“Team work, and learning from others has been a trait of excellency throughout my personal life. I have an open mind of wanting to learn and experience new things under different conditions.”

Simon values an open mind, experiencing many different activities and qualities under new conditions. He works hard, challenging himself in time management, so that he can achieve his tasks and goals. Simon Mtambo is a facilitator, monitoring projects covering the welfare of people in his community so they can achieve a stable life. He primarily works with farmers and is building groups for sharing, improving adult literacy, and youth recreation.

In Simon’s community, different tribes and cultures intersect, such as the Chewa, Yawo, and Lomwe, creating a diverse community of languages and backgrounds. In addition, some groups are Christian while others are Muslim, causing further differences in tribal ceremonies and dietary habits. Many tribes in his community continue to use fertilizers, but organizations only distribute to the most vulnerable people, which causes conflict between communities. 

Due to the issues of poverty in Malawi, many people struggle to maintain their health and the stability of their local environment. For this reason, Simon aims to learn issues of health and nutrition at ARI, and methods of sustainable, eco-friendly agriculture. He hopes to better understand the types of food necessary to sustain a healthy community. When he returns to Malawi, he will train his people to become self-reliant in these tasks, so they may disseminate the knowledge even further.

Sending Body:

Chingale Neno Recovery and Development Program is a local NGO assisting marginalized and disabled people in attaining a stable life and integrated functioning of the communities, as well as restoring hope, dignity, and mental and social well-being. When Simon returns from ARI, they will ask him to teach sustainable agricultural methods to their community, with a particular focus on organic manure usage.