Warm and Wet.

The torrential rain has caused loss of life, homes and crops.  There will be a replanting programme for the small farmers for which help will be available. Those crops not flooded are growing apace in the wet and warm conditions and it is time for fertilser to be applied.

                A home-made very accurate
                fertiliser speader, an old sack
                  and a plastic pipe.





Farm Input Subsidy Programme
Funwe Seed is part of the FISP scheme.  Coupons funded by donors and the Malawi Government are distributed to vulnerable groups,  these can be redeemed from suppliers for seed and fertiliser at no cost to the grower; the coupons are submitted by suppliers to the government for payment. This scheme has been working for 10 years and many growers have benefitted.  The coupons are categorised before submission.  Funwe Seed submits around 250,000 coupons, all sorted  manually providing clerical occupation for local people.

Hand sorting thousands of these takes time and concentration, each is worth up to 10 dollars to the seed companies and is free to the farmers.

Building

Malawians are great builders and make the best of their natural resources.

Mud bricks drying in the sun.

Kiln fired by tree trunks

 

 

 

 

Mortar is created from the lake and river sand. 

Unfortunately these methods are not sustainable and the results are vulnerable to the weather.  We can always find a cheerful team rebuilding something.

Debris in the swollen rivers has choked dams causing piped water shortages and blocked grilles to turbines. Power cuts are part of our life and we must be prepared. Fortunately we have a gas cooker and partial solar lighting.

These are our solar batteries charging up between rain storms.

The Northern hemisphere days are lengthening and no doubt the spring bulbs are swelling, soon the daffodils will be out!

Stay warm.

T and I

               

   

                                                                              

Farmers are never satisfied!

The rains kept us waiting and they have arrived with a vengeance, 19 inches since 1st January.  There have been several wild storms, roofs have been blown off, rivers flooded and villages cut off.  The tractors have been bogged down and planting has been by hand.

These discs harrows were stuck
for 3 days.

                            Land Cruiser up
                      to its axles in mud.

The roof of the school office blew off, the only room with electricity. Repairs may take some time.

This is our main route to Lilongwe, the current detour takes an additional 2 hours on the regular 3 hour journey.

The weather is extreme however it happens every year and the local people are cheerful with a philosophical attitude.

We are enjoying the experience of the short growing season and note how well the Malawian people take care of their crops, all necessary in a subsistence environment.  Agriculture features on the primary school curriculum, young children tend crops and herd stock (cattle, sheep and goats).
Ian continues to be busy on the farms, Terri has made a contact at the local school where little English is spoken. 

We make time to enjoy our surroundings.

 Kayaking just before sunset, this can be hazardous, see below.......





.......this notice is displayed above our local bar.





We have no TV or radio and rely on fluctuating band-width internet; emails, photos and contact from home are a lifeline, please keep them coming.
T and I

Everything is growing

 

The rains and storms continue and the seeds planted over Christmas have germinated.
 5.5 inches of rain have fallen in 5 days.

Groundnut (peanut) seedlings

Maize seedlings

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The bush has come alive with wild flowers.

Wild Ginger

Fireball Lily

The early growing season has not been without problems, either too much or too little rain has resulted in average germination and replanting has been necessary in some areas: the ever present monkeys and baboons will help themselves to the tender shoots so this family have built a shelter to protect them from the weather whilst on monkey watch.

 

We continue to familiarise ourselves with the Malawian Lakeshore lifestyle, enjoying some water sports and swimming. We live well, although the supermarket is a 7 hour round trip there are fresh vegetables some fruit and fish available locally. Our drinking water comes from the lake; it is filtered passed through a UV device, boiled then refiltered.

Ian checking the water tanks a weekly routine on a Sunday morning

 

 

                                                                                   

On New Years Eve the rain was torrential and Ian spent some time pulling vehicles from ditches before welcoming 2015 at a party along the beach. Our normally quiet and deserted neighbourhood was lively and busy over the New Year. On New Year's Day the local children were all in party clothes and there was great excitement. Many Malawians celebrate their birthday on 1st January.

We are thinking about the Northern hemisphere winter and hope all is well.

T and I