In the Mtosa area of Malawi’s Nkhotakota district, the past year has brought weather extremes that no family could prepare for.
For young parents Falison and Alinafe, who are both in their 20s, life has been turned upside down. First came a punishing 45-day drought that stunted their maize and soya beans. Then flash floods swept through, washing away what little had survived the drought.
Across the area, harvests have fallen by nearly 50 per cent, pushing families to the edge of survival.
In response to the growing food crisis caused by prolonged dry spells and widespread flooding, the Scottish Government has just announced £200,000 for Tearfund through its Humanitarian Emergency Fund. This will help us deliver urgent assistance to communities like Falison and Alinafe’s facing acute hunger.
The cost of survival
When Falison and Alinafe’s three acres yielded nothing, their food reserves disappeared. Alinafe recalls long nights listening to her children cry from hunger. To quieten their stomachs, the family drank boiled okra water before they went to bed.
‘There were days we just drank okra so the children could sleep,’ says Alinafe. ‘You feel helpless when your children cry because they are hungry.’
By boiling the vegetable, she could make a thin broth – just enough to quieten the family's hunger pains so they could rest. But it offered little nutrition or nourishment, and nothing to sustain their children’s healthy growth.
Falison tried new farming techniques during the drought, such as irrigation farming, but the river ran dry before their crops could mature.
To keep their three children alive, the couple made heartbreaking choices. They sold their livestock, which was their primary safety net. Then they sold their bicycle, their only way to transport goods to market.
‘We sold everything that could help us in the future,’ says Falison. ‘Now we have nothing left to fall back on.’
The family has managed to rebuild their home using the last of their resources. But their cupboards remain empty, and the current rainy season brings fresh uncertainty.
‘My biggest fear is hunger,’ Falison says. ‘If things don’t change, I may have to remove my children from school so we can all work to find food.’
This is how climate shocks deepen poverty – forcing parents to trade education, dignity and future opportunity for their family’s short-term survival.
A lifeline for families on the brink
As communities in Nkhotakota face this extremely difficult and uncertain period, Vincent Moyo, Tearfund’s Country Director for Malawi, explains how this new Scottish Government funding will make a difference.
He says, ‘Many families here have been pushed to the brink and there is very limited assistance currently reaching these areas. We see households being forced to skip meals and sell the few household assets they have, just to survive.
‘This funding will help us provide a vital lifeline at a critical moment – enabling families to meet their most urgent food and basic needs with dignity, while also reducing the risk of cholera through targeted health and hygiene awareness. It will help stabilise households' livelihoods now and prevent an even deeper crisis in the months ahead.’
Through this project, Tearfund and local partners will provide emergency cash support so families can buy food and essentials immediately. They will also be sharing health and cholera-prevention messaging to keep communities safe.
Bee Roy, Head of Tearfund Scotland, says: ‘We warmly welcome this Scottish Government funding at a time when the needs in Malawi could not be more urgent. This support will allow Tearfund, working closely with trusted local partners, to respond quickly and effectively to the devastating impacts of climate shocks on vulnerable communities.
