Filming in Malawi for a UK based feeding program!
- Jordan Carroll
- Jul 25, 2024
- 3 min read
Updated: Jan 20
🎥 It was a wild ride heading off to Malawi for 10 days with 2 days notice.Â
I got the call about shooting for a charity, who help feed some of Africa's poorest, capturing content that showcases all the good work they do in the country and to help the push for further donations to keep it going!
As quick as I had said yes to the job, I was already in London catching a plane to Africa with a new colleague I'd met for the first time in the airport.Â
2 flights later, we landed in a remote part of the country with a dirt track run way and locals waving us in. Apparently only 2 flights a day came through the place and it was still special for the them to see the planes.
We were working right in the thick of it, visiting some of the poorest villages in Malawi. Which itself is one of the poorest countries on the planet. Talking directly to mothers, kids and farmers about how they live their lives, and what support they need moving forward.
We met a farmer who harvested his crop for the full year in one go. In the front room of his house were 12 sacks of grain, each of which fed the family for a whole month. He had a few goats for selling and very special occasions, but basically that was it for the year. If anything went wrong with that grain then they'd go hungry. It was pretty eye opening to see their entire supply of food for the year laid out so plainly to see. It also showed how delicate the balance was between hunger and nourishment.
Some of the children we met only eat one meal a day, which is a nutrient rich porridge, with a special meal of meat once a year for EID celebrations. All donated by the people back home through Charity Right. This was the program we were supporting. Kids from Islamic families attended a nearby religious school and every morning they'd fill their stomachs.
You'd see the dinner ladies preparing the porridge in these huge cauldrons early in the mornings. Then split it into smaller buckets which went to each class. The children would stand patiently in line outside their class rooms, and one by one fill their plastics cups. Then all around the school yard the kids would play and eat their porridge. You could tell it was a big part of the day and the kids seemed to radiate with energy from it all.
One of the shocking realities about the country was that young girls would often be married off young in order to help lessen the burden on families. This meant there was a lot of young mothers in the country with little prospects, and carrying on the cycle of poverty. The staff talked a lot about how important the schools were in order to keep girls in education, with the food being supplied helping the families in turn.
The focus was on Islamic families and education, so we were only supporting a smaller proportion of the population in the country, but they often ended up being some of the most needy.
Even so, the people of Malawi were some of the happiest people I've ever met and seemed truly grateful for the support and welcomed us with open arms.
This was one of the hardest trips I've had to do in my life because of the pure intensity of the journey, the heat, and the terrain. As well as seeing these hardships up close and personal. But I think seeing a country from this perspective, guided by locals is a once in a life time experience and something you can't get from just taking a personal trip. The work allowed us to get direct stories and talk to locals in the remotest part of the country.
My first time in sub Sahara Africa won't be forgotten soon.
///
If you're interested to hear / read more, I was interviewed by the Sheffield Star which you can see here-
///
Jordan Carroll is a freelance filmmaker & cinematographer working on drama, documentary and commercials in Sheffield, Manchester, Leeds, London & Amsterdam
Comments