About RSM
When
Formed in early 2024 after a chance encounter between the now trustees. It has taken much of the first 12 months to get the charity up and running and to learn how best to approach this nutritional challenge!
Why
Malawi has suffered from food shortages for many decades but this situation has escalated for various reasons recently and now a ‘Food Crisis’ has been officially declared by international agencies this summer (2024). In a population that is already on the edge of starvation this will cause terrible suffering for the people of Malawi and Children are often the ones least able to cope in such situations.
Mphatso explains some of the causes of famine:
‘Malawi’s staple food is maise, which is what almost every Malawian survives on. Due to climate change, weather patterns have become unpredictable and farmers crops fail. Devaluation of the Malawian Kwacha has affected the price of fertilizer, another blow to the annual yield of Maize. Most villagers go to bed hungry and can afford only one meal a day, which is causing malnourishment of the children’
How
We are currently implementing daily ‘high nutrition’ porridge meals for all children in the village aged 6 years and under. But fear not, older children currently receive a similar meal at the local school by another charity.
Where
Nestled in the foothills of the beautiful Mulanje mountain range this may look like an idilic location (and in many ways it is) however it experiences extremes of weather on a regular bases making life challenging for this subsistence farming community