Projects

We organized agricultural education in collaboration with local facilitators. Continuity is assured by providing workshops and mutual support. Composting is promoted and natural products are used to combat diseases and pests. Irrigation is being developed and new nutrient-rich crops that are less water dependent than maize are being looked out for together with the farmers.
Initiatives are being taken to further expand the farmer's project.
To simplify the work of the guards and for reasons of comfort and safety, the non-profit organization is building a walled compound (a fenced community) around the previously placed food container. In addition to the silo, there is also room on the site for a large meeting room for the farmers, a material storage area and a small room for the volunteers.
The infrastructure is also used for drying mangoes and moringa leaves.

The African car
Thanks in part to a benefit from Daan Stuyven in the context of Studio Brussel Music for Life, 60 sturdy bicycles were delivered to the villages.
After all, the distance to the food bank is problematic for some and the luggage is often heavy.

Ox work

In 2018, the construction of a stable for oxen was started. This should make working the fields smoother and faster. The aim is to provide support to those who can no longer handle the hard work alone.

Moringa and Mango drying
In 2015, under the impulse of volunteer Toon Driesen, moringa and mango drying was started. => Link not working in Dutch article
To combat the food shortage and at the same time to expand economic development, the drying of mangoes, which are abundant in the villages, is started.
A building was erected for this purpose with water supply and a solar panel to enable local commercialization to start.
The mango team of 3 people supports the community by giving workshops to teach drying to their own households.
Moringa is a super plant with many nutritional qualities. More of these 'miracle' trees have been planted in recent years and their leaves are used as a nutritional supplement to limit malnutrition and prevent developmental delay.
A solar dryer will be built in 2020. In addition to mango, other fruits and vegetables will also be dried and sold locally on the market.

Tree planting
The disastrous consequences of the extreme deforestation in Malawi leads to a complete disruption of the ecosystem, resulting in a major water shortage. Where you could still read in tourist guides from 6 years ago that the Zomba plateau and its surroundings are very foresty, you now see a completely different picture. Every day you see many people walking down the mountain with large amounts of firewood on their heads to sell.
As long as the population does not have sufficient insight into the connection between deforestation and rainfall, this problem will only get worse. It is the task of the government to sensitize its population and to limit this forest clearing!

Our non-profit association also realized a tree planting project in the villages in 2012. In 2015, a moringa tree field was created.

Stove building
Logging is a major threat to Malawi. On the other hand, wood is the only resource in the villages to make fire and prepare food. The traditional cooking place consisting of 3 stones, has been transformed into a stove, which speeds up the cooking time and halves the wood consumption. These stoves were installed by the mango team at the elderly of the food bank.

We organized agricultural education in collaboration with local facilitators. Continuity is assured by providing workshops and mutual support. Composting is promoted and natural products are used to combat diseases and pests. Irrigation is being developed and new nutrient-rich crops that are less water dependent than maize are being looked out for together with the farmers.
Initiatives are being taken to further expand the farmer's project.
To simplify the work of the guards and for reasons of comfort and safety, the non-profit organization is building a walled compound (a fenced community) around the previously placed food container. In addition to the silo, there is also room on the site for a large meeting room for the farmers, a material storage area and a small room for the volunteers.
The infrastructure is also used for drying mangoes and moringa leaves.

The African car
Thanks in part to a benefit from Daan Stuyven in the context of Studio Brussel Music for Life, 60 sturdy bicycles were delivered to the villages.
After all, the distance to the food bank is problematic for some and the luggage is often heavy.

Ox work

In 2018, the construction of a stable for oxen was started. This should make working the fields smoother and faster. The aim is to provide support to those who can no longer handle the hard work alone.

Moringa and Mango drying
In 2015, under the impulse of volunteer Toon Driesen, moringa and mango drying was started. => Link not working in Dutch article
To combat the food shortage and at the same time to expand economic development, the drying of mangoes, which are abundant in the villages, is started.
A building was erected for this purpose with water supply and a solar panel to enable local commercialization to start.
The mango team of 3 people supports the community by giving workshops to teach drying to their own households.
Moringa is a super plant with many nutritional qualities. More of these 'miracle' trees have been planted in recent years and their leaves are used as a nutritional supplement to limit malnutrition and prevent developmental delay.
A solar dryer will be built in 2020. In addition to mango, other fruits and vegetables will also be dried and sold locally on the market.

Tree planting
The disastrous consequences of the extreme deforestation in Malawi leads to a complete disruption of the ecosystem, resulting in a major water shortage. Where you could still read in tourist guides from 6 years ago that the Zomba plateau and its surroundings are very foresty, you now see a completely different picture. Every day you see many people walking down the mountain with large amounts of firewood on their heads to sell.
As long as the population does not have sufficient insight into the connection between deforestation and rainfall, this problem will only get worse. It is the task of the government to sensitize its population and to limit this forest clearing!

