BWA in Action MALAWI: Food Security Program B

aptist World Alliance, in collaboration with Baptist Development Service of the Baptist Convention of Malawi (BCM), implemented a program to increase food security

for 250 Malawi households. The project grew out of a preliminary report of the Malawi

Vulnerability Assessment Committee in July 2015 that identified 25 out of 28 districts as food insecure for three to eight months out of each year. Three districts, Mangochi, Phalombe and Zomba, which were affected with floods, were chosen for the BWA-funded program. “This year the country is facing the worst famine in decades,”

wrote Andrew Gwambe, of the BCM. “Association leaders have approached the Baptist Convention Secretariat many times in request for food assistance for the affected people in their respective areas.” Funds were used to improve food availability and

increase crop production for the 250 households, as well as improve soil and water conservation on 25 hectares, or roughly 62 acres, of farmland. There was also medical, educational and daily upkeep assistance. “The provision of seed to farmers shall assist to

increase crop production and ensure self-sufficiency,” BCM stated. “The project

shall improve food

availability in the households of the beneficiaries through distributed maize grain.” To this end, 1,000 bags of

maize grain, 250 packets of maize seed and 2,500 tree seedlings were purchased and distributed. Some 250 farmers received instruc- tions in soil and water conservation techniques. A number of social

benefits were expected to accrue from the program. “When hunger

BAPTIST WORLD Wins Award continued Brian Kaylor, vice chair of the BWA

Communications Committee, won three Certificate of Merit awards: one for the partnership with Guatemalan Baptists in the February 2015 issue of the Churchnet digital magazine, and two for articles in Word & Way on the death penalty and on Union Mound Baptist Church. Kaylor is generational engagement

team leader for Churchnet and a contribut- ing editor for Ethics Daily. Word & Way, a newspaper published by Baptists in the state of Missouri in the United States, is edited by Bill Webb, a BWA Communica- tions Committee member.

16 BAPTIST WORLD MAGAZINE

strikes, women become vulnerable because they are forced to do things that normally they would not do in order to have food for themselves and the children,” the BCM observed. “When pregnant women do not have enough food they become malnourished, which is very dangerous to their health and that of the unborn baby.” In addition, “the project is going to also have a positive

impact on young people. They will be able to attend classes in school. When there is no food they spend time looking for ways to get food instead of going to school. When they manage to go to school, concentration is lost in class because their concern is always where to get the next meal.” It will be positive for the environment. “The cutting down

of trees to sell in order to get money for food will decrease. Introduction of this project will reduce deforestation.”

, k n a B

“The provision of seed to farmers shall assist to increase crop production and ensure self-sufficiency.”

The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship

(CBF) picked up Awards of Excellence for its Brand Rollout public relations campaign and the Offering for Global Missions fundraising campaign, and Certificates of Merit for Military Challenge Coin in the Special Print Material subcategory and its Logo and Visual Identity System. Among those recognized for their CBF

work were Jeff Huett, Aaron Weaver, Candice Young, Carrie McGuffin and Travis Peterson. The Baptist Joint Committee for

Religious Liberty based in Washington, DC, in the US, received Certificates of

Merit for the James Dunn Obituary by Cherilyn Crowe and for Don Byrd’s Blog from the Capital. An Award of Excellence was received

by Philip Poole and Janica York Carter for their work on the Baptist-affiliated Samford University 2014-2015 Annual Report. Eron Henry, BWA associate director

of Communications and editor of Baptist World magazine, was elected to the RCC Board of Directors for the period 2016- 2019.

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esy of Daniella Van Legg

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