Ministry of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare and Feed the Children Launch Emergency VitaMeal Distribution Reaching Over 47,000 Children in Disaster-Hit Lower Shire

Lilongwe, Malawi – December 16, 2025 – As Malawi faces one of the most severe hunger crises in recent years, the Ministry of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare and Feed the Children launched an emergency VitaMeal distribution program to support 47,045 children across 401 Community-Based Childcare Centers (CBCCs) in the drought-stricken Lower Shire districts of Nsanje and Chikwawa.

This intervention in the Lower Shire brings together Feed the Children, Nu Skin, UNICEF, and the Ministry’s disaster response in a coordinated effort to protect children under five affected by drought and growing food insecurity.

“This crisis demands swift, collective action,” said McHenry Makwelero, Country Representative for Feed the Children Malawi. “Together with our partners, we are supporting the Ministry to help ensure that young children in the hardest-hit districts receive nutritious, locally produced VitaMeal.”

VitaMeal: A Lifeline for Early Childhood Development

VitaMeal, provided through Feed the Children’s longstanding partnership with Nu Skin, is produced in Malawi using a locally grown corn-soya blend and is fortified with essential vitamins and minerals. Children attending CBCCs receive daily meals for the next two months, while community volunteers and government frontline staff support safe preparation and monitor children’s progress.

Protecting Children Beyond Nutrition: Safety, Learning, and Community Stability

During a symbolic handover ceremony held at VitaMeal’s Lumbadzi Warehouse, government representatives and Feed the Children reaffirmed their shared commitment to protecting young children during this crisis. The event took on added significance coming just after Malawi’s Early Childhood Development Week and marked the formal recognition of the emergency effort already underway in CBCCs across the Lower Shire.

The ceremony follows CBCC visits by the Minister of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare, Honorable Mary Navicha MP; the Principal Secretary, Mr. Oliver Kumbambe; and other senior government officials, who witnessed firsthand the urgent needs faced by children in Malawi.

Beyond nutrition, this initiative brings social and economic benefits. Community-Based Childcare Centers provide a safe space for young girls. When children attend the CBCCs mothers gain time to engage in income-generating activities, reducing household stress and even lowering risks of gender-based violence.

Milestone Expansion into Southern Malawi

Feed the Children’s work in Malawi extends beyond emergency feeding to a broader, integrated approach to child and community wellbeing.

“Our goal is to improve the health and nutrition status of children and adults through interventions that combine nutrition, health, water and sanitation, livelihoods, and resilience-building,” explained Makwelero.

The Lower Shire initiative marks Feed the Children’s first operational presence in southern Malawi and expands their support to 2,204 CBCCs nationwide, reaching more than 182,000 children every day. The organization aims to broaden its outreach by extending support to additional CBCCs in the remaining affected districts.

“This launch reinforces what is possible when government, communities, and partners work side by side. No single organization can address a crisis of this scale alone. Feed the Children remains committed to supporting children who are vulnerable in Malawi and will continue working alongside government and partners as the situation evolves,” concluded Makwelero.

	Malawi’s Ministry of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare, together with Feed the Children, launches an emergency VitaMeal distribution to reach 47,045 children at 401 Community-Based Childcare Centers in the drought-affected Lower Shire districts of Nsanje and Chikwawa.
	“This crisis demands swift, collective action,” said McHenry Makwelero, Country Representative for Feed the Children Malawi. “Together with our partners, we are supporting the Ministry to ensure that children under five in the hardest-hit districts receive nutritious, locally produced VitaMeal.”
	Honorable Mary Navicha MP, Malawi’s Minister of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare, and McHenry Makwelero, Country Representative for Feed the Children, tour the VitaMeal factory where this locally grown corn-soya blend is fortified with essential vitamins and minerals to support children’s nutrition.
	Honorable Mary Navicha MP, Malawi’s Minister of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare, visits the VitaMeal factory, meeting with the dedicated women behind the production process and learning about the vital role local women play in providing nutritious meals to children across the region.
	McHenry Makwelero, Country Representative for Feed the Children Malawi, presents a packet of VitaMeal to Honorable Mary Navicha MP, Malawi’s Minister of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare, during a symbolic handover ceremony at the VitaMeal Lumbadzi Warehouse, highlighting the launch of emergency food support for children in drought-affected communities in the Lower Shire.
	During her visit to the Kendekeza Community-Based Care Centre, Honorable Mary Navicha MP, Malawi’s Minister of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare, and senior government officials prepared and served nutritious VitaMeal porridge to children.
	Malawi’s Minister of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare, Honorable Mary Navicha MP, and the Principal Secretary, Mr. Oliver Kumbambe, prepare Vitameal porridge at the Kendekeza Community-Based Care Center.
	Children attending Community-Based Care Centers in the Lower Shire will receive daily meals over a two-month period, while community volunteers and government frontline staff support safe preparation and monitor children’s progress.