One-Meal a Day for the Children as Malawi Faces Food Crisis

Written by: Bernard Kankhono, Communications Officer

Every afternoon, Manesi Samisoni used to be busy in her small, grass-roofed kitchen in rural Blantyre. Her simple three-stone stove would glow with heat, and the ashes beneath her cooking pot were always warm. She would prepare a meal for her family of three, including her 12-year-old granddaughter. For years, this was their normal life. Manesi consistently produced enough food to feed her family throughout the year.

But since 2023, everything has changed. Manesi’s family can no longer grow enough food on their land. Repeated crop failures have left them facing hunger for most months of the year.

“In 2023, I harvested only five bags of maize. It wasn’t enough. In 2024, I harvested nothing. This year, I only managed to get three bags, and they lasted less than six months,” says Manesi.

A visit to her home reveals the impact of food shortages. The three-stone stove that once radiated warmth now sits cold, its ashes untouched, a quiet reminder that no meal has been cooked that day.

"This hunger has hit us very hard. Right now, we eat only once a day, usually in the evening. We do this so the little food we eat can give us enough strength to work in the field the next day," says Manesi.

Years of Reliance, Now Lost
 

For most of her life, farming sustained Manesi’s household. From her half-acre plot, she once harvested 20 to 25 bags of maize  enough to feed her family and even sell some for extra income. But unpredictable rainfall and prolonged dry spells over the last three years have drastically reduced her yields.

"Now, we depend on piecework to buy one kilogram of flour. It costs K2,200 (about $1.27) and it is only enough for one meal. If we cannot find any work that day, it means we go to bed hungry," says Manesi.

Across her village, many families face the same struggle. Parents are skipping meals so their children can eat. Some children miss school because they are too weak to walk or concentrate.

According to Manesi, the hunger problem is severe in her area and it is putting people's lives especially the lives of children like her granddaughter in danger and they are risking malnutrition.

"I am so afraid that my granddaughter could die from hunger. I often give her wild fruits and sometimes mangoes that are still green and not ripe. They are low in nutritional value but it is just to quiet her stomach. As a grandmother this breaks my heart," says Manesi.

In Manesi’s village, hunger has become a painful reality for many families. Parents are now skipping meals so their children can eat. Children are skipping school because they cannot learn on an empty stomach and they are too weak to play.

A Nationwide Crisis

Manesi’s situation reflects what millions across Malawi are experiencing. More than four million people are currently struggling to find enough food. Recently, the Malawian government declared a State of Disaster in 11 out of the country's 28 districts and these districts include Blantyre, Chikwawa, Lilongwe, Mulanje, Mwanza, Neno, Nkhotakota, Nsanje, Phalombe, Salima, and Thyolo. The hunger situation in Malawi has been exacerbated by long dry spells that Malawi experienced during the 2024/2025 farming season and the previous growing season, rising food prices, and escalating vulnerability.

The declaration came after a Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee (MVAC) report indicated that about four million people are at risk of hunger during the 2025/26 consumption period, representing 22 percent of the country’s projected population of 18.5 million.

In affected communities, families are selling belongings for food, relying on wild fruits, or going to bed on empty stomachs. For many mothers and caregivers, each day brings the same question: How will I feed my children today?

Responding to Urgent Needs

Following the disaster declaration, World Vision Malawi has begun mobilizing resources to provide life-saving assistance and long-term recovery support.

To reach more families in crisis, World Vision Malawi calls upon local and international partners to join efforts in providing food assistance, livelihood recovery, and protection support to households like Manesi’sm,  families who urgently need help to survive this difficult period.

For more information, please contact:
Humanitarian and Emergency Affairs Manager
Sobhuza Sibande
Email: sobhuza_sibande@wvi.org

World Vision Malawi National Director
Francis Dube
Email: mwio_worldvision@wvi.org