Esnath Willison (Edith)
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Authors
Elizabeth Dunn
Issue Date
2014-09
Type
Language
en
Keywords
Agriculture , Energy
Alternative Title
Abstract
Sustainable Energy for Rural Communities SE4RC - Esnath Willison lives in Kwataine Village in the Chikwawa District of Malawi. Chikwawa District is one of the poorest districts in Malawi and has the highest poverty and food insecurity nationally. Often suffering from severe drought and then flooding, it is a very difficult place to live, with the majority of people living in extreme poverty and often living on food aid for up to 6 months of the year. Esnath has five children and is the head of her household, after her husband left while she was carrying her youngest child, who is now 1 year and 5 months old. Her children are often sick and she is relied upon to provide for them. Life is hard for Esnath, who lives in a small two roomed house with her children and goats. She replies on farming to provide for her family and spends up to 5 hours every day using a treadle pump to irrigate her land. This is hard and often proves ineffective. Esnath often does not have enough food to feed her family and has to rely on the generosity of others in her village to help feed her family. ‘We have no food reserves as I speak to you I don’t know what my kids will eat at dinner’ says Esnath. Solar powered irrigation would have a huge impact on Esnath, her family and community. She would no longer have to worry about providing enough food for her family and would be able to spend the time she currently spends using a treadle pump doing other household chores, looking after her family and could invest her time into other business ventures.