TABLE OF CONTENTS

MISSION & VISION

2023 YEAR IN REVIEW

MALAWI

CAMBODIA

VICTORY GARDEN PROFILES

FINANCIALS

CONTACT

DONORS

OUR MISSION

At the Face-to-Face Project (F2F), we believe the best way to break the cycle of poverty is to nurture self-reliance, and the first step toward self-reliance is to making food security accessible to everyone. Our Victory Garden Campaign aims to mobilize rural grassroots communities in Malawi and Cambodia to achieve sustainable solutions in the fight against hunger and poverty.

Through creating high-yield, low-cost victory gardens, families can reduce the risk of relying on a single crop, learn how to grow enough food to eat, increase income by selling surplus food, improve nutrition, and lead healthy and fulfilling lives. Along the way, people begin changing the way they think about food security, nutrition, charity, climate change, and community resilience.

OUR VISION

We envision a world in which people and their communities rely on themselves to end hunger and poverty.

CYCLONE FREDDY

In March 2023, the longest-lasting cyclone on record slammed Malawi, demolishing homes, and livelihoods. Three months later, the region faced drought, indicating the ground had become less able to retain water. The World Food Programme listed Malawi as a top hunger hotspot nation, meaning that a crisis was looming and millions of lives were in danger.

Before Tropical Cyclone Freddy hit Malawi, the country already faced serious food insecurity. By some estimates, one-third of the nation’s population was on the brink of extreme hunger, 37% of children under 5 were chronically malnourished, and 70% of people lived below the international poverty line.

To combat poverty, villagers require a strategy that ensures access to food, generates income, and provides security for emergency situations. Without resilience in meeting these three fundamental needs, villagers will inevitably slip back into poverty. Recognizing the importance of fulfilling these basic requirements, F2F has initiated an innovative approach that incorporates victory gardens, principles of regenerative agriculture, and tree cultivation.

THE VICTORY GARDENS APPROACH

High-yield, low-cost home organic victory gardens provide a continuous supply of FOOD FOR TODAY.

Face-to-Face first introduced victory gardens in Malawi in 2017. Since then, thousands of families have established gardens, now beating hunger, saving money, earning income, and gradually lifting themselves out of poverty.

Families with victory gardens cultivate a wide variety of vegetables and plants, using locally sourced, free materials. This diversity in plant life ensures stronger resilience to pests, viruses, and weather-related challenges such as drought, floods, and heatwaves.

Located close to their homes, families can easily tend to their gardens, protect them from livestock and thieves, and utilize grey water from bathing and dishwashing during times of water scarcity.

When families face daily hunger, they need a low-risk strategy that isn’t dependent on factors outside their control—such as government fertilizer coupons, market stability, and favorable growing weather. To benefit from these high-yield, low-cost victory gardens, the only investment families need to make is their dedication.

THE REGENERATIVE FARMING APPROACH:
Replacing Maize Monoculture with Sustainable, Productive Farming

Organic, regenerative farming practices, such as cover cropping and diversifying plantings, enable villagers to rebuild the soil and engage in a less risky source of INCOME FOR TOMORROW.

Since the 1960s, impoverished Malawians have devoted their resources and time to cultivating maize during the brief rainy season. For the remainder of the year, fields remain barren, stripped of vegetation due to the continuous use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Consequently, wind and rain erode the topsoil, progressively diminishing the fields' fertility.

As a cash crop, maize has proven to be an untenable strategy. The impacts of climate change, along with floods, drought, and inflation, erode profits. The costs incurred in maize cultivation often translate into debt. More often than not, farmers find themselves in a worse financial position than if they had foregone maize cultivation altogether.

Persisting in maize cultivation will only exacerbate villagers' hardships as soil quality continues to decline. In contrast, organic, regenerative farming practices, such as cover cropping and the diversification of plantings, offer a pathway for villagers to restore soil health and secure a more stable source of income.

By restoring soil fertility to fields depleted by decades of maize monoculture, our "Maize Fields to Victory Fields" program confronts the looming desertification crisis. In 2023, participants continued adding mulch and manure to their fields in preparation for the beginning of the rainy season. They also dug holes for planting nitrogen-fixing trees and prepared their fields for planting. Most, if not all, participants still planted maize, along with other vegetables and a nkhungudzu bean as a cover crop. 

THE TREE CULTIVATION APPROACH

Trees provide a steady and reliable source of food, materials, and income, enabling villagers to create a SAFETY NET FOR THE FUTURE, even in the face of catastrophes like injuries or devastating storms.

The United Nations reports that soil erosion reduces agricultural yields by 6% annually. A major contributing factor to erosion is deforestation, and Malawi experiences the highest deforestation rate in Southern Africa at 13%. This activity primarily involves men illegally cutting down native trees, forcing women and girls to spend extensive hours carrying wood from the mountains, often for meager wages.

Cultivating trees domestically offers numerous advantages. Leaves (such as those from the nutrient-rich moringa), fruit, and nuts provide food. Wood serves multiple purposes, including for charcoal and construction. Leaves contribute to mulch and compost, enhancing soil health, while trees themselves offer protection against wind and sun.

Crucially, trees act as a robust safety net for families. Once established, trees require minimal maintenance. In times of significant financial distress, families can sell whole trees, securing immediate income that would otherwise be unattainable.

Villagers require sensible, relevant strategies as they navigate increasingly unpredictable and challenging times. Families that maintain high-quality victory gardens, engage in regenerative farming, and cultivate trees find that they can quickly regain their footing following disasters, such as Cyclone Freddy. This resilience is partly due to their understanding that diversity and not depending solely on one source or method leads to greater stability and recovery capacity.