Pigs, Plans, and Prosperity: How One Group Is Farming Their Way to Change

Local partner project officers from Maikhanda pose with the ‘Superfans’ group members

Many women living in rural Malawi face serious challenges when it comes to making a living. In the Kaponda village, a group of young women has found a unique way to address two of their community’s most pressing issues through a simple solution: pig farming. 

Many women in rural and remote communities struggle to support themselves and their families. This makes it hard for them to pursue opportunities, grow their businesses, or meet their daily needs for food, healthcare, and education.  

Without reliable income or access to financial resources, it's difficult for these women to thrive and build a better future for themselves and their communities.  

Made up of 18 members, the joyfully named ‘Superfans’ community health group recognised that the high rate of teenage pregnancies in their village was both a cause and consequence of the poverty many young women faced. Lack of access to contraceptive information and limited economic opportunities often left young women trapped in cycles of early pregnancies and school dropouts. 

Determined to break this cycle, the Superfans group embarked on an entrepreneurial journey. After raising 40,000 Malawian Kwacha (approximately £18) through completing small tasks in their community, they invested in a pig. This small step marked the beginning of a wider initiative, as the pig soon gave birth to piglets, expanding their small farming venture!  

With these piglets, the group plans to set up a pass-on programme, allowing each member to start their own small-scale farming operation. As the piglets mature, members will “pass on” piglets to other community members, creating a ripple effect of economic empowerment. 

In addition to this, the group plans to sell some of the piglets to fund the creation of a nursery school. This school will serve as both an educational centre for young children and a hub for parents to learn about family planning and contraceptive methods.  

The piglets that will be ’passed on’ to empower women’s health in the girls’ local community.

By combining economic stability with reproductive health education, the Superfans group aims to tackle both sides of the poverty-teen pregnancy cycle. 

Elianti, a leader of a community health group set up in the Salima district in 2018, is a powerful example of how these income-generating projects can create lasting change. Like many women in rural Malawi, Elianti once struggled to make ends meet. She recalls wearing “old, torn clothes” and lacking financial stability.  

However, when she joined her local health group, she was given a pig through a similar initiative. 

Through breeding and selling pigs, Elianti was able to build a home and invest in other livestock, like chickens and goats. She now proudly says, “I am so happy that I could build a house and buy a roof I can use on my shelter… At first, I used to wear torn clothes, but right now I can wear good clothes.” 

Elianti’s story is just one example of how small-scale farming, paired with community health education, can transform lives.  

The Superfans group is following a similar path, hoping to provide more women with vital income and give them the knowledge and tools to take control of their futures. 

As the Superfans Radio group continues their efforts, their pig farming initiative stands as a model for other communities.  

It shows that, with creativity and dedication, small-scale agriculture can drive meaningful social change, empowering women economically while addressing key health challenges!  

Mica Lam, Programmes Officer at Women and Children First, says “By raising what we might see as a modest amount of money, the pig farming has been a big success. The girls have created a sustainable income-generating venture and an initiative to reduce teenage pregnancy, educating parents about sexual and reproductive health.  

“These young girls possess the ability to inspire change through their creativity, determination and compassion. The benefits are for the entire community.” 

Within this project, 231 new groups have been formed this summer, encouraging over 5,000 more teenage girls to come up with solutions to the barriers that are holding them back.  

The Innovations in Health, Rights and Development, or iHeard, project aims to contribute to the reduction of barriers to sexual and reproductive health and rights for adolescent girls and young women in Malawi. It is led by a consortium of: CODE, Farm Radio International, & MSI Reproductive Choices and is funded by the Government of Canada.