A mother’s story of survival in drought-ridden Malawi

Alinafe is a 30-year-old single mother of four children, ranging in age from 10 to 2. Her list of hardships seems never-ending.

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A nearby dry patch of land yielded a small harvest last year but now lies barren. The family’s daily meal is a handful each of dried peas called “nandoko”’ or “pigeon peas.”

Once a month, Alinafe takes 2- year-old Desire, wearing a petite blue hat and rust-colored dress, to the Balaka district hospital to be weighed and given a basic heath check. She also gets a month’s supply of Plumpy Nut, a protein-packed peanut paste, which helps her survive.

According to UNICEF, more than 1 million children in Southern and Eastern Africa, like Desire, need treatment for severe acute malnutrition