Partnership
Rather than giving items - such as tree seedlings, seed crop kits or treadle pumps - directly to individuals, we work with groups of farmers and community members or "clubs". For example, treadle pumps purchased through Ripple Effect are provided to a group of farmers, who loan the pump out to individuals in the group for a fee. That revenue - along with money raised by your partnership purchases - is pooled to help even more farmers with additional equipment or services.
Empower
By working with these groups and clubs, we provide a "hand up" not a "hand out" to Malawians, establishing a partnership with lasting positive impact the help people out of this African nation out of poverty. By participating financially as well as with their own time and other resources, our Malawian partners are truly vested in improving.
Progress
To date, WSU and Total LandCare have worked with 1,700 villages through Ripple Effect. Progress can be measured by the numbers; we have had a significant impact since the project began:
- More than 60 million trees have been planted
- 4,330 hectares have been conserved and are being managed for the regeneration of natural woodlands
- Nearly 30,000 households in more than 1,700 villages are using improved wood stoves for cooking
- 141 shallow wells have been installed in 163 villages, providing 5,011 households with clean drinking water
- Nearly 5,400 households are now using treadle pumps to irrigate their crops, allowing them to grow food during throughout the year
Progress, too, is measured in ripples. For example, a better sanitation system means clean drinking water; clean drinking water means less illness, especially among children; less illness means more days in school; more days in school means more opportunity for a better quality of life.