Growing Hope: Demonstration Garden Fights Food Insecurity

Food insecurity continues to worsen across Malawi each year. Extreme weather, rising costs, and repeated crop losses leave people struggling to grow enough food to feed their families. MCV is taking steps to support sustainable solutions.

One exciting example is MCV’s very first demonstration garden. The garden was created to help local farmers learn new methods to grow food and become more self-reliant. The new demonstration garden is located on MCV grounds. One of the main crops being grown is tomatoes. About 800 tomato plants have been planted in three stages, allowing harvests to happen at different times rather than all at once. The vegetables currently being harvested are already being used to support student meals at Gracious Secondary School.

The demonstration garden is designed as a learning space. Farmers are encouraged to experiment with new crops and organic fertilizer. Water for the garden comes from an 18-meter borehole powered by a solar pump to ensure consistent irrigation even during dry periods.

Looking ahead, MCV plans to expand this model by creating additional demonstration gardens in other villages. The goal is to reach more community members across the MCV catchment area. Future plans also include building a water storage tank, educating Gracious Secondary School students on gardening, and welcoming community members to share knowledge together.

This garden is a small but powerful step toward long-term food security. It is a hopeful sign of what’s possible when communities are given the tools to grow their own solutions.