Fifty-year-old Victoria Nkhambule is a grandmother of four, from Thupa in Kasungu District. Like most Malawians, she is a regular consumer of Malawi’s top staple food, corn meal, locally known as nsima – a thick porridge made from maize flour and water. According to her, the nsima made from orange maize, tastes differently. “Nsima prepared from orange maize flour is so delicious. It is sweet in taste. Besides that, after eating it I can go several hours without feeling hungry again because it fully satisfies my hunger,” she explains.
With support from HarvestPlus, Victoria, together with 14 other small-scale farmers under Tithandizane Farmers’ Club cultivated orange maize, a biofortified crop. Together, they harvested 16 bags, each weighing 50 kilograms. Of these, the club contributed two and half bags to Thupa Primary School as a contribution to the school’s feeding program. Victoria explains, “The remaining maize was shared among our club members, and I have been using it to prepare porridge for my grandchildren before they leave for school and as staple food for my family during lunch, and supper.”