MALISHO BORA KWA AFYA

Malisho Bora Kwa Afia (Better Nutrition for Health) was founded in 2015 by Vanessa Kambi in Uganda, and is now currently in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Malisho Bora Kwa Afia is a community-based organization that aims to eradicate hunger and malnutrition in the Uganda/Kyangwali refugee camp through gardening education and nutrition awareness. For the past 5 years, they have been educating the community, especially those new to the refugee camp, about preparing balanced meals and providing them with vegetable seedlings to ensure that everyone has a garden at home. Since August 2020 they have been working with local farmers and malnourished children in the Nord-Kivu /Goma region with the vision of developing healthy and sustainable communities through agro-preneurship. 

Vanessa’s team works with farmers to provide infrastructure for seed sharing, community building, information, tool swaps, and agricultural training, with a foundation of community organizing. One of Malisho Bora Kwa Afia’s primary objectives is to provide extension services to local farmers to boost their production. They believe that equipping farmers with reliable agricultural practices, testing their soil to determine its nutrient content, and advising and assisting them during the season will result in a higher yield, meaning enough food and less hunger. The organization also works to buy and transform farmers’ produce into powder to reduce food waste while increasing the product’s shelf life. Having powdered vegetables, cereals, and fruits available at the market throughout the year will promote malnutrition eradication. 

Vanessa’s work also focuses on mentoring young girls and teaching them about health, self-care, and fertility awareness through the arts.

“I believe that sustainability comes with healthy minds. Since the majority of girls in my community live in trauma due to wars and its consequences, we work in partnership with other organisations to have trainings with girls and women not only on agriculture related topics but also health and self-esteem. Being part of the Golden Girls Global leadership development program has sharpened my leadership skills and capabilities to work with girls and women in my community. It has also helped me in my healing process to focus on the path towards my dreams. As a farmer, I dream of a world with no malnutrition, a place where every family has enough food on their table. I live to feed the world." ~ Vanessa Kambi, Founder, Malisho Bora Kwa Afia

RECENT CHALLENGES

• Finances, Transportation, and Repetitive Wars. 
• The volcanic eruption left many people homeless.
• Restrictions due to the pandemic limited people’s ability to be productive at their highest potential. 
• Due to the pandemic, we are unable to rent large enough training halls. A hall that would accommodate 50 people can only accommodate 15, making it hard for us to accommodate all the willing participants.
• Safety for the team - The serious risk of being kidnapped on the roads near the farms.

MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• With the help of the Golden Girl’s Global community, we bought soil test kits, rented a place for our activities, and even built a movable house. 
• The extension agriculture service has secured a fully operational location, making soil kits available to more farmers. 
• In partnership with Help Me Dream Now, Malisho Bora Kwa Afia has gathered and provided services for a group of 35 girls living on the streets. 2 of them are now in an orphanage.

GOALS FOR NEXT YEAR

• Supply participants with 150 mushroom seeds every two weeks.
• Expand their services to 10 different villages in the North-Kivu province and form 10 farmers groups of 50 people each. This will also enable them to increase their impact and reach out to 500 people in a year.
• Raise the productivity of their farmers and provide adequate extension services and consistent follow-up on farming activities.
• Secure a partnership with orphanages in town where the girls can find shelter, while also equipping them with agri-entrepreneurship skills so they can move towards sustainability.