In many parts of Malawi the harvest was very poor in May due largely to the failure of the rains and, as the BBC has recently highlighted, there is a growing threat of severe food shortages.

ZM’s Jim Hasnip and Bill Wilson visited the village of during the second week in October and found the grain storage containers completely empty. Normally people would rely on this supply as their main food supply until the next harvest comes in 6-7 months time.

Jim writes, "When we went up to Ntonda yesterday with Pearson Tembo (Health Co-ordinator for the Zambesi Evangelical Churches) , we stopped at the village of Sensani to drop off some nails for their roof work. Tembo took us into the village to see the food situation for ourselves. I attach photos of two of the villagers who only had food for about three more days and then would have nothing. They cannot afford to buy - the price has rocketed of course. Each family in the village had their own large basket-work grain silo and we were able to look into each of them. Every silo was totally empty! The price of a bag of maize was MK700 when I was here earlier in the year it now sometimes hits MK1,400. Often there isn't any to be had any way so we shall have to check where it might be bought)."

 
Views of empty grain silos

A family whose food supply is already exhausted

Since that e-mail, sent 13.10.05, Bill, Jim and the ZEC leaders have been looking at the options and making plans for the distribution of the grain. During the previous crisis in 2002-3 this was mainly done through the local pastors and community leaders who drew up lists of the most needy families together with the reasons why they were included, e.g. family caring for orphans, elderly people, widows, the handicapped and sick. The relief is given out regardless of the person’s faith and is a significant demonstration of our God’s caring love. Pray that as well as meeting the growing food shortages this ministry will lead to Gospel opportunities.

 
ZEC General Secretary, Connex Ijalasi (left) and ZM’s Abraham Folayan distributing
food supplies at Namilitha on Christmas Day 2002