Malawi is ranked as the 8th poorest country in the world with 73% of the population living on less than £1 per day.

This figure will be significantly higher in Nkhata Bay North because it is a rural area where the majority of people are subsistence farmers with little income generating potential. Most households harvest small amounts and only manage to store food for about six months of the year (March to September). For the remaining months – the hunger season – there is not a steady food supply.

In this region, the two major factors contributing to food insecurity are: the extent of inadequate land available and the under-utilisation of the wetlands. Boggy wetland areas are the dominant tracks of land here, but due to a lack of technical knowledge the farmers rarely use them to grow food.

In 2009 Temwa launched our 'Wetlands Utilisation Project'. This trains farmers in how to grow crops and vegetables in the wetlands. The overall aim is to alleviate poverty through improving income and food security status for households. When farmers can learn techniques to farm on the wetlands during the dry season (October to February), they are able to produce food all year round. This would ensure a sustainable supply of food for their household, with enough left over to sell at the market.

The previous two phases of this project have been massively successful, with 397 farmers trained. This conclusively proves that farmers who make use of wetlands see a dramatic improvement in their food security. And because the average Malawian household has five members, increased food security has actually been provided to 1,985 people.

In April this year, we will be launching our third and final phase, which aims to reach a further 103 farmers. This phase will also establish Farmer Field Schools. This network of trained farmers can support and offer advice to each other and members of the community. Farmers will attend a range of field days which will encourage them to share best practice ideas and visit other communities to see demonstrations and techniques in practice. Through completing this final phase we want to make the project sustainable, with the practice occurring within the community and supported by farmer network.

The completion of phase three also supports a number of our other programmes. The wetlands project raises awareness about environmental sustainability and educates farmers in a bid to combat deforestation and degradation of soil. Furthermore, through providing farmers with the expertise to grow a range of crops with nutritional value, this project supports our work to improve the levels of nutrition and health within the Nkhata Bay North region. This is especially beneficial to those members of the community who are HIV positive because a nutritious diet slows the onset of the virus.

So, this year's phase is crucial. By the end of the phase, 500 households will have learnt about wetlands utilisation and improved their year-round food security. With such a successful track record from the previous two years, the communities will be ready to take complete ownership of the project. They will be maintaining their own farmers' network and passing on good practice to new members.

This project represents Temwa's mission: we have developed the capacity for change, igniting the initial action from the communities to ensure this change is realised. It is now in a place where one more year's dedication by Temwa will ensure its viability and sustainability amongst the local communities. It will become a community-led sustainable practice that will ensure a stable means of development.

Currently, the team in Malawi are finalising the launch of phase three, while the UK team are busy looking for potential donors and sponsors. If you would like to know more about this project or wish to support it, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it