Chichere Farm
Mchinji, Malawi
Every year Children of the Nations feeds thousands of children besides those in our programs, and every year there are more people than there is food. In 2007, when Children of the Nations was presented with the opportunity to purchase Chichere Farm, we immediately recognized the potential that this farm could offer—providing food for our children and at the same time generating an income to alleviate total dependence on COTN supporters to fund our feeding centers.
Chichere Farm (pronounced chee-CHAIR-ee) is a 350-acre working farm (with about 55 acres currently in use), located just outside the town of Mchinji, near Malawi's border with Zambia. It is nestled at the base of a mountain and is enclosed by a river, which provides year-round water, a luxury in drought-ridden Malawi. Besides eighty crop-ready acres, the farm contains hundreds of acres of natural pasture and forestland perfect for grazing livestock. The farm includes an irrigation system, nine barns, staff and guest housing, a school, and farm machinery.
As part of the purchase agreement, the farm manager agreed to stay and contract with Children of the Nations for one year. Drawing upon his experience in farm planning and production, he worked with our Malawi staff to develop a strategic farming plan. In 2008, we hired a permanent farm manager who came to us with 25+ years of farming experience, having managed a variety of crops and farms of 2,000+ acres.
Since 2008, each harvest has produced a bounty. Crops include maize (corn), potatoes, cassava, onions, oranges, tangerines, and bananas.
Future plans include converting a portion of the farm into a nursery to plant and raise trees for resale, and raising livestock which will include goats, cattle, and fish.