Prolonged drought and erratic rain in southern Malawi had taken their toll on 43-year-old farmer Modester.  

With an acre of maize harvesting barely enough food for three months, her grown up children had been forced to leave to find work in the city – leaving Modester as primary carer for her grandkids.

Modester’s dreams of becoming a commercial farmer seemed impossible until she joined a Self Help Africa-supported climate resilience project.

The nine-month project, funded by the European Union through the Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (known as ECHO), provided monthly cash assistance to 67,658 people in Malawi who have been experiencing acute food and nutrition insecurity because of prolonged drought. 

Modester’s first cash transfer went on maize to feed her grandchildren. She invested the second transfer in cabbage and tomato seeds and fertiliser, as well as soya for school breakfasts.

Today, she has around 1,000 cabbage bulbs in her garden that she hopes will earn her around €500 (MK1 million) at market. Her dream of becoming a commercial farmer is now back on the table.

“This was a direct response to my prayers,” she said. “It was a seed to be sown. Something sustainable for the future.

“One of my children told me she would love to come back home because life is even harder in the city, but the thought of becoming an extra burden to me keeps her there.”

From empty fields and empty plates, Modester is now growing not just crops but a better future –showing that with the right support we can flourish, even in the harshest conditions.