Title--A Home-Grown Solution to African Hunger
Author--Abraham McLaughlin
Publication--The Christian Science Monitor, February 2006 issue
A story of a successful farmer in Malawi
- he lives in a very arid region of Malawi, yet he sustains his farm annually--and it is 50 acres
- Glyvyns Chinkhuntha uses aqueducts and organic fertilizer
- he digs his farming plots below the earth's surface so the water soaks into the dirt/earth and does not wash away
- he also makes a network of berms to direct water from the source (lake/river)--a.l.a. an aqueduct
- this man received EDUCATION throughout his youth...and he learned how to run a farm that will survive through all conditions...he also knows how to properly exploit the resources in his area
- many people in Malawi go to school to run away from farming--all the education and knowledge is tucked away in public offices...not in farming in Malawi--additionally, many of these educated are not interested in touching the soil or helping those who do
- roughly 5 million of 12 million Malawians need food
- the climate has made irrigation practices crucial--these irrigation practices are learned through education
- the total annual amount of rainfall remains pretty steady in Malawi...however, the timing of the rainfall is very inconsistent...there are long periods of dry weather and drought
- education--through education Malawians can learn proper irrigation practices
- independence from western donors--foreign aid is good, but it allows Malawians to become dependent on others and just promotes a failing cyclical process
- no loans/debts--when a farmer goes in debt, he/she is robbed of their freedom so to speak...when in debt, you only think of how to repay what you owe...you are usually not patient enough to design a process that sustains a farm permanently
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