Before Alan met Good Soil Partners, Alan’s future rested in the hands of 10 bags of maize. His parents earned K5000 (or less) each month from selling the maize and they used that money to purchase daily necessities for their family, as well as pay for school fees. With the responsibility of feeding and educating 4 children, it was almost impossible to survive. In 2014, Alan made it to secondary school and during that time he was selected by Good Soil Partners to be part of the scholarship program! His future now rested in the hands of Good Soil as they paid for his secondary education and catered for all of his school needs.  A huge responsibility was taken off of his parents as they were able to send the rest of his siblings back to school. Alan is currently a third-year student at Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR) studying Agroforestry. One of Alan's biggest wishes is to become the biggest farmer in Malawi and he is already off to a great start with 2 goats, 1-acre land, and a house!

Alan says, “The one thing that ran in my mind during my secondary years was the sacrifice my parents had to make to not send my siblings to school. It broke my heart and my only option was to excel in my studies and get selected to a good University so that I could give back and support my family.  I scored 20 points in my Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) and got selected to the University of Malawi, LUANAR.” 

After 3 years of studying in college, Alan decided to do whatever it took to become successful and make his dreams come true. He bought 1 acre of land in his community which he using for daily consumption as well as for commercial purposes - but land is not the only thing he's purchased. Alan acquired 3 goats, one of them he sold and used that money to purchase groceries in bulk, putting the rest towards investments. He has also molded 5,000 bricks to build his house - quite an accomplishment as he will be the only child to build a house with metal sheets in his community.

“I have harvested some bags of maize this year and I plan to plant a variety of crops as well as trees through agroforestry.  I’ve learned to utilize and plant various trees for manure production which is cost-effective as compared to the local methods of making manure. I’d like to teach my community as well as go further with my farming and become the grandest farmer in my community and nation.”

Alan Marko not only has helped support his family but he also has prompted the youth in his community to give food and basic necessities to the needy in hospitals.

“Through GSP I’ve developed the heart of giving because I’ve seen how my life has been transformed and I plan to transform the lives of others. I’ve also been encouraged in my prayer life to always trust God in everything knowing He will give me a prosperous future.” 

Alan believes he has been called to a greater purpose and he plans to support the youth in becoming a more productive community. He would like to establish grocery and hardware shops in order to employ the youth and also engage them in church activities so that they get to have a relationship with God.

*written by Theodora Kachingwe