By Dorica Mtenje

LILONGWE(Maravipost): Senior Chief Mabuka of Mulanje District has issued a stern warning to his subjects against selling maize and other food items distributed as relief, cautioning that the practice could deepen hunger at household level as Malawi grapples with a worsening food crisis.

The traditional leader made the appeal on Monday at Milonde Primary School following the distribution of 2,000 bags of maize donated by Salvation for All Ministries International through its humanitarian arm, the Hope Field Initiative.

Addressing beneficiaries, Senior Chief Mabuka urged families to resist pressure from traders who often target relief recipients to buy food at low prices. He stressed that the maize was meant to sustain families, protect lives, and ensure children return to school with food in their stomachs.

“This food is not for business,” the chief warned. “Selling it today may bring quick money, but it will bring hunger tomorrow.”

One of the beneficiaries, Estere Majawa from Mabuka Village, expressed gratitude for the support, saying the donation had come at a critical time.

She explained that prolonged drought in the district has left many families uncertain about where their next meal will come from.

“This maize will help us survive,” Majawa said. “Many households here are worried because our crops failed.”

Speaking during the donation, Salvation for All Ministries International Founder and Leader, Apostle Clifford Kawinga, said Mulanje was prioritised due to its high population density and limited arable land, conditions that make the district particularly vulnerable to food shortages.

Apostle Kawinga further revealed that the ministry is planning long-term interventions beyond relief aid.

He disclosed plans to establish farming cooperatives in the area to promote irrigation farming, with the aim of achieving self-sufficiency and year-round food security.

He said empowering communities to produce their own food would reduce dependence on aid and restore dignity among vulnerable households.