For 82-year-old Agnes Makowa of Biseki Village in Traditional Authority (T/A) Nankumba, Mangochi, the threat of hunger that once loomed over her family has eased—thanks to a cash transfer from the World Food Programme (WFP). “This support is timely and a bailout from the misfortunes of drought,” said a visibly excited Makowa as she received the cash from Mangochi District Commissioner (DC) Rodney Simwaka, who visited the area to witness the disbursement. “I will buy food to feed my family and set aside some money to buy a goat and start goat farming,” she said.
“I will also plant cassava cuttings because they survive drought. I don’t want to be a victim of hunger again,” committed the granny. Like Makowa, Chipiliro Mphembedzu from Kansiya Village in the same area has also found relief through WFP’s intervention.
“I did not harvest enough last year because of drought,” he explained. Mphembedzu said he plans to use the money to start small-scale businesses in fish trading, cassava, and legumes to support his family. “Our main problem here is drought.
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The dry spells reduce our harvests more than expected, so we are always affected,” he said. Makowa and Mphembedzu are among 2 426 households in Senior Chief Nankumba’s area benefiting from WFP’s Anticipatory Action Activation Programme. Funded by the governments of Norway and Germany, the initiative provides K181 000 per household in January and February 2026.
The support cushions families against forecasted dry spells expected between January and March, as projected by Malawi’s Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services (DCCMS). The programme goes beyond cash assistance. Beneficiaries also receive early warning messages, agricultural inputs such as seeds and fertilizer, and guidance on effective use of resources.
Speaking at the Nankumba Extension Planning Area (EPA) during the cash disbursement, DC Simwaka urged residents to make full use of the fertile land surrounding them to increase agricultural production. He also encouraged communities to plant drought-tolerant crops, describing this as one of the key responses to changing weather patterns.
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