Community development activities are a fundamental part of the life of Funwe Farm: indeed the whole social investment concept at Funwe aims for both economic and social development.

To carry out the community development work, the Funwe Trust will soon be incorporated in Malawi under the Trustees Incorporation Act. Its mission will be to assist Malawian communities, partner organisations and individuals to improve their human, social, economic and environmental development. It will achieve this principally by working with the communities around Funwe Farm on a range of social development activities.

In the meantime, pending the creation of the Funwe Trust, Funwe Farm Ltd has already been carrying out community development work as a separate department within the company all in full consultation with the local people and under the overall guidance of the Nankumba Area Development Committee. The major activities are:

Economic Development

Not everybody wants to be a farmer. So FFL has supported women from the four neighbouring villages to form a group (the Funwe Business Womens Group) which operates a shop, maize mill and tearoom at Funwe. FFL trains the group members in business and financial management skills.

Education

Many of the FFL staff's children go to the Funwe Primary School, which is located near the farm. So FFL has carried out various work with the school: repairing the classrooms and teachers' houses, building separate latrine blocks for girls, boys and teachers, repairing an existing handpump and training the committee how to maintain it, supporting the Parent Teachers Association to provide supplementary feeding for the pupils. The main support this year is to construct a new classroom and a teachers' office.

Health

Funwe Farm falls within the catchment area of the Malembo Health Centre. It serves a population of 20,000 people and has few facilities. Major problems include malaria, HIV infection, cholera, maternity problems, and crocodile bites. So FFL has assisted the health centre by donating a motorbike and cellphone, renovating the buildings themselves, improving the water supply, and building new latrines.

FFL is also helping to construct an under-fives' clinic which is a satellite clinic from Malembo Health Centre.

Child Development

FFL wishes to help mothers and grandparents to work without worrying about looking after the young children. So it has built an Early Childhood Development Centre, with capacity to look after 60 pre-school age children. The Centre is managed according to the government's official standards for child care, and the carers are appropriately trained.

Water, Sanitation & Hygiene

In 2001, FFL installed 4 boreholes in the neighbouring villages. Each one is managed by a committee of the users, and works well. Now FFL intends to implement a larger programme of boreholes, sanitation and hygiene promotion within the villages.

Agricultural Extension

Sharing results with its neighbours is an important part of Funwe Farm's philosophy. This is mainly done through an Agricultural Show once each year and Open Days 2-3 times each year. The Agricultural Shows are regularly attended by thousands of people from a wide surrounding area, who bring a variety of produce for display and competition, and by various government departments and commercial companies, that provide information and demonstrations. The Open Days are smaller, attended typically by a few hundred close neighbours, who tour various parts of the farm to discuss, learn from and teach about the different agricultural activities and techniques.

Micro-Credit

FFL is starting a scheme to make small loans available at fair interest rates to local people for economically-productive activities, notably purchase of bicycles. This scheme is being financed by private donations raised specifically for this purpose in the UK.

Youth

FFL supports the Funwe Youth Club, whose main activities include HIV/AIDS education.

Sports Development

FFL's staff and neighbours have few available pastimes, so FFL has formed the Funwe Green Mambas Sports Club comprising a football team for men and a netball team for women. Both teams are active in local league and cup competitions.

Other individuals and organisations have also generously supported community development around Funwe, including: the Manor 2056 Trust which funded four boreholes in the neighbouring villages and the corresponding community management training and support and donates to the community development work in general; the Leggatt Trust which funded furniture for Funwe Primary School; Grosvenor Travel Management Ltd which donates to the community development in general; Universal Language Training Ltd and St. Mildreds School, Whiston, which both donate funds for supplementary feeding for the pupils of Funwe Primary School; and the Manifold Valley Agricultural Society which donates to the Funwe Agricultural Show. (See separate page for details on how to make charitable donations to community development at Funwe.)