Since the devastating floods triggered by Tropical Cyclone Freddy in 2023, families in the hardest-hit parts of Traditional Authority Nazombe in Phalombe District have struggled to secure enough food.

Dry spells, fall armyworm infestations, and the loss of fertile alluvial soils have combined into a harsh reality of recurring hunger. For many households, reliance on relief maize and cash transfers has become a way of life.

Judith Chidali from Kamoto Village knows this struggle all too well. Standing beside her small maize field, she recalls how unpredictable weather patterns changed everything.

“In the past, I tried to grow crops, but lack of proper farm inputs and pests made my efforts to be food secure almost impossible,” Chidali said.

Relief arrived in November 2025, when World Vision Malawi, through its Anticipatory Action Project, distributed two bags of fertilizer and five kilograms of maize seed to 1,000 farming families in Nazombe.

For Chidali, the support has restored hope. Following guidance from agricultural extension officers and properly applying fertilizer, she now expects a bumper harvest of 30 to 40 bags of 50-kilogram maize — a remarkable turnaround from previous seasons.

“I never imagined harvesting this much again,” she said with a smile. “Now I know my children will eat.”

To help families survive the lean season, the project has also provided multi-purpose cash transfers of K181,000 to each of the 1,000 households, enabling them to buy food and other necessities. A second installment is expected in February.

Another beneficiary, Rodgers Ngwira, said the support has lifted a heavy burden from his family.

“This money means we will not sleep hungry while waiting for the harvest,” he said.

Phalombe District Agriculture Officer for Crops, Joseph Before, said extension workers are regularly visiting fields to ensure proper use of inputs and monitor pests.

“We expect these families to achieve a bumper harvest because they have received quality inputs and continuous technical support,” said Before.

World Vision Malawi’s Project Coordinator in Phalombe, Mark Allan, explained that the intervention was guided by meteorological forecasts warning of possible dry spells in the area.

“We provided maize seed and fertilizer early so farmers could plant on time despite the forecasted conditions,” Allan said.

He added that the multi-purpose cash transfers are designed to cushion families through the lean months, with payments scheduled for January and February to enable food purchases.

With financial support from Norway and Germany, World Vision Malawi is implementing the Anticipatory Action Project in partnership with the World Food Programme.