Site Visit

The project I'm working is for the development of a business plan for the creation of a new business to process a particular type of agricultural produce.  If the plan works, then it could have a significant impact on the livelihoods of Malawi smallholders, as well as contributing to improving the country's balance of payments.

Work has already started on the facility where the processing will take place, and we headed over there today to see how things are progressing.  At the moment, it is just a steel shell, but it will be very different in a month's time.

We were joined by Ian, the South African who is designing and supplying the plant and equipment (mostly sourced from China), so that he could measure up the size of the available area.  The aim is to have a processing facility that is flexible enough to be able to switch outputs according to the prevailing market conditions, and so to optimise the revenues into the business.

We also visited the premises of a prospective customer, which produces a wonder-product that has a fantastic impact on the treatment of malnutrition, and also can improve the effectiveness of the anti-retrovirals used in the treatment of HIV/AIDS.

There are so many positive impacts from this project that it's hard not to feel totally excited to be a small part of it.