Accomplishment: Crops Flourish, Children Thrive

The people of Mphompha have struggled with famine and deforestation, but World Vision is establishing crop and livestock projects, and encouraging water conservation and irrigation to help families feed their children every day. In 2008, with the help of generous Canadian sponsors, we:

• Helped 1,500 families cultivate 120 hectares of beans and 95 hectares of peanuts;
• Helped families afford to keep their children in school thanks to the increased sale of seeds;
• Helped ensure that more than 1,000  families are eating nutritious food;
• Trained 714 households in dairy production to provide milk for their families and for sale;
• Raised the percentage of well-nourished children younger than six years of age to 88%;
• Reduced the effects of famine by supporting 23 irrigation sites to allow 120 families to grow winter crops; and
• Promoted responsible use of water and trees to reduce deforestation.

Accomplishment: Information and Healthy Opportunities

In 2008, generous World Vision sponsors helped us to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS, teach people about prevention and care for those affected by the disease.  

For prevention, we were able to:

• Teach HIV-prevention strategies to 900 people;
• Reach 11,000 people through drama presentations, community meetings and printed materials about HIV and AIDS; and
• Organize sports competitions and provide equipment and indoor games for 4,500 people as a positive activity and a forum to discuss HIV prevention.

We were able to increase the standard of care by:

• Training two home-care committees to care for people with AIDS; and
• Providing medication to eight home-care committees.

As advocates for people living with HIV or AIDS, we:

• Organized two large community campaigns about children’s rights and child abuse;
• Established child protection procedures; and
• Reduced the stigma of HIV and AIDS through sports tournaments designed to encourage self-esteem.
   

Accomplishment: Multiplying Health and Stability

Hastings Mfune’s remarkable success with a thriving peanut farm has inspired many of his neighbours, doubling the number of farmers raising peanuts for food and sale. Mfune’s children are healthy and able to attend school thanks to their father’s seed sales.

Only two years ago, this healthy family struggled with malnutrition as a result of famine and unemployment. Mfune had nowhere to turn until he joined World Vision’s seed multiplication training program in 2007.

Today, Mfune and the families in his farming group are able to support their children with school materials and fees. Malnutrition is a thing of the past, as families enjoy nutritious food from peanuts and other food purchased through the sale of surplus nuts.

Mfune’s success motivated other farmers in the area to venture into peanut multiplication and production because there are now 120 peanut farmers in Mphompha.

“What motivates me most is the benefit to our children,” Mfune says. “Our children have access to affordable proteins and fats, and other nutritious foods. All of us are able to support our children with school materials and fees.”

The family has come a long way from the days when food was scarce and Mfune’s young children were malnourished, while the older children had to leave school because their family could not afford school fees.

Accomplishment: Candid Talk about HIV Transforms Community

Open communication has helped reduce the impact of HIV and AIDS by an estimated 4% in Mphompha.

“We never expected that we would talk openly about the AIDS pandemic,” says Group Village Headman Mwachilinda of Mphompha. “We are grateful for the support that World Vision continues to render to us. Amidst the pandemic, we have been able to hold our heads high.”

The number of trained counsellors in Mphompha has increased from one to 20. The new counsellors are spread out in nine areas, raising awareness about HIV and AIDS and encouraging people to be tested.  Counsellors who provide HIV testing have learned communication skills to help them address the realities of HIV and AIDS. Open communication has also reduced stigma and discrimination among people and has helped them volunteer themselves to get tested at local health centres.