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Overcoming poverty sustainably

Donate for Malawi

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85 %

of people live from agriculture

5.7

million people are threatened by food insecurity

70 %

of the population live below the poverty line

Help in Malawi

Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world. Moreover, natural disasters such as Cyclone Freddy are increasingly destroying the harvests and thus people's livelihoods. With sustainable agricultural projects, Help supports families in Malawi in improving their living conditions through their own efforts.

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Table of contents

How is Help providing support in Malawi?

Ways out of poverty

A woman from Malawi conducts a food training programme
Help promotes the development of sustainable agriculture in Malawi through training and education.

Help supports people in Malawi in developing sustainable and future-proof agriculture. In cooperation with local partners, we provide farming households with tools and resources so that they can produce and sell food more effectively and in a more environmentally friendly way. This gives people the opportunity to overcome hunger and poverty through their own efforts.

The key to the sustainable success of the project is education. In training courses and workshops, the smallholders learn, for example, how to use dry soils efficiently and carefully and how to protect themselves from the effects of climate change by growing different types of vegetables. They also learn how to successfully resell their produce. The additional income gives the families the opportunity to build up financial reserves and prepare themselves better for future crises.

The success of the smallholder farmers trained by Help makes them role models and multipliers. As "lead farmers", they pass on their knowledge to others, thereby increasing the impact of the project. An innovative approach that has already proven its worth in neighboring Zimbabwe.

 

What is the situation like in Malawi?

Fighting the climate crisis

Ein Mann in Malawi vor seinem zerstörten Haus.
NAK-karitativ / NACRO
Tropical storms such as Cyclone Idai or Freddy repeatedly cause severe damage in Malawi.

In Malawi, the consequences of the climate crisis are already being felt in full force. Droughts and floods have increased significantly in recent years, as have extreme weather events. In 2019, Cyclone Idai swept across Malawi and devastated entire regions. Almost 87,000 people were left homeless. The next disaster followed in early 2023 with Cyclone Freddy. The tropical storm caused enormous destruction and claimed the lives of more than 500 people.

The main reason for the extreme weather in Malawi is the El Niño climate phenomenon, which brings drought or heavy rainfall to southern Africa at irregular intervals. Climate change is intensifying El Niño - with catastrophic consequences for the population.

Many people in Malawi live in abject poverty and are threatened by hunger. The majority of the population is dependent on agriculture, which is mainly practiced to cover their own food needs. The increasing crop failures due to droughts and floods therefore hit people hard. Famine is a recurring threat in Malawi and around a quarter of the population is chronically undernourished.

We have found that plants simply need much less water if they are fertilised with organic instead of chemical fertilisers. Organic fertiliser, which we produce ourselves, retains moisture better in the soil. This means we are also better prepared for climate change and longer periods of drought.

Smallholder farmer from Malawi

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Zwei Personen füllen Reis in Säcke
A smallholder farmer from Malawi harvesting lettuce
Lettuce harvest in Malawi.
Three women proudly present their grain harvest
Three smallholder farmers from Malawi present their rice harvest.
A woman at the food presentation
In courses, participants learn how to prevent malnutrition by combining different foods.
Group photo of an agricultural co-operative from Malawi
‘We simply need a solar pump - a portable pump. That would really make our lives easier,’ report the members of this agricultural cooperative, which specialises in growing peanuts and pigeon peas.
A woman from Malawi shows off her tomato harvest
Help supports agricultural cooperatives in Malawi to increase their harvest.
Peanuts on a bush
Peanut harvest in Malawi.
Nutrition training courses in Malawi
A beekeeper from Malawi in front of a beehive
Help that keeps giving:
Your donation makes a difference!
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Eine Kleinbäuerin aus Malawi
Malawi: Donate now!

Help families in Malawi to build a self-determined life with your donation!

Q&A

Life in Malawi is characterised by severe poverty. Around 85 per cent of the population live in rural areas and are dependent on agriculture. A large proportion of the people are self-sufficient and are therefore highly vulnerable to the recurring El Niño weather phenomenon, which repeatedly causes droughts and floods.

Many people have limited access to medical care, and diseases such as malaria and HIV/AIDS are widespread. Education is free, but resources such as teachers and materials are often lacking, especially in the villages. 

Our projects in Malawi are supported by the following donors:

Find out which local partners we are working with in Malawi: Our partners

The aid organisation “Help - Hilfe zur Selbsthilfe” is active in Malawi and is asking for donations.

You can transfer your donation for Malawi directly to our donation account:

Help – Hilfe zur Selbsthilfe e.V.
IBAN: DE47 3708 0040 0240 0030 00
BIC: DRES DE FF 370
Keyword: Malawi

…or you can donate online.