Agriculture, Piggeries and the Parish

Soon after arriving in Blantyre, the commercial center of Malawi, I became aware of how important environmental issues are to the country, and of course to all of us worldwide.  Malawi relies on rain for its crops.  While Lake Malawi is the third largest lake on the African continent, it has not been fully utilized for irrigation farming especially for maize, the staple of Malawi.  

The deforestation of Malawi began in the mid 19^th century with commercial farming efforts brought by missionaries and colonization.  Today, the high cost of electricity in the cities and access in rural areas has brought about the use of coal for cooking.  Coal production from trees has become a source of income for women and men in the villages, and they are not regulating the cutting of trees in these areas.  So besides the clear cutting for farming, small hills located through out the countryside once covered in trees are now barren.

Pig farmer who provided the pigs for the parishes
and Diocesan Agriculture Officer Martin Kapalamula

The Government and NGOs are doing some work on conservation and reforestation, but there is so much more that needs to be done.  The Diocese of Southern Malawi has participated in these efforts with a good working relationship with many partners. The Diocese is dedicated to being a resource for its 23 parishes and the various “outstations” (mission stations) attached to some of the parishes.   The Diocese has a variety of program coordinators dedicated to education and empowerment.  The fruit tree planting program helps with conservation. (See Fruit Trees: Manna from Heaven film published on this blog.)  The agriculture officer has been working on the piggery project and is hoping to do more tree conservation and preservation programs through the parishes.  

Demonstration garden next to the Malawi Parish.

  Organic manure on the left, and commercial fertilizer on the right. 

Most of the efforts have centered round developing permaculture programs, including parishes with piggeries that provide food, income, and manure for the gardens.  These piggeries are near the church or rectory and most of the priests are engaged in the building of the structures for the pigs.  They also provide ongoing care of the pigs along with church members, and some create demonstration gardens that show the positive results from using sustainable growing techniques.

A Landlace pig used in the Diocese's
 Conservation Agriculture Project.

Malawi Parish began with two pigs and now has 22.  With each litter the parish piggery passes along pigs to its members.  These parish members breed the pig and then are encouraged to pass along a piglet to another person.  In just two years, this parish has begun to engage non-church members in the program.   Recently, I visited the parish in Mdeka and saw the piggery, church, day nursery for orphans, primary school, and gardens all being run by the priest and members of the church.  We delivered four four month old pigs, two for the Malawi Parish and two for the parish in the next village. 

Rev. Fr. Dan Mazimbo, Malawi Parish
in front of the font.
Over 300 people worship here each Sunday.

The Malawian Government encourages everyone to plant one tree person each year.   However, the Diocese of Southern Malawi is showing the way, and providing the inputs, through the love of Christ.  The people in the villages participating in these programs are living out the Gospel by sharing their bounty, sometimes in the form of organic manure, selling their harvest to one another, and giving alms to the church---seeing the very nature of loving God and your neighbor, and relationship it has to with living a sustainable life.  The village leaders are very happy with the parish efforts because they have fewer problems with theft and a greater sense of community.  There is much more work to be done, but there is amazing evidence of Kingdom Life as God’s mission unfolds.

O God, heavenly Father, who by thy Son Jesus Christ hast promised to all those who seek thy kingdom and its righteousness all things necessary to sustain their life: Send us, we entreat thee, in this time of need, such moderate rain and showers, that we may receive the fruits of the earth, to our comfort and to thy honor; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.  (BCP p. 828)