Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2006. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - January 11, 2006
Christopher Dlamini, Baphalali Swaziland Red Cross Society , Francis Musasa, Malawi Red Cross Society, and Morning-Star Rosario, Namibia Red Cross Society, in Salima, Malawi
During times of plenty, when Sellina was in good health, she would harvest 30 to 40 bags of rice. This year she has been bed-ridden with what she fears are signs of an HIV related illness. The rains have not come. So she did not harvest even a single bag.
"I have terrible malaria and I struggle to breathe. I also suffer from diarrhea and congestion and it is affecting my productivity in the field," says Sellina as she weaves a basket that she will sell for K15 (about US $ 0.80) to buy food.
"During good years we would exchange some of the rice with maize from areas where maize is grown," says Sellina.
"We also used to sell some of it to buy fish, meat, vegetables and clothes, especially school uniforms for the children. This year was very difficult for us."
Malawi Red Cross Society food security officer Themba Madaise says Salima district, which includes Imedi village, largely depended on fishing and growing rice in the past. But persistent high temperatures and lack of rainfall meant it was impossible to grow rice, which needs a lot of water.
"We are encouraging people to consider switching to more drought-resistant crops like cassava and sweet potatoes," says Themba.
Now, as you walk through Imedi village, it is obvious that times are lean. Fields are dry and abandoned. There is no sign of rain in the sky.
Mango trees that used to be filled with fruit are bare now as the communities have eaten everything as a last resort. People say mangoes were sometimes peeled, boiled and eaten as porridge, which people do not do in better times.
Malawi Red Cross volunteers and the World Food Programme have been distributing food to the 200 households of Imedi village, targeting families with chronically ill people and orphans. For the past nine months Sellina has been receiving 50 kg of maize, soya beans and cooking oil every month.
In addition, the Malawi Red Cross, with support from the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, is distributing extra supplies of food to hungry people as part of a US $ 30 million food security operation in seven Southern African countries. In Malawi, one of the worst-hit countries, the Red Cross plans to reach 580,500 people with food aid, agricultural starter packs, food-for-work schemes, and water and sanitation projects. If funding allows, even more people could be helped.
Sellina's daughter, Hadja Ganizani, is married and due to give birth to her third child soon. Because Sellina is weak, Hadja, 25, walks long distances to fetch the heavy bags of food, carrying them on her head and taking them home to the family.
"The food is never enough to last us a month," says Hadja. "We are a big family and therefore when the food is finished, we weave baskets to sell and raise money to buy more food and other necessities. It has become very difficult to buy food."
There is a more sinister side to the hunger. Sellina needs to eat well if her malaria medication is to be beneficial. People living with HIV and AIDS need balanced nutrition for their government-supplied anti-retroviral medication to be effective. Without good food, people struggling with chronic conditions like malaria or HIV and AIDS will become sicker and more dependent on outside help.
What worries Sellina most is the future of her daughters, Anne, 13, and Aisha, 11. If she can't afford their school fees once the girls leave primary school, they will be forced to drop out of school.
"We are doing everything we can to make sure that they remain in school as their future depends on their education," she says.
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