From the Warm Heart…
I just arrived in “The Warm Heart of Africa” for a week, to attend the official launch of the newest Plant With Purpose partner.
One of the most frequent questions I am asked is about how we start a new program, and this program in Malawi provides a perfect example.
We started our planning with a matrix, which we created years ago, which allows us to determine how the needs in a particular country line up with what we have to offer. We examine a number of factors like the level of poverty, the rate of deforestation, the level of soil degradation, and the percentage of energy requirements that are met via traditional fuels, to evaluate which countries are the best match. That led us to Malawi.
On the road to Mzuzu in 2022. (The children were guiding vehicles through the flooded area to keep them from wandering off the road.)
The next step involved making initial contacts, often via introductions from peer organizations, while our internal team did further research regarding the specific contexts.
When I was last here in 2022, we had decided to move forward and at that time, met with government officials, church leaders and other ministries. We also interviewed the final candidates for the local director position.
We hired Elizabeth Maneya, a woman with a deep faith and an impressive history of leading work for the Anglican church, as well as senior roles with various development organizations. This included setting up the Malawi branch of another NGO, so she is no stranger to pioneering work. Since being hired, she has shown tremendous energy and fortitude.
Our team worked with Elizabeth to recruit board members, get the organization legally registered, set up offices, hire staff, secure vehicles, and develop policies.
A lot of work went into determining exactly where in the country to start. In 2022 we had already begun mapping watersheds, using GIS tools to determine the intersections between the areas of greatest poverty, highest rates of deforestation and greatest vulnerability to erosion. That led us north, to the region around Mzuzu.
After our local team had spent some time on the ground, a couple of target watersheds were chosen, and, in addition to networking with local leaders, we began doing household surveys for a baseline study. This allows us to measure the specific levels of poverty and environmental degradation, so that we can later evaluate our impact. Two of the most critical questions we will be asking over the coming years are “are we truly making a difference?” and “how much of a difference are we making?” I attribute much of our success elsewhere to being able to effectively answer these questions and make corrections when the answers are unsatisfactory.
Now, with much of that in place, all that remains before we can start setting up Purpose Groups is the official public launch, which is why I am here.
This afternoon we are meeting with the minister of the environment and then tomorrow, making the long drive up to Mzuzu, where our work will be centered, for speeches and ceremonial tree planting .
By the end of June, we expect to have the first 20 Purpose Groups and the first 15 church partnerships established. Thus far, Malawi definitely lives up to its nickname as the Warm Heart of Africa, and I am excited by prospect of many more visits, and a deepening relationship with our local team and the families we will be serving here.
