February 17, 2026

Iness, 60, is a widowed farmer living in a village in central Malawi. She has three adult children—a daughter and two sons—who are married and tend their own farms. Iness also has eight grandchildren. After one of her sons was injured in a farming accident that left him with limited mobility in his arms, Iness began caring for his three children. “In our culture, supporting those in need is a deeply held value,” Iness explains. “These are my son’s children, so it is even more important to me because of the love I have for my family.”

Since her husband’s passing ten years ago, Iness has been successfully growing maize and groundnuts. Both of these are in high local and regional demand. With her earnings, she has been able to support herself, as well as buy food, soap, and school supplies for her grandchildren.

But sadly, the latest growing seasons in Malawi have been severely impacted by erratic rainfall, resulting in widespread crop failure. Iness has experienced a significant reduction in her maize yield and the complete loss of her groundnut harvest. Without enough crops to sell, Iness has struggled to support herself and her family.

World Renew, in partnership with Nkhoma Relief and Development (NRD)—the development arm of the Central Church of Africa Presbyterian (CCAP) Nkhoma Synod—has been working to address food insecurity in Iness’s community with funding support from Canadian Foodgrains Bank. Over the course of five months, 1,715 households impacted by drought and crop failure have received maize flour, beans, cooking oil, and sweet potato vines to address their immediate food needs and promote long-term food security.

Iness’s household was one that received food through the project. Today, Iness is happy as she shares her gratitude for this assistance. “I am so thankful for the food support and sweet potato vines provided by World Renew and Nhikoma Relief and Development,” she says with a smile.

Looking ahead with hope, Iness’s commitment to her family and community continues to grow. “I dream of having a thriving farm and a sustainable livelihood again,” she shares. “With hard work and determination, I believe I can achieve this.”

Together with Canadian Foodgrains Bank, World Renew is working to help more families like Iness’s through long-term food security programs and locally led disaster response.

Each February, churches and donors across Canada support this work by raising funds around Canadian Foodgrains Bank Sunday—a time to give and learn about responding to global hunger. With matched funding, eligible gifts are multiplied up to 4X, reaching more families with immediate relief and lasting solutions.