Written in 1734 the English imaginary tale of Jack and the Beanstock tells the story of a poor, young, farm boy who sees a vine climbing high into the sky. It is so high he cannot see the top, as it disappears into the heavens. He climbs the stock and faces multiple challenges. The moral of the imaginary story is to see and take the opportunities that are placed in front of you. A recent visit to the Action for Progress distribution center brought a reminder of climbing vines so high they seem to reach into the heavens.
Lilongwe, Malawi … A recent visit by Limbikani Masakas, one of the farmers from Chandiwo Village, and the location of Joseph Project 2, brought a moment of disbelief as he looked at the height of the tomato plants at the Action for Progress greenhouses. He had traveled from his home, north of the Mponela Trading Center, to the Action for Project center west of Lilongwe. At the sight of the climbing vines, he stared in near wordless surprise. He slowly walked between two rows of tomato plants higher than his head, and his words reflected what many Malawi farmers would think were they to see the success of this project.
“I didn’t know tomatoes would grow this tall,” he said. “It’s my first time to see this.”
It is obvious that Action for Progress cannot institute all the projects needed for Malawi to move into a successful future. However, they can be an example that shows the way for others to follow. This is true of the Joseph Projects, the greenhouses, fish farms, drip irrigation, and several other successful programs that are introducing new ways to increase farm production on small family farm plots.
The continued support from Project contributors is making possible these programs designed to help Malawi develop a successful and independent future. https://www.malawiproject.org/donate/