Feeding Programme Update

In Dedza, we are about to enter into a time of food crisis. Sporadic rain in last year's rainy season meant that most people here failed to harvest anything like enough food to last them until the next harvest in April 2014. We have had just 2 months of rain in the past 18 months! The government has banned the export of maize, and the former government-owned market known as Admarc is already rationing the sale of maize within the country. The price has risen greatly and we think it will go through the roof over the next few months. Consequently we are planning to widen the scope of the feeding programme for the elderly, young and orphaned this year so that 12 villages in the area will benefit - probably 700+ people will receive a nutritious meal 3 times a week. Predictably we have already started receiving requests for help.