Malumbo

Growing up, I had never heard of climate change, but that all changed at university. I learned how our actions as human beings are contributing to the changes in the weather patterns and seasons. There is drought when there should be rain and heavy rain when it should be dry. Farmers are not harvesting as much as they used to, and in some cases whole harvests are washed away by floods. Families do not have enough maize, the main staple food in Malawi, and are becoming food insecure.

My family has been directly affected by climate change. Over time I’ve seen our harvests shrink due to drought and we can no longer survive on our crops alone. This increased burden falls especially heavily on women and girls, who are mainly responsible for collecting food and water for the family. Girls’ education is affected as they have to walk even longer journeys to collect water, reducing time and energy for studying. At EARTH University I learned that together we can mitigate this, by supporting the environment.

Malumbo (left) pictured on the day of her university graduation, against a backdrop of a rural school that reflects her educational experience.

After graduating from university in 2018, I gained agricultural experience through several internships. In 2019 I worked on a dairy farm in Virginia, USA, to learn different farming techniques and save up some money. I learned how to produce higher value products like cheese from milk, which is a way to achieve a higher price for products and increase profits.

Here I am during my internship at an artisanal dairy farm in Virginia, USA. I learned how to make a variety of raw milk, seasonal cheeses. (Credit: CAMFED)

Now I am the CEO of my own business, specializing in poultry, pigs and compost production. The compost I make is used by local farmers to improve yields without chemical fertilizers which are expensive and can damage the environment. I am changing the narrative, by inspiring other young women to get into farming and make it a success.

When I returned from my studies and internships, I was shocked to see how devastated my community was due to climate change. Bridges had been washed away by flash floods, leaving businesses who buy and sell in different regions unable to trade because they couldn’t cross the water torrents. Families affected by both crop failures and economic losses were now unable to afford to send all their children to school, with girls first to be excluded.

The challenges women and girls in Malawi are facing makes me feel so sad, but also galvanizes me into action. We are teaching local farmers about climate-smart farming techniques like tree planting, intercropping (planting different crops and trees together) and mulching. We are explaining how to harness natural resources like water to use in times of drought, reduce risk of flooding, and improve the hydrology of the soil.

There are challenges though. It is not easy to get information that can be understood by all, particularly in rural communities. I translate resources into local languages and explain the terminology in ways everyone can understand. I am supporting school students to take action on climate change too. We talk to the students about how best they can conserve the environment and share climate-smart farming knowledge so that their families can implement it at home. As a community we are becoming more resilient each and every day.

Currently I’m working as a CAMFED District Operations Officer for Mwanza District in the southern part of Malawi. I work with schools and students to support them with their education. Marginalized girls are the ones who face challenges so we support them with school necessities like books, school uniform, pens and menstrual products so that they can stay in school and have a better future. With colleagues and other members of the CAMFED Association, I mentor girls and help raise their aspirations and confidence.

I’ve always admired women leaders, in particular CAMFED’s Chief Executive Officer, Angeline Murimirwa and National Director of CAMFED Malawi, Susan Silika. They are great leaders who motivate me in different areas such as balancing personal and professional leadership skills. I hope to be like them one day. That’s why I stand up for those who are in need, and lend a voice to those who cannot speak. I am actively working with traditional leaders and community members to bring development and tackle issues that affect women and girls.

I am the District Education Network Secretary for Mwanza District which focuses on improving the quality of education in the district. I am also a member of a cluster committee which oversees a project called EQUALS (Equity with Quality and Learning at Secondary) led by the Ministry of Education to construct libraries and computer labs in secondary schools. I am supporting the project implementation in three secondary schools in Mwanza.

Malumbo (in turquoise and red) at CAMFED’s ‘Education Changes Everything’ Gala in New York in May 2019. (Photo: Ricardo de Mattos/CAMFED)

In the future I hope to pursue a Master’s degree with a focus on food security to build resilient and sustainable communities. I will support my children to get educated so that they are economically empowered. Then they will be able to support themselves and others, and end poverty in our community.