Sustainable Farming: Relieve Hunger in East Africa

2026 is shaping up to be an important year for our East Africa programs. We began the year by appointing a Regional Director for East Africa. John Mayieka joins us with experience in biochar systems and smallholder income-generating initiatives.

Based in Kenya, John is working closely with our Kenya and Malawi teams to strengthen strategy, coordination, and program planning across the region.

Our Verifier/Trainer teams in both countries recently completed in-person surveys with 100 farmers to better understand how biochar is being used and what outcomes farmers are experiencing.

As we look ahead, we are taking a careful look at our constituencies to ensure that our programs are truly helping smallholder farmers improve their livelihoods.

Biochar remains the foundation of our work, and farmers continue to respond positively.

Strategy Renewal: What Does Success Look Like?

As we update our strategic plan, we are clarifying what “winning” means for Warm Heart in East Africa.

We aspire to enable smallholder farmers in Kenya and Malawi to move beyond subsistence toward resilience and opportunity, using biochar as a foundation for:

• Improved soil health and crop yields

• Reduced dependence on expensive external inputs, especially fertilizer

• Greater food security and income stability

• Increased farmer confidence, agency, and peer-to-peer knowledge sharing

We know we are succeeding when:

• Farmers adopt biochar voluntarily and continue using it independently

• Farmers see measurable improvements in yields, costs, and livelihoods

• Households begin generating surplus — food, income, and time — beyond basic survival

• We can demonstrate impact through data, case studies, and farmer testimony

The recent survey data will guide how we prioritize programs for the year ahead. We are also working to establish a more standardized set of regional metrics so that we can consistently measure adoption, yield changes, cost savings, income impact, and farmer progression across Kenya, Malawi, and the DRC.

On the Ground

In addition to biochar training, and as the budget allows, our teams are mentoring farmers to extend biochar use into livestock systems and orchard production.

Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

Training continues in areas outside of active conflict. In January, the team completed the purchase of 50 hectares of land in Musumbu village. Biochar training in Musumbu and follow-up visits to the cocoa project on Musuku Mountain took place January 4–9 and February 1–6, 2026.

The team is:

• Germinating cocoa seedlings

• Weeding cassava and bananas

• Planting cocoa and fruit trees

• Using biochar to improve soil structure and moisture retention

In nearby Mulo village, Father Kambale Mbasuvyaki Baudouin is conducting weekly biochar training and follow-up sessions. He recently trained a group of secondary students from Graben near Lake Albert. The cocoa farm is also serving as a practical demonstration site for farmers in surrounding communities.

Kenya

Black Soldier Fly (BSF) farming is progressing steadily. The team is working to secure a consistent supply of food waste from restaurants and open markets to increase larvae production to volumes that can meet local buyer demand. Strengthening this supply chain will be key to scaling the program sustainably.

Malawi

BSF production is recovering and expanding. Replacement chickens have been delivered to our pilot farