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