A group of enterprising women farmers in northern Malawi has converted their misfortune into a well-paying business deal amidst a changing climate. Karonga lies on the northern shores of Lake Malawi and for several years has been facing the effects of the lake’s rising waters and unusually high temperatures from changing global climatic conditions. These weather conditions have highly affected the growth and sale of their traditional crops, like bananas, which are now ripe for a much lesser time and cause undue waste.
But rather than allowing their labors of love and crops to go to waste, these farmers took that age-old saying, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade,” to heart. In this case, it is bananas-and they are making wine!
It was banana wine, to be particular. Besides not being a waste, the solution gives added value to the farmers for a saleable product. One of the farmers, Emily, was able to give her views about the situation:
“Bananas are available in plenty here, and making wine out of them means we can avoid the waste that occurs and come up with a useful product. We do not throw away the ripe ones but take them to the factory, where we process quality wines.”
Without using modern appliances, this farm developed the method of production in an extremely scrupulous handmade way. First, bananas are washed and peeled, then cut into small pieces. Mix in large buckets with bananas, sugar, yeast, lemons, and raisins. The mixture seals for two weeks of fermentation. Afterwards, it has to be filtered and rested for four months in order to ensure the quality of the final product, comparable to the one given by a classified white wine.
Such ingenuity enables these women farmers to fight back against the vagaries of climate change while at the same time opening up new vistas of economic enterprise. By determination and creativity, they have succeeded in transforming what was a very challenging situation into one that is promoting growth toward their community and their own families.
The story of these women is proof that even under the most desperate conditions, resilience and ingenuity can thrive.
Leave a Reply