malawi IPC Chronic Food Insecurity Report from February, 2022, shows how 5.4 million of the 16.6 million Malawians will face moderate to severe hunger in the coming year. IPC stands for Integrated Phase Classification, and is an international scale that allows everyone to be on the same page when discussing and doing something related to hunger. 

Another 4.4 million Malawians are expected to face mild food insecurity, and under 7 million will suffer from mild to no food insecurity. Some 70% of the population in Malawi live under the international poverty line of $1.90 a day. 

With this being the reality on the ground, it is imperative we take the interest in our school-farm model and turn interest into reality for MANY more schools. We have a couple dozen schools looking for start-up money to purchase land, seed, and fertilizer so they may begin planting farms for the schools. Harvests keep children in school, and we look to ensure as many as 10,000 children have enough food every school day so they may remain in school! We want to make the photo below become a standard start of the year photo for many dozens of schools, where new crops are planted, maintained and harvested, all the way to meals on a child's plate!

HELP by making a DONATION! Every penny goes to the teachers on the ground in Malawi.

CONGRATULATIONS to Andrews!!

 Andrews Nchessie has been nationally recognized by Malawi's President with the Zikomo Award!! This goes to those who have done remarkable work for the nation, and of course we know what a difference he has made for thousands of students over the past few years. Congratulations!!!! Here is one of his posts on Facebook:

This week ending , ending to day has been a memorable one.Why ? I alongside other distinguished daughters and sons of Malawi were recognized , honoured and presented with with Zikomo Award by His Excellency the State President, Dr.L.Chakwera, our beloved president. I therefore very sincerely, thank His Excellency for the Award. In the same let me thank our sector, ministry of education, Hon. minister, Secretary For Education, Directors , Deputy Directors, Valued teachers across our beloved nation, student teachers in all TTCs , Principals and members of staff in all TTCs, all former TTC students , my relatives , media houses in Malawi , MBC and others , Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram friends. In addition , the Varkey Foundation, Varkey teacher ambassadors world wide , Koen Timmers, Mark Vondracek and his students , Vikas Pota CEO, T4 Education and everyone for your congratulatory messages and as always , words of wisdom and inspiration.May the almighty bless you all as always. Once again, thank you all.

The HELP Group on Facebook

 Andrews has started the Hunger, Education and Lift Program (HELP) Facebook Group. Join and stay updated by what's happening on the ground as another 20 schools will be joining this effort of school-owned and run farms, that are maintained and sustainable by the schools to keep their students fed. 

And we are always accepting donations to help these schools get started and become self-supporting indefinitely! Donations can be given on our GoFundMe site. THANK YOU!! 

THIS is what it's all about!

 THIS is what it's all about with this project!!! A classroom of students having a fresh meal, and the making of a maize-based porridge, which is a staple of the Malawian diet in schools. AND, we're up to 20 different schools and communities using this model, ensuring that students will have food every day and, if we can get irrigation systems for each school and farm, even during dry seasons and drought years! We will be doing some additional fundraising to make this happen for as many schools as possible. 

These were taken in April of 2022. 

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!