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From hunger to hope: A story of Yakobe Josephy.

Meet Yakobe Josephy 43-year-old resident of Sub Traditional Authority (STA) Phimbi, in Balaka, a father of eight—two daughters and six sons, married to Eliza Amoni, 42. Like many households in his community, their family faced severe food insecurity. The drought wiped out local harvests and made even the smallest sources of income scarce. As hunger deepened, Yakobe’s children often missed school to help him find food and at times, they resorted to fishing in the Shire River. Some days, they returned empty-handed, forcing the family to go to bed hungry.

But just when hope seemed to be fading, relief arrived, through the El Niño Emergency Response Project, Yakobe received MK90, 000 to purchase essential food supplies such as maize, cooking oil and beans.

"Life has been incredibly difficult. Feeding my family of ten felt impossible. The El-Nino drought left us with nothing—no work, no food, no hope I could not even find piece work because everyone in the village was struggling. Everyone in the village was struggling. But then, CARD stepped in. I do not know where we would be without this assistance. We can now put food on the table. We eat with care, knowing we have enough to get by. I pray that God continues to bless CARD so they can keep supporting others who are also battling hunger. Yakobe shared.

Through the monthly cash transfers, Yakobe’s children can now attend school without the burden of searching for food. Their household is more stable and for the first time in months, they are eating regularly.

“When I received the December cash transfer, I made a strategic decision. While part of the money was used to buy food, I invested the rest in purchasing maize seeds to cultivate my one-acre farm, I wanted to ensure sustainability. If I can grow my food, I will not have food problems in the future, now, my children can go to school without worrying about food. Our household is much more stable,” Yakobe shared with relief.

Looking ahead, Yakobe remains hopeful but cautious. Understanding the unpredictability of future droughts, he is planning. “Since it is the rainy season, I planted maize. However, I worry about future droughts, so I plan to store some maize to prepare for any future disasters.”

Yakobe’s story is a testament to the power of humanitarian support and resilience. While challenges remain, the intervention from CARD has restored hope and set him on a path toward a more secure future.

With funding from the Canadian Foodgrains Bank and Presbyterian World Service and Development, we are implementing a project to support 1,700 El Niño-affected households in Balaka district through cash transfers. Launched in November 2025, this initiative aims to provide essential financial assistance to help families purchase food and meet their basic needs. 

#ReliefAndHope #FightingHunger #CARDMalawi #SustainableFuture

(Left) Yakobe and wife showing their one-acre maize farm which they have invested in preparation for future droughts. (Right) Yakobe and his wife showing their bag of maize which they bought from the cash assistance.