My Work in Malawi

Feeding the Hungry

When I lived in Japan, I had the privilege of meeting Dr. John Chikago, the Ambassador from Malawi to Japan, at a luncheon.  As we spoke, we discovered that there were needs in his country that I could help to meet. 

Dr. Chikago’s term as ambassador was going to expire in a couple of months and so we came up with a plan to partner with World Hope International, www.worldhope.org, a consulting client of mine at that time.

We implemented a project in which we provided a few villages with maize seeds that they could plant and harvest that year.  The project expanded into other villages and we bought a maize mill so that the villagers could grind the corn and sell it. 

Hugely successful in their project, the people added more crops like soybeans and sesame seeds, and they are now prospering. 

Working with AIDS Victims

We also instituted prevention and awareness projects to quell the AIDS epidemic in Malawi with education and health care.  I also produced some radio shows targeted at young women to enhance their self esteem. 

Travelling from village to village, visiting the people, assessing the needs and providing what we could, we have been greatly rewarded watching the growth and development of this very poor country.

Dr. Chikago has been extremely pleased with our progress and has said,

“Marianne is an excellent trauma counselor, networker, change agent and revolutionary. Through her initiatives, the poor children and women of Malawi have realized new lives.

Child mortality has been mitigated by the provision of clean borehole water. Hospitals are no longer overcrowded by children who were admitted due to hookworms. School going rates have doubled as no child is soaked while at school.

In return, Malawian women call Marianne “ANAPHIRI”, meaning a “woman from the great clan.”