Organic farming delivers rewards at Hope Skills Centre

Our garden land at Hope Skills Centre is more than just a farm—it’s a place for learning, sharing, and growing together. Through organic farming, we aim to provide lunch for our staff and students, support our local communities, and demonstrate how caring for the land can create hope for a better future. Our goal is to empower the community with the skills and knowledge to live sustainably.

Below, our dedicated Farm Manager, Aubrey (pictured above), shares an update on the progress and vision for our farm.

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We began organic farming at the Skills Centre in 2023/2024. I started growing vegetables, tomatoes, and maize. In 2023, we had our first harvest, three bags of maize. We gave one bag to the local church, and the remaining two bags we gave to the communities.

In 2024, we employed two farm workers to help with farming activities. Last year, we produced five bags of maize and six bags of sweet potatoes. We dried the maize and milled it into flour, ufa (maize flour), for making nsima for staff lunches.

The sweet potatoes were used for breakfast for the staff, Youth Development Programme students and builders. We also produced tomatoes, onions and other vegetables, as well as growing a variety of fruits and trees for soil conservation. The onions and tomatoes were also used for staff lunches.

This year, we plan to grow vegetables, onions, maize, sunflowers, tomatoes, carrots, aubergines, and chilli peppers.  All of these will be grown with compost rather than fertilizer, which preserves the soil health, resulting in higher crop yields, and is a much more sustainable and accessible option. We hope to use this model to train the community in this method of farming.

Our vision is to become sustainable: growing produce for use at the Skills Centre to provide lunch for our team and YDP students. Any surplus crops will be made available to the community at affordable prices, providing funds to cover some of the costs of our projects. We also invite the community to learn how to grow different vegetables and care for their land.

As the farm grows, we plan to keep animals such as goats, chickens and pigs. They will help by supplying manure for compost, providing eggs, and training the YDP students in animal husbandry as a business starter.

We’re proud of the progress our farm has made, from our first small harvests to growing a variety of crops that nourish our staff, students, and neighbours. Each season teaches us more about sustainability, teamwork, and the blessings of the soil.

Looking ahead, we’re excited to continue expanding, sharing our knowledge with the community, and developing a farming model that brings hope and self-reliance. Thank you for following our journey, your support helps us sow seeds of opportunity and harvest a brighter future for all.

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Can you help a child in Malawi?

Thanks to the support of our partners, sponsors, fundraisers and volunteers, Hope4Malawi's Youth Development programmes, building projects, resourcing initiatives, and student sponsorships continue to provide life-changing opportunities for children in rural Blantyre.

Contact us for further information on how to get involved.