Lilongwe, Malawi … The first harvest had offered great promise a year ago as the first greenhouse tomato crop was reaching maturity. However, just as the crop was reaching maturity market prices fell drastically. This left Action for Progress with a good crop but a not so good price range in which to sell the tomatoes. Plans had called for these greenhouses to help offset the administrative costs for AfP moving forward, allowing more and more of the funds from the Malawi Project to go toward enlarging aid programs nationwide. The crop did not contribute as expected.
A famous saying by Winston Churchill at the height of World War 2 seemed appropriate for AfP at this moment. “Never, never, never give up.” Churchill had said, and this idea filled the air as Wilson Tembo, the Executive Director for AfP, and his team found themselves determined not to give up. Everyone knew what the green houses could mean to the program, and they were determined to succeed.
With determined energy and a better knowledge of the market and what it would take to be successful with the green houses, the team again filled the green houses with tiny tomato plants in December 2024.
For two months they have watched as the plants reach skyward and the time of harvest is near. As the tomatoes ripen it is evident success is within reach. Ten or more tomatoes can be found on many plants, and the current shortage is forcing prices ever higher for all types of food. It appears the coming harvest will reach a successful outcome.