To every thing there is a season.

I write this as I start the long journey home from Malawi. From a personal point of view, it has been an incredibly frustrating trip, waiting for a container to arrive which is full of equipment that we thought we would be installing over the last few weeks. The container got stuck at Dar-es-Salaam, the port where the ship docked, and it was there for three weeks. Finally, it was released yesterday and I got word today that it is now at the Malawi border. It will probable arrive in Mzuzu on Tuesday, the day I get the flight back to Scotland!

Those who know me well will know how frustrating this has been for me. As an activist, who gets things done, the endless obstacles and delays are soul-destroying. I’ve been looking for positives in this situation and can only find one – but it’s a big one. We are at a stage in the history of Malawi Fruits where we are working hard to empower the local team here to take charge of their own affairs. We want to reduce their dependency on outside help and give them confidence to stand on their own feet. So, while I am frustrated, they are excited about the container coming and their opportunity to unpack, set-up and commission all the Coolrun equipment. This is a new season for our operations and I just need to chill a bit!

I’ve gained a bit of time in the waiting, of course, and it’s been good to visit some of the farms we support. Long, bumpy journeys on rough roads are always rewarded by seeing lots of good farming practice, and growers rejoicing in increased yields and improved household incomes. It’s a reminder of what our team are able to do – passing on knowledge and linking people with good markets. Whether it’s growing tomatoes in greenhouses or onions in irrigated fields, we have hundreds of farmers literally reaping the rewards of their labours. This is our day-to-day work and it’s making a real difference.

Farmers know how to be patient and how to deal with waiting. As I grow frustrated at shipping delays and bureaucracy, they shrug their shoulders and say, “the harvest will come – everything in its season.” I wish I could be like them.

Yesterday was another day where I was reminded to be patient. At our farm at Luvwere we are struggling for water for irrigation. Our friends in the Guernsey Government have helped us install three boreholes, enabling irrigation on about 5 hectares of the farm. With support from Rotary Clubs in Scotland we hope to build a dam on the farm to capture water during the rainy season and use that for irrigation throughout the long dry season. Yesterday, Rotarians from the Mzuzu Rotary Club visited the farm to see what we are doing and to get an understanding of what can be achieved if we build a dam to create a reservoir for irrigation. It was hot and dry on the farm, emphasising what a difference irrigation could make. This will be a long term project, but well worth the wait.