Fish to Feed HIV affected families in Malawi

Summary

1000 poor farmers, including women and HIV affected householders in Chingale, Malawi will be taught fish farming methods to help improve their income and nutritional status for the long term.

What is the issue, problem, or challenge?

There are currently 12.1 million people in Malawi, most of whom are subsistence farmers with less than 1 acre of land to farm. Marginal land use and frequent droughts make food security an issue. Famine is recurring and food aid is only temporary relief. This project will enable 1000 poor farmers, including women and HIV/AIDS sufferers to live a better life with nutritious food on the table and money in their pockets for necessities.

How will this project solve this problem?

The project trains families affected by drought or HIV/AIDS to farm fish for income and improve nutrition. Ponds will be constructed and farmers taught to manage fish and ponds and harvest fish in a way that lets the fish pond thrive for many years.

Potential Long Term Impact

This project will increase fish production. Nutrients from the pond improve crop production too. Farmers become more skilled at managing water and are better able to resist drought. All these outcomes translate into more income and food.

Project Message

We’ve seen the monetary and nutritional returns the ponds are beginning to bring into our pockets and homes. My people have begun to break the poverty trap in which they had been held for so long.
- Mr. Jusu, Village Headman - Chingale, Zomba, Malawi

Additional Documentation

This project has provided additional documentation in a Microsoft Excel file (projdoc.xls).

Resources