Success Story - Food Security in Malawi Food Security Protecting Orphans and Vulnerable Children in Malawi Mwanza and all 11 members of his family. Mwanza Tizare and his family of eleven live in Malawi, a country hard hit by HIV/AIDS. The fact that his children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews, ranging from ages three to 26, all live with him, is not unusual. Children who have been orphaned by HIV/AIDS are often taken in by extended family members, placing an increased burden on families already struggling to survive. One of the heaviest burdens is simply trying to feed everyone. The rapidly growing epidemic has had a direct impact on food supplies for Mwanza and for many other families like his. So many people have died or become disabled as a result of the disease it leaves surviving family members with sharply reduced food crops and family income and often, more mouths to feed. The youngest children sit beside the improved crops of corn. Save the Children is helping families that are caring for orphans by providing the knowledge, techniques and supplies so that their immediate food needs are met and they can better provide for themselves the nourishing food they need to live active healthy lives. Corn is the crop of choice for most families and by using hybrid seeds that produce bigger crops and incorporating improved techniques such as planting in rows, using appropriate spacing and fertilization schedules, subsistence farmers like Mwanza are seeing better results. The long term solution to improved results and better nutrition includes crop diversification. Save the Children promotes the planting of a variety of fruits and vegetables such as soybeans, bananas, mangos, pumpkin, green beans, cassava, and potatoes. Mwanza works hard to farm enough for his family. Still, even with a good growing season, his corn will not likely last more than 8 months, and he will have to rely on cassava and other foods to feed his family through to the next harvest. He is able to sell some of his other crops, so he hopes to have enough money to feed his recently expanded household. Learn more about what Save the Children is doing to prevent hunger and malnutrition.