© 2012 AID AFRICA  UK Registered Charity Number 1116336

Buying the maize is a challenge.

In the past we’ve tried to grow enough,

but it’s more reliable and economical to

buy it in as the often volatile climate -

with twin extremes of drought & flooding

in the abrupt rainy season - often cause crop destruction in many areas.  

90% of our neighbours in the remote, rural areas, are subsistence farmers, working hard in their unproductive fields trying to feed their families, but - while actively discouraging dependency - we recognise that there are many who are just too vulnerable to help themselves. It may be frailty through age, disability, or illness, but hunger is a daily battle in many households……

To help those at risk, Aid Africa/OHP buys in maize at harvest when it’s more readily available, and at its cheapest, to store for distribution during the “hunger period” Christmas to March, when food is most scarce.

Over the years we’ve managed to increase the quantity of maize bought to feed more people, but the plan’s the same:

• Assess, and identify the most vulnerable families
• Issue maize,  soya meals & soap each month from Christmas to get them through to the next maize harvest.  

• 2015/16 Food Programme fed over a thousand people for 4 months

• 2016/17 we bought in over

          30 tonnes of maize

          (approx 120,000 meals)

• 300 families, assessed as particularly vulnerable received the maize, soya meals and soap to take them through to the next maize harvest in March 2017.

Some of the 30,000kgs of maize bought in 2016

Issue …..

Elderlies Luncheons

Phala Project

It then has to be dried, winnowed,

weighed and packed into our special grain

bags. These bags have triple skins, preventing any air transfer, to suffocate invasive weevils without the need for traditional toxic chemicals.  These bags are then stored in our rat-proofed storerooms, and checked regularly for any signs of damage, leading to either rot or weevil infestation.

Food Programme