By Walughano Lumbira…….
Malawians have been encouraged to invest in irrigation farming and harvest crops twice a year as a sustainable solution to persistent hunger affecting many communities across the country.
The call was made Saturday, by Apostle Clifford Kawinga of Salvation for All Ministries International during the distribution of 2,800 bags of maize to 2,800 households at Traditional Authority Mthwalo in Mzimba District.
The maize distribution was conducted under the Hope Field Initiative, an intervention being implemented by Salvation for All Ministries International aimed at supporting vulnerable households.
Speaking at the event, Apostle Kawinga said hunger remains a serious challenge Malawi faces annually, but emphasized that the problem can be addressed through collective effort and adoption of irrigation farming.
“Hunger is a critical issue we face every year, but solving it requires collective responsibility. Through the Hope Field Initiative, we plan to form groups of 200 people in every district and provide them with farm inputs for irrigation farming to help communities become self-reliant,” said Kawinga.
Representing Inkosi Mthwalo, Laston Chirwa commended the ministry for the timely support, noting that the area is currently experiencing food shortages due to a prolonged dry spell experienced last year.
Chirwa further urged the government to rehabilitate non-functional dams to enable communities to engage in irrigation farming, which he described as the most practical solution to the ongoing hunger challenge.
One of the beneficiaries, Evelyn Khosa, an elderly woman from the area, expressed gratitude to the ministry, saying she has been relying on piece work for survival since the death of her husband in 1971.
Khosa added that her situation has been worsened by recent heavy rains accompanied by strong winds, which destroyed her house, crops, and other household property.