Chata, Malawi

Health

• Distributed 100kg of chlorine to families so they could treat household water and prevent water-borne diseases.
  
• Sprayed 100 infested houses in two villages to rid them of cockroaches and other insect pests.
  
• Facilitated casting of 610 sanplats (concrete slabs for use with pit latrines).
  
• Built an ‘under-fives shelter’ in Kafundu village. Women can take their children aged 0-5 years for check-ups as well as having prenatal and postnatal checks there. This saves them walking long distances to the nearest health centre.
  
• Held public education campaigns about HIV/AIDS. The community has formed anti-AIDS clubs to spread the AIDS prevention message through drama, songs and peer education.
  
• Paid the medical expenses for nine children referred to hospital for treatment.

Education

• Built one school block at Mbavu school, giving 80 children the opportunity to have classes indoors, instead of outside under trees.
  
• Built 24 school latrines to improve sanitation and reduce the spread of diseases at three schools.
  
• Paid the school fees for 40 sponsored children at secondary school.
  
• Provided study materials for all 2750 sponsored children.
  
• Supported adult literacy classes by supplying teaching materials and paying the instructors’ fees. An organisation called ‘Development from People to People’ runs the classes in conjunction with the Government. Three literacy centres started in Chata in 2002, with 30 adult students attending. The low attendance was unsurprising as most adults were forced to spend their time searching for work or food during the hunger crisis.

Agriculture & environment

• Provided over 30 tonnes of fertiliser and two tonnes of maize seed to farmers in 14 farmers’ clubs. Farmers are beginning to use agroforestry techniques and compost manure to enhance soil fertility.
  
• Trained farmers in vegetable growing (125 farmers) and peanut cultivation (257). Peanuts are a good cash crop, requiring less input than tobacco. A farmer who plants one hectare of peanuts can expect to harvest up to two tonnes, fetching over $NZ1340 when sold.
  
• Provided 4.3 tonnes of peanut seed, 28 tonnes of cassava cuttings and 14 tonnes of sweet potato cuttings to farmers. The cuttings were purchased from farmers in the ADP area and are part of the ADP’s Seed Multiplication project. Also provided peanut seed to 189 families of sponsored children.
  
• Held a field day on growing cassava and sweet potatoes, attended by over 200 farmers. The farmers also learnt how to process these foods to make them more palatable and suitable for use as a main meal. People still depend on maize as their staple food, but acceptance of alternative crops is growing, with a 60 percent increase in the number of farmers growing cassava and sweet potato.
  
• Trained 56 farmers in marketing and negotiating skills. After training, the farmers travelled to Blantyre City to visit buyers and identify potential markets.
  
• Established eight demonstration plots to show farmers the benefit of using compost manure.
  
• Provided 5kg of maize seed to 40 farmers using organic farming methods.
  
• Provided over 240,000 polythene containers and 30kg assorted tree seeds to individuals and forestry clubs. There are 30 forestry clubs in Chata ADP, each with a membership of around 25 people. In 2002, a total of 189,600 tree seedlings were transplanted onto individual plots and communal forest reserves.

Miscellaneous

• Distributed donated clothing to 1431 sponsored children.
  
• Briefed ADP Committee members and other local leaders on child protection policies. The leaders are responsible for raising awareness in their community about child abuse.
  
• Organised a sports competition involving all 15 primary schools in the area.