“The environment is God’s gift to
everyone, and in our use of it we
have the responsibility toward the
poor, towards future generations and
towards humanity as a whole.” Pope
Benedict XVI, Caritas In Veritate 2009
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More than half of Malawi’s population lives below the poverty line, making it one of the poorest countries in the world. Low farm yields, limited access to credit and land, and poor health from water-borne diseases all impact heavily on families. In recent years Malawi has also experienced a food crisis with annual food shortages compounded by environmental degradation, poor food storage and few non-agricultural employment opportunities.
Caritas Australia is supporting the Catholic Development Commission in Malawi to run an Integrated Community Development Program that is improving the living standards of 450 poor families. The program aims to improve access to food, safe water and sanitation, restore the degraded environment and enhance community resilience to disasters.
Bule, 56, lives with his son Wesley, 17, in Gamphani village in Mzuzu Diocese, north Malawi. Two years ago Bule depended on casual farm-hand jobs to support his son. “Finding work was unpredictable. We ate only one meal a day and I worried that I wouldn’t have enough money for Wesley’s school materials and examination fees. I wished we had enough food and other requirements throughout the year,” Bule recalls. Like many people in Malawi, the family suffered diarrhoea and abdominal problems from drinking unclean water from the local well. Wesley was often tired from the 11km walk to school, and his studies were affected by poor health.
In 2007 Bule joined the Caritas-supported program, attending training at the community borehole on how to increase vegetable production from his small home garden. Bule learnt to make organic compost, simple techniques for soil and water conservation and food storage methods. He also received a loan of a goat and resilient seeds to
plant at the start of the rainy season. “I learnt to diversify my crops and started growing maize, soya beans, groundnuts, sweet potato and pumpkins. I use the goat manure for fertiliser,” Bule explains.
The program encouraged Bule and the other farmers to save seed for the following season by establishing community-managed ‘seed banks’. After harvest, Bule repaid his seed loan, helping stock the seed bank. Some seed was loaned to other farmers to grow, while other seed was sold and profits shared among the members.
Caritas has supported the construction of 15 community boreholes to provide safe drinking water in the diocese. Bule and other community members contributed bricks and sand, and received training on how to maintain the borehole site. “Now we get our water from the borehole and we make sure it’s kept clean and safe,” he explains. Bule also learnt to
construct a kitchen drying rack, rubbish pit, latrine and bathing room so the family now has access to improved sanitation.
Deforestation is one of Malawi’s biggest environmental challenges. With Caritas Australia’s support, project staff, volunteers and communities are working together to reforest bare land and run environmental awareness campaigns. Bule and other community members helped establish the village’s woodlot by digging holes, planting tree seedlings and weeding. “I learnt we should avoid cutting down trees carelessly — trees help in rain formation which we depend on for our crops. If trees are cared for we get useful products likes poles and
medicinal products. Soon I will make an energy saving stove. They use less wood fuel,” Bule explains.
Families in the program now have basic things such as enough food and small incomes. Water-borne diseases have greatly reduced since the boreholes were installed — and time once spent fetching water can now be used on other productive activities. People are feeling more empowered to take on the challenges they face and many more families would like to join the project.
Bule is now able to confidently pay for school fees and encourage Wesley’s hope to study medicine. He knows he will be able to repay his goat loan and sell goats in future. “Instead of buying vegetables, we’re eating them from our own garden. I can sell some soya and maize and earn up to $6 a day on average — we’re eating three meals a day now,” he explains. “I wish for Wesley to finish his education, to be employed and self reliant, so that he should not face the same problems I have gone through.”
Project Compassion Guest Speaker: Carsterns Mulume from Malawi
[If you have trouble playing the clip, try it on TeacherTube]
Hear from the National Director of Caritas Malawi, Carsterns Mulume, who visited Australia during Project Compassion to talk about how Caritas Australia's support is helping to empower people like Bule to lift themselves out of extreme poverty -and deal with issues such as malnutrition, unsafe drinking water and high rates of HIV/AIDS.
How you can help
Your donation to Caritas Australia’s Project Compassion empowers vulnerable households like Bule’s to access safe water, sanitation and work towards environmental sustainability.
