Most of the people make less than a dollar a day. In the Msundwe district, many of the homes have dirt floors and a plastic tarp up for a roof. Over 47% of Malawian children are stunted from severe malnutrition.

In 2007, Jeff and Karen Rogers moved to rural Malawi in order to replicate Child Legacy International’s Sustainable Program Development Model on a larger scale. The SPDM site at Msundwe has earned national recognition for its unique and effective approach to development, bringing real change to one of the least developed countries in the entire world. In addition to employing over 200 people from the surrounding areas, the site provides thousands of Malawians with access to high-quality health care, agricultural services, education, marketable skills development, and affordable vegetable, fish, and dairy products.

At the farm in Msundwe, we have planted vegetables, trees, coffee and stocked fish ponds with millions of tilapia. Fish, fruit and vegetables from the farm now feed villagers, staff and patients at the free hospital CLI has established in the village. What they cannot eat is sold regularly at local markets. At the CLI hospital, more than 80 Malawian health care professionals help provide critical, life-saving services such as vaccinations, prenatal care, labor and delivery care, screenings, HIV/AIDS education, malaria treatment and minor surgery. With 85% of Malawians having no access to even the most basic health care services, it’s no wonder the country has some of the world’s highest rates of maternal and neonatal mortality, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. We are located in the heart of a remote area where there is no electricity, and we are able to serve tens of thousands of patients every year because the CLI hospital is powered by 100% wind and solar energy.