Zawadi Banda’s home is a charming, rustic haven near a dusty road that runs through Malengasanga Village—a place that is seeing a remarkable transformation.

Once defined by struggle and uncertainty, the village is now a symbol of opportunity and renewal.

Where families like Banda’s once faced daily hardships—battling poverty, struggling to afford education and lacking access to nutritious food—they are now flourishing.

Vibrant vegetable gardens and thriving poultry yards have replaced barren plots and the villagers, once focused solely on surviving, are now building a brighter future together.

“It feels like this village has just opened its eyes. It is as if we have stepped into a new world,” Banda says, her voice brimming with contentment.

Not long ago, Malengasanga Village, in Traditional Authority of Malengachanzi, Nkhotakota District, seemed trapped in time, with families like Banda’s grappling with the relentless pressure of poverty.

Her children could not attend school due to a lack of money for fees and basic supplies. Nutrition was scarce and sanitation was a constant challenge.

Everything changed when Banda became involved in an initiative promoting sustainable farming, livestock management environmental conservation and improved nutrition.

“At first, I didn’t know what to expect. But when I learned how to grow healthy food and care for animals, I felt as though I had been given a whole new chance at life,” she admits, while tending to her chickens and goats.

Today, Banda’s family is thriving. Her children are back at school, their bellies full of nourishing food from the garden and livestock she cares for.

“Life is different now. My children are learning, growing and healthy. I never thought we would have so much—food, education and hope,” she says.

Her story mirrors the awakening of Malengasanga Village itself. The community is slowly transforming into a place of opportunity, rather than one of struggle.

The Sustainable Malawian Agriculture to Enhance Resilience to Climate Change (Smart Climate) project is supporting families like Banda’s to rise again.

Save the Children, alongside six other organisations, is implementing this three-year initiative in the Nkhotakota and Karonga districts with funding from the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation.

Participants have received various forms of support, including certified groundnut and soybean seeds suited to the local climate.

They were also given ten chickens each, which they later passed on to others in their communities.

During a recent visit to Nkhotakota, participants demonstrated integrated homestead farming, cooking techniques and processes for making products like juice from locally available resources.

When Banda received her ten chickens as part of