Bringing in the bacon

Khalamathu...chichewa for I have no idea...I think it sounds cool though. Its the name of a project that was launched in Malawi, supporting widows in Mgwayi with agricultural training and support in rearing pigs. In Malawi, a widow is often subject to local practice called kusudzula.  This means when a husband dies his family will seize all of her possessions claiming that they own them as they are his family.  This leaves a widow with no possessions, money and invariably no education (reading, writing arithmetic). This places her firmly at the bottom of the ladder in Malawi as well as her children.  In Malawi if you are looking for the most vulnerable, you will not need to go any further than a widow.

Team from NY that launched the project, along with the women from Mgwayi

This is why Children of the Nations has decided to work with these women.  The Khalamanthu project, supplies the women with not only education but also a pig that they can then rear and slaughter when ready.  (there is a few sows, female pigs, and a boar, male pig, which will reproduce to create a sustainable supply of sellable meat).  The women are responsible to build the housing or stys for the pigs as well as attend ongoing training such as knitting, sewing and krocheting.  This project will supply them with access to capitol and economic stability, in a sustainable way.  The project also requires them to work as a group, from start to finish from birth to bacon!  This creates community, trust and social capital.  


For more information on the overall picture of widows in Malawi read this. Also if you would like to donate to the Children of the Nations Widows Program go here


**PS - I just found out that Khalamathu, means Our Determination...pretty cool eh?**