From 1 meal a day to community leader

Previously, Edrina had no clear vision for her life after her husband left, which negatively affected both her and her family. She lived in hardship, and her household was food insecure, relying on a hand-to-mouth existence for income. In her testimony, she shared that some days she ate only one meal. As a result, her household’s food insecurity led to dependence on government and organisations’ handouts.

In 2018, THP-Malawi launched the Epicentre Strategy in Traditional Authority Pemba. During Phase 1, the team conducted several VCA (Vision, Commitment, Action) workshops in various villages. One of these sessions took place in Kandiusiwa Village, where Edrina lives. She attended the workshop and left feeling newly inspired and hopeful about her future.

The five principles used by The Hunger Project to combat hunger and poverty in rural communities had a profound impact on her life.

Edrina, who once lived in a grass-thatched house vulnerable to leaks during heavy rains, began to envision a better home, one with iron sheets and plastered walls. Motivated by the VCA session, she invested in farming using savings from her village bank. With increased investment, she was able to sell part of her harvest, earning enough to build her improved, iron-roofed house.

Her household’s food security has since improved significantly: she now eats three meals a day. Beyond that, Edrina is now a proud owner of six goats and thirty-eight chickens.