REPORT OF 2018 OF SEEDSOWERS TRIP TO MALAWI

The 2018 visit to Malawi was between September 10th and October 4th. Again, Mike was hosted by Rev. Fletcher Kaiya and his wife Clara at their ‘Agape’ Orphan Home in Blantyre. During the proceeding months Seedsowers had been fundraising for the Borehole project, Irrigation Project and the Prison Ministry. The fundraising activities were successful with grants from the Friends of Malawi Association and the owners of Pennywell Farm.

Borehole Project

Seedsowers have received £1000.00 grant from the Friends of Malawi Association to provide 4 boreholes in the South Lunzu district near Blantyre. During Mike’s visit 2 of these were drilled and Micro Pumps installed. The drilling of these boreholes was difficult and hard as the drilling was through soft rock. The villagers only sources of water were from open ‘sump’ holes which were open to contamination. Prior to Mike’s visit two other boreholes were sunk and pumps fitted in another area over in another valley.

The terrain in which the drilling team was working is very hilly without any recognisable roads and therefore all the drilling equipment had to be physically carried overland to the sites some 11/2-2 miles away. No conventional motorised boring equipment can get access to such sites.

The terrain of South Lunzu where everything has to be carried to site.

Drilling the first borehole

Completed Borehole No. 1 at South Lunzu with villagers, the field technician Patrick, John Odala and George Mkoko, Seedsowers Malawi Co-ordinator

The ‘Sump’ hole presently being used by the villagers of No 1 Borehole

The fully completed Borehole 1 at South Lunzu with the villagers and Mike Ansell

Borehole No 2 at South Lunzu being commissioned by the local elected counsellor.

The handing over of Chichewa Bibles to the Chairman of the Pump Committee Borehole No 1

The handing over a Chichewa Bible to the Chief of the villagers of Borehole No 2

The commissioning service for boreholes No’s 1 & 2

Borehole No2 awaiting final cement plastering

Contaminated drinking water of one of the villagers

Another 2 boreholes in the South Lunzu district will be drilled in the coming months thanks to the grant of the Friends of Malawi Association. A further borehole has been sponsored by Pennywell Farm.

Further to Mike’s return a further borehole has been sunk in the South Lunzu district.

The 3rd borehole sunk in South Lunzu awaiting installation of pump and brick and cement work to complete.

The existing source of water for villagers in the above installation area of borehole No 3

Prior to Mike’s visit two boreholes were sunk in this district. There is funding for one more borehole and pump in this area. After this the team will be moving on to another area in Thyolo outside Blantyre.

Prison Ministry

The Prison Ministry was initiated last year in conjunction with ‘One in Christ’ Ministries lead by John Odala and the Blantyre Prison Chaplain, David Mapola. At that time we donated 3 sewing machines to the Female Section of the prison to teach sewing skills to the inmates to help give them an income generating skill and thus help them not to re-offend.

Since that date a training school has been set up in Agnes Mkoko’s home to train women to impart their skills to the female inmates of the prison.

Once a week the ‘One in Christ’ team go into the prison and hold a Christian service prior to the training session. They also take in items of food and soap as in Malawian prisons the inmate’s needs have to be catered for by their relatives or others.

When Mike visited this time, he was pleased to see that there were two Muslim women in the group. The attendance to the service is purely voluntarily so it was encouraging to see these women as they were, maybe, hearing the Gospel for the first time.

The ‘One in Christ’ sewing team are endeavouring in their activities outside the prison situation to raise money by coming together each week in a sewing circle to make various items for sale to carry on their prison ministry.

Seedsowers donated materials for the inmates sewing needs as well as funds for food and other essentials for the prison inmates.

Mike with the ‘One in Christ’ team visiting Chichiri Prison, Blantyre with the new Prison Chaplain, John Ng’oma, standing to the right of Mike.

The ‘One in Christ’ prison training team learning to impart their skills to prison inmates

Some of the items the ‘One in Christ’ sewing team have made to sell to raise funds for the Prison Ministry

Irrigation Project

The visit to the Mwanza villages was more encouraging this year as a co-operative has now been formed and is being advised by a Co-operative consultant, Amos. Some of the terrain has now been terraced and a keen member of the co-operative has, with his son, are growing a variety of crops for the wholesale market.

On a visit to Stephen Carr, one of our Malawi trustees, has advised that the market should first be explored for the right crops to grow as there is a danger that the market could be over subscribed with similar crops. Stephen has been working in Africa for over 60 years and was responsible for creating successful small farmer co-operatives in Sudan and Uganda.

There is a possibility of a niche market in growing crops for the organic soap and perfume market and this is now being investigated.

‘Save the Children’ have been involved in the project giving advice and supplying further treadle pumps. Seedsowers are funding a further two such pumps with funds generously given by Pennywell Farm.

The villagers are now preparing a new parcel of land to cultivate prior to the rains coming and are building dams and weirs to divert some of the water from the rains which flow down natural gulley’s to the river, into reservoirs to flood the land prior to planting. They are also planting banana trees and sugar canes on the river bank to prevent soil erosion.

There is still a problem with Hippos coming up at night and eating the crops. One of the members of the co-operative has come up with an initiative idea to overcome this situation. He has installed a cheap photo cell arrangement which charges a 6 volt battery by day and illuminates his crop by night which deters the hippos.

There is also a crocodile problem and a permanent pipe system connected to a pump has been proposed to pump up the water from the river without exposing the villagers to the danger of attack by crocodiles.

Preparations in progress to provide a series of dams and weirs to divert the flood waters to the prepared land prior to planting. The flimsy fences will be backed with rocks.

The land to be prepared, flooded and planted when the rains come.

Land already terraced with crops ready for market

Amos, the co-operative consultant speaking to the Co-operative Committee

‘Agape’

The situation at ‘Agape’ is now a lot quieter with a lot of the young people now away in jobs or higher education. Only Margaret, Tereza and Andrew are now at home in ‘Agape’. Later Margaret and Tereza will be leaving home, Margaret going to university and Tereza to Bible College. Andrew is the only that will be left as he still trying to pass his school certificates.

Christopher is now at university studying Industrial Engineering. Cadie is in Zambia studying at an American Bible College there. Charles, who had a hearing problem, is now in Lilongwe working in Sam and Malla’s business. Malla is Fletcher and Clara’s daughter married to Sam who is a MP. Bestina is now living in Lilongwe and working in Sam and Malla’s small lodge there. Upili is working in South Africa as a nanny. Grace did not achieve enough points to go to university but gained enough to go to Lilongwe Bible College. However the fees are very expensive and it is unlikely that she will achieve that goal.

Irene is now in Lilongwe working for the World Food Programme. James Martin is now working as a receptionist at the College of Medicine Complex in Blantyre. Elizabeth is now married with two children and lives with her husband in Lilongwe. Samson is now in Mozambique trying to do business there. He did not do well in his exams. Zainabu did not do well in her exams and is studying to retake them. James Zululu failed his exams and although he says he wants to join the British Army he lacks the drive to do it.

With one or two exceptions the young people at ‘Agape’ have done very well all through the wonderful work of Fletcher and Clara, and the Seedsowers sponsors who have faithfully supported ‘Agape’s young people over the years.