It’s great to be back in Malawi, although I never thought I would be here playing darts with our staff team. I brought the dartboard out as a gift for the team and at the start of the day no-one knew what the game of darts was: by 6pm they were beating me!

There was a purpose in this of course. We had training with the full staff team yesterday and I was focusing on planning and goal setting. We talked about the importance of having targets for our personal development as well as in the work setting. The dartboard was a great visual aid and, judging by the excitement it has generated, I think it will be an ongoing reminder for some time.

It remains to be seen whether I can stick to my own targets for this trip: there is a dire shortage of fuel in Malawi which is linked to the global economic situation. Fuel has doubled in price (as we all know only too well) and Malawi has to import all its petrol and diesel and pay for it in US dollars. There is simply not enough foreign currency in the country, hence the shortages. I managed to buy 40 litres today so we will be able to get to Chinteche to visit our project there, but it remains a challenging situation. Of course, this doesn’t just affect Malawi Fruits and every business and community group in Malawi is suffering

Every garage forecourt is chaotic, with queues stretching in all directions

Despite the challenges, it was great to see a colourful display of a range of vegetables at the office. We are building up the number of farmers we are supporting all the time, and they are growing increasing quantities of produce and seeing their household incomes grow – this is what it is all about!