In response to The Sunday Times story about how a group of 28 women is fighting hunger in Blantyre rural, a local firm has donated organic fertiliser to the farmers to boost their crop production.
On August 30, 2026, we published a story which documented how a group of women in Mwandambe area in Blantyre rural tapped water from the Mudi River, channelled it through a two-kilometre water canal which they made with their hoes and hands around a hill into their fields.
The innovation enables them to grow maize, beans and vegetables throughout the year, bailing them out of perpetual food insecurity they experienced before they made the canal.
Now in a boost to their efforts, a local company, Novahiwa Investment, on Friday delivered organic fertilizer to the women.
The company’s Managing Director Leonard Chimwaza said the firm was impressed by the women’s resilience as profiled in the story.
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He said it was inspiring that even with limited resources, the women were able to make a canal over a distance of two kilometres to tap water from Mudi River.
“But they have not been harvesting enough as they should because they d o not have the capacity to acquire production inputs, mostly fertiliser, hence this donation,” he said.
Chimwaza said his company donated the fertiliser to boost soil health in the scheme.
“There is need for them to use fertiliser that has potential to help them maintain soil fertility. Unlike chemical inputs, organic fertiliser improves soil health and soil water retention,” he said.
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Chimwaza said the women’s action directly supports several Sustainable Development Goals including zero hunger and aligns with Malawi 2063’s pillar on agricultural productivity.
One of the women, Dorothy Thepheya, expressed delight with the donation.
“I hope that the fertiliser will enable me harvest good yield. If you do not have fertiliser you can’t harvest enough,” she said.
Group representative Agnes Notesi commended Novahiwa Investment for the support.
“As a scheme, we are grateful for the donation which we believe will go a long way in improving our crop production,” she said.
GVH Mwandambe credited The Times Group for the impact.
“We don’t take for granted that Times told our story. The exposure and the donation have energised us to work harder,” he said.
The women’s progress comes as more than 2.5 million people are at risk of food insecurity in the 2026-2027 lean season, according to the Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee.
