My name is Boutros Mlumbe from Mgubo Village, a small village in Mchinji district in Malawi. I was born on 8th May 1994. I was born in a family of two children and I am the first born.

I lost both my parents in 2000 and 2005 respectively starting with my father who was also the bread winner.

Life hasn't been simple ever since this happened there was nobody to look after us until my uncle who later agreed but couldn't get along with his wife. I tried the best I could and I passed my primary school but there was no one to help my secondary education until I got to Home of Hope, a non-governmental organization which raises orphans. This is where I did my secondary education. During holidays I could live with my grandma who is in her mid-80s and she's the one I am living with up to date.

Currently I am a student at LUANAR studying a diploma in environmental management. However, here in Malawi to have a job is not simple. Due to a high level of corruption in the country and due to this fact I thought it wise to engage myself into farming so that instead of waiting to be employed I should employ myself. I have a dream to be able to help my old grandma and my young brother. I want to create a place for us to call home, that is why I called my farm Panyumba. There are many things that I would like to accomplish in life and one of them is to be able to help my community because it needs people with passion and a dream to transform it.

If this is to expand I believe I will be able to provide inputs to my community for a little interest so that they also develop and become self-sustaining. I believe the community will have an available ready market to buy and sell their products and also be able to sustain their lives. Another thing this farming may also be able to supply maize which is the main source of flour which is used to cook which is a daily food in the country. There are many areas which my country suffers in terms of living conditions, food and many more. I want to be apart of a future that changes that.

At the moment I have access to seed, land and some equipment. In order to make this farm a reality I will need fertilizer and something to pay my community for labour.

This is how I, along with my lecturer Noel Kapito from LUANAR, have broken down expenses:

So, 1 bag of fertilizer = 23,000MWK

I will need 4 bags per acre = 92,000MWK

5 acres of fertilizer = 460,000MWK

Labour = 410,000 MWK

Equipment = 337,549.5MKW

Seed = 100,000MKW

Justgiving fees = $150 = 108779.25MKW

At the current exchange rate:

1,416,328.75MWK = $1,888.44

This is what I believe I need to get me started. I believe I can produce about 200-225 bags of maize that I will be able to use to continue funding my farm in the future.

Please help me and my family create this dream.

Zikomo,

Boutros Mlumbe