2025-08-16 Of Land and Laptops

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Home of Hope farmland, ~5km from the Home. (Thanks, Chisomo, for the picture.)

Land of potential

Much of Malawi at this time of year is red, dry, dust-blown. Look out of the window flying into Lilongwe International Airport and that's what you'll see to the horizon. It would be the same for most of Home of Hope's nearby farmland, but for this...

"Dambo" (water hole) construction at HOH farmland in 2015, with diesel pump.

Irrigation. It's a complete game-changer. Land, that would otherwise wait parched until the rains, is alive and productive. Moving water long distances with diesel-powered pumps is difficult and expensive, however. Pumping by hand has severe limits. Enter the new era...

Installation of a solar pump system at a new dambo on Home of Hope farmland, today.

Solar irrigation 🌞💧


Energy from this large panel can drive around 10,000 litres of water per hour onto the land.

"Solar irrigation allows up to three harvests of beans, mustard & onions to be gathered in the dry season, on land that will be set for maize in the rainy season. So, solar enables in-year crop rotation, with huge benefits for the soil" says Phil. 

A teeny-tiny version (by comparison) is already serving well at the Gardens above the Home.

Small solar pump system, watering vegetables from the lowest of HOH's fishponds.    

The drop of the land below this water source means the pump needs only to lift the water over the rim. Gravity does the rest. Thank you very much, gravity!

Early this morning, some of our group visited the Home's farmland, about 5km away. The pictures (taken by Chisomo Chipeta) speak for themselves.


Ah those hills in the background. Come and see them. You'll want to see them again.

Laptops of destiny!

Alarmingly few hours before our flights to Malawi, a dozen brand new laptops from a UK donor arrived in Bedford. How wonderful, then, to arrive here and find that just this number of Home of Hope students will soon leave to join new University courses.

Guest House, or Computer Lab? Chisomo guides some of the students in setting up their laptops.

Home of Hope Executive Director Linda Chilunde-Mwale address the group, congratulating the on their achievement in gaining hotly-contested places at public Malawi Universities. She reminded them that behind them are generations of others. "It's your chance now to go on and inspire the younger ones. Impress them! Go now, and work hard with this opportunity you have!" She loves them. 

Phil spoke about the privileges and dangers of "life online", counselling the young people to stand firm when others might want them to look in dark places. We've more time in the coming days to assist on everything from detailed set-up to these important topics of safety, with sessions planned for Sunday and Monday afternoon.

Solar pumps and university laptops may seem like small things on the world stage. Yet here, they are seeds — seeds of resilience, independence and promise. Tended with care, may they multiply into harvests of flourishing lives.

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