Refugee Camp Model Garden

About this Project

Dzaleka Refugee Camp is located in Dowa, Malawi, just 45 minutes north of the country’s capital city of Lilongwe. The camp is home to nearly 28,000 refugees, predominantly from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Rwanda, Burundi, and Somalia. Dzaleka is often referred to as a “permanent” refugee camp, meaning that its residents regularly reside in Dzaleka for 8-15 years before being processed as refugees and resettled elsewhere. During this period, refugees are allocated plots of land to build houses and tend gardens. These gardens have become increasingly necessary as Malawi faces continued and increasing food shortages, and the World Food Programme (WFP) rations have dwindled to less than 40 percent of what is necessary to survive. While the WFP once provided a diversity of ingredients, refugees in Dzaleka now receive just six kilograms of maize and two cups of beans per person per month.

This project proposes the creation of a sustainable agricultural garden to be run by refugees living in Dzaleka. The garden will help diversify and expand local nutrition options and spread knowledge about improved agricultural practices to communities within and surrounding Dzaleka.