ActionAid Malawi Urges CBCCs to Embrace Winter Cropping to Combat Food Shortages

ActionAid Malawi has encouraged Community-Based Child Care Centres (CBCCs) across the country to adopt winter cropping as a sustainable strategy for mitigating the impact of climate change on food production.

The organization’s Executive Director, Yandura Chipeta, warned that climate change continues to disrupt food systems, contributing to food shortages, price hikes, and heightened food insecurity, especially in vulnerable communities.

Chipeta made the remarks on Thursday during a symbolic handover of farm inputs to M’bwatalika CBCC in Traditional Authority M’bwatalika, Lilongwe.

With financial backing from the Roger Federer Foundation, ActionAid Malawi is implementing the School Readiness Initiative (SRI) in 12 districts. The program aims to support children transitioning into primary school by ensuring that five-year-olds in Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres are both school-ready and supported by a school environment that is ready for them.

Chipeta said one of the critical challenges affecting attendance in ECD centres is the lack of food provision.

“When ECD centres don’t provide food, absenteeism rises. Families tend to keep children at home rather than sending them to school on empty stomachs. Hunger affects concentration, emotional regulation, and physical growth, making learning nearly impossible,” she stressed.

To address this, ActionAid Malawi is providing farm inputs for winter cropping to 168 CBCCs in Lilongwe, Balaka, Mulanje, and Phalombe. Each centre will receive 25 kilograms of basal fertilizer, 25 kilograms of top-dressing fertilizer, and 5 kilograms of MH43 orange maize, a protein-rich variety ideal for children’s nutrition.

“We are promoting winter cropping to ensure consistent food supply at CBCCs. Our goal is to support the preparation of porridge for children—this not only boosts attendance but also improves nutrition, health, and development,” Chipeta explained.

“This year, due to the El Niño weather phenomenon, communities harvested far less than expected. That’s why we’re stepping in with winter cropping support to supplement their efforts.”

Chief Child Affairs Officer in the Ministry of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare, Pauline Simwaka, commended ActionAid for the timely intervention, especially amid worsening food insecurity driven by climate shocks.

Simwaka praised the initiative for promoting backyard gardening among CBCCs.

“This is a step in the right direction. Nutrition is key to learning. A malnourished child cannot actively participate in CBCC programs,” she said.

Representing Senior Chief M’bwatalika, SGVH Mdima assured both ActionAid and government officials that his subjects will use the resources responsibly and for their intended purpose.

 

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