Solar Energy

Solar energy is being used in Malawi.  We saw evidence of this throughout the country.

The problem is that the tools used to harness the sun's energy are extremely expensive.  They are expensive here.  They are expensive there.  They are expensive everywhere.  And they are completely out of reach for someone who makes less than $300 per year.

This is one reason why we use the science of psychrometry when we build solar dehydrators.  This eliminates the need for pieces of expensive technology so if something goes wrong, they can be easily fixed.

Rural villages in Malawi do not have access to solar conductors, batteries, chargers, and the like.  In order for food preservation to be sustainable, the equipment used needs to be able to purchased, fixed, and used by everyone.  We must not make it dependent on us.  We must make it accessible to all.

Malawi Mango Harvest

Mango season in Malawi is over and we were devastated to learn that 80% of the crop was wasted due to post-harvest loss.  According to the Ministry of Agriculture for the Northern Districts, an 80% loss is common.  The mangoes ripen and with no way to preserve them, the fruit simply rots.  

Of course, that 80% could be saved with solar dehydrators, and the fruit that cannot be eaten immediately could be dehydrated, allowing it to last for months. This would, as we've said time and again, would decimate the hunger and rejuvenate the economy.

That 80% is even more significant when one considers the ubiquity of mango trees. They grow all throughout Malawi. As well as orchards, there are scattered "backyard" trees, which is to say single mango trees that have grown in people's yards. The trees provide shade, a gathering place for adults, hours of entertainment for the children, and obviously food.

The mangoes themselves provide many much needed nutrients including iron, vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin E, fiber, minerals and antioxidants. So they are an incredibly valuable crop.

The mango loss is devastating and absolutely unnecessary. It is something we want to change, and we want you to join us.

Encouragement

"Finally, I say yes, together it is possible to Dry Out Hunger."

This is from an email sent by Albert Bwinga. Bwinga is a truly passionate man our team met in Rumphi, a man eager to help others. He works with Action Aid, the international organization that strives against poverty and human injustice.

In his email, he expressed his excitement for solving the problem of food preservation in Malawi and his willingness to devote his considerable skills and enthusiasm to help Tricycle Harvest reach that goal.

We are incredibly grateful to have met him, and we are looking forward to working with him. Because he was right, together it is possible.

written by Riley Richards

Malawi Food Crisis

When someone is driven by a specific cause, gripped by a passionate goal, it is empowering to have that goal reinforced by recent events. However, in this case the news is not happy. Malawi, the country in which Tricycle Harvest International has focused the bulk of our attention, has been experiencing a drought, and because of this, 6 million people are in serious need of food assistance. It is such a significant crisis that the United Nations World Food Program has given it the highest classification of emergency. Of course, the U.N. and the Malawian government are doing everything they can to solve the dilemma, but it simply cannot be solved without help. Now more than ever, food preservation by solar dehydration is possibly the most conceivably promising way to eradicate death from starvation once and for all.  

written by Riley Richards