Our non-profit association also realized a tree planting project in the villages in 2012. In 2015, a moringa tree field was created.

Stove building
Logging is a major threat to Malawi. On the other hand, wood is the only resource in the villages to make fire and prepare food. The traditional cooking place consisting of 3 stones, has been transformed into a stove, which speeds up the cooking time and halves the wood consumption. These stoves were installed by the mango team at the elderly of the food bank.

Chabwino's project is trying to tackle chronic malnutrition in 9 villages. We reach the poorest and underprivileged with the food bank, which annually distributes 10 tons of maize during the hunger season from November to March.
In mid-2011, the foundation of a Food Community Bank or Food Bank was laid. In addition, the farmers of, then 6 and now 9 villages, are provided with maize seed and fertilizers in combination with training to work their land qualitatively and efficiently. Methods of fertilization and composting are taught to the 54 farmers (half of which are women) and guarantee a maximum yield. They give part of the harvest to the food bank. This is then sold at low prices to the neediest villagers during the annual period of food shortage.
We are now 11 harvests further and about 200 people use the food bank. We support these people with an additional food package of rice, tea, sugar and oil, a piece of clothing or hygiene products.
The 164 pre-school children receive a daily meal. This is usually a full meal, such as Likuni Phala based on corn and peanuts, enriched with the necessary proteins and nutrients.
This has an irrefutable positive effect on the health of the villagers.

Nursery education is not supported by the government in Malawi. With the education pillar, we mainly want to focus on preschool education in the village of Chabwera and surrounding areas. Our educational project was started in 2017. Currently 164 children are accommodated in 2 newly established classes. The school equipped with kitchen and toilets, meets all standards of the District Social Welfare and is recognized by the Malawian government.
Toddlers up to the age of 7 receive education that is primarily aimed at social development and, if possible, also at literacy. This gives the children the opportunity to enter regular education at a later stage.
The children receive one full meal per day free of charge. 5 teachers, cleaners and cooks were recruited in collaboration with the local population.
In the meantime, a private school garden has been created to grow crops. Educational material is available, basic furniture has been purchased, potable water has been provided and a rainwater collection tank has been installed.
In 2020, we will make a hundred children happy in the Chabwera and Majanga school with a backpack (special thanks to Annie for the many days of sewing), a notebook and a pen.
With the dozens of balls that we distributed, football, handball and other sports are being played. This remains heartwarming and almost hilarious how happy we make the children with it.

The past few years have been hard for Malawi, and by extension for the whole of Africa. Over the past twenty years, extreme drought, rainfall and flooding have increased sharply. 2015 was a low point when El Nino caused exceptional drought and extreme heat. Malawi struggled with a major food shortage and famine. In 2016, the government even declared a state of emergency: the harvest had failed, thousands of farmers saw their investments lost and the food shortage became chronic. This problem will only get worse as the rivers originating in the mountain plateaus gradually dry up.
In the long term, irrigation will be one of the most important challenges for our project. El Nino didn't stop after 2016.
We went looking for irrigation systems that are sustainable, maintenance-friendly and affordable. We promote agricultural irrigation by making maximum use of rainwater by installing drainage via collectors.
In 2012, the first foot pump was purchased to pump water from a nearby river. In the meantime there are 2 mechanical pumps and the compound is equipped with gutters and collectors. Drinking water is provided at the school and compound.
However, after research, drilling wells and purchasing pumps was abandoned because of the exorbitant prices and also to prevent desertification in the long term. Many systems were investigated, such as pumping water from the river, digging water basins, constructing canals, using the humidity to collect moisture, etc.
In 2020, a complex for a corn mill with drainage and a water container was built. Sanitary and potable water was also provided.

Corn mill and electricity

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​It is our ultimate aim to make the project completely self-sustained so that people can provide for their basic needs in all segments of the population.
With the development of electricity and a windmill, a major step will be taken towards sustainable development and to become more independent. The local population is determined to reduce poverty and hunger. Milling the corn is an important activity to generate income.
Over the past 11 years, Chabwino has built up a strong bond of trust with the local population: by listening a lot, by tailoring our operations to their needs and by working transparently and participatively. For example, it turned out that a corn mill and electricity are the key to a more independent and gradually more self-sufficient operation in a sustainable context. It can also greatly promote the commercialization of drying mangoes and moringa.

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Electricity promotes independence ​

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The farmers in Malawi work with well-defined targets and goals on a business plan. It shows their strength to ask the right questions, to look for answers and to take responsibility for sustainable development with a long-term vision. They strengthen the local economy and support those most in need by grinding their grains at a very affordable price.
At the end of 2019, we bought a well-located piece of land – with electricity nearby – just outside our 9 villages. In the spring of 2020, we prepared everything for a complex with corn mill and shelter.
However, lock-down due to corona put everything on the long track. In December 2020 we finally received a price quote from the electricity company Escom. At the beginning of 2023 it seems that we will be able to start operation with the maize mill definitively.
The results of the project are being analyzed and will lead to an evaluation of our activities on the ground. This will help us to establish a long-term vision and concrete objectives for the coming years.

Prevention of Malaria

A thousand mosquito nets were purchased and distributed among the villagers. This was accompanied by an information campaign on correct use.

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Distribution of glasses

We were also able to provide hundreds of glasses. Naturally, this was accompanied by preliminary eye tests among the villagers.

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Wound care and first aid

The basic principles of wound care were also taught to local people because there is a need for this, now more than ever. Healthcare is not available locally, nor are the right resources.

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Moringa as a dietary supplement in the villages

In Malawi, maize meal and manioc make up the one-sided, daily diet. As a result, people develop a deficiency of vitamins, zinc, iron, complete proteins, omega 3 and iodine. Imbalanced nutrition during the first years of life results in lower learning ability, greater susceptibility to infections and stunted growth. Els De Temmerman emphasizes that not only education, but also a healthy and balanced diet are crucial. That is why we are fully committed to the super vegetable Moringa!

In order to provide this as a nutritional supplement for the little ones, we will distribute more than 1,000 cuttings of moringa plants to young families in the 9 villages in 2020.
 

Treatment tooth decay

In 2019 Dentist Beckx and his wife Lut worked in our villages for a week. Dental prevention in the Tikondane school was started.

In the villages there is treatment for tooth decay: People often walk around for years with a lot of pain. They wait in queues to have a tooth extracted under local anesthesia; they experience extraction without pain as a real blessing.

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2020... corona year

Malawi was also affected by lockdown and restrictive measures due to Covid-19. Initially, after protests to protect informal trade and to prevent extreme poverty, the measures could still be avoided and postponed. In the end, the borders were closed, which made food supplies extremely problematic and everything a lot more expensive. The number of people facing hunger is projected to double this year.

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Mouth masks and hand hygiene

Chabwino contributed to hygienic measurements in the villages. A water barrel with tap was provided for the families and thousands of bars of soap were distributed. We financed the purchase of a sewing machine to make mouth masks. The machine was installed in our school in Chabwera where 164 children go to school. Women, mothers, young people, the poorest in the villages... everyone gets the chance to follow sewing lessons for a small fee: to repair their own clothing, to make their own designs or also as a professional activity on the labor market.

We organized agricultural education in collaboration with local facilitators. Continuity is assured by providing workshops and mutual support. Composting is promoted and natural products are used to combat diseases and pests. Irrigation is being developed and new nutrient-rich crops that are less water dependent than maize are being looked out for together with the farmers.
Initiatives are being taken to further expand the farmer's project.
To simplify the work of the guards and for reasons of comfort and safety, the non-profit organization is building a walled compound (a fenced community) around the previously placed food container. In addition to the silo, there is also room on the site for a large meeting room for the farmers, a material storage area and a small room for the volunteers.
The infrastructure is also used for drying mangoes and moringa leaves.

The African car
Thanks in part to a benefit from Daan Stuyven in the context of Studio Brussel Music for Life, 60 sturdy bicycles were delivered to the villages.
After all, the distance to the food bank is problematic for some and the luggage is often heavy.

Ox work

In 2018, the construction of a stable for oxen was started. This should make working the fields smoother and faster. The aim is to provide support to those who can no longer handle the hard work alone.

Moringa and Mango drying
In 2015, under the impulse of volunteer Toon Driesen, moringa and mango drying was started. => Link not working in Dutch article
To combat the food shortage and at the same time to expand economic development, the drying of mangoes, which are abundant in the villages, is started.
A building was erected for this purpose with water supply and a solar panel to enable local commercialization to start.
The mango team of 3 people supports the community by giving workshops to teach drying to their own households.
Moringa is a super plant with many nutritional qualities. More of these 'miracle' trees have been planted in recent years and their leaves are used as a nutritional supplement to limit malnutrition and prevent developmental delay.
A solar dryer will be built in 2020. In addition to mango, other fruits and vegetables will also be dried and sold locally on the market.

Tree planting
The disastrous consequences of the extreme deforestation in Malawi leads to a complete disruption of the ecosystem, resulting in a major water shortage. Where you could still read in tourist guides from 6 years ago that the Zomba plateau and its surroundings are very foresty, you now see a completely different picture. Every day you see many people walking down the mountain with large amounts of firewood on their heads to sell.
As long as the population does not have sufficient insight into the connection between deforestation and rainfall, this problem will only get worse. It is the task of the government to sensitize its population and to limit this forest clearing!

Our non-profit association also realized a tree planting project in the villages in 2012. In 2015, a moringa tree field was created.

Stove building
Logging is a major threat to Malawi. On the other hand, wood is the only resource in the villages to make fire and prepare food. The traditional cooking place consisting of 3 stones, has been transformed into a stove, which speeds up the cooking time and halves the wood consumption. These stoves were installed by the mango team at the elderly of the food bank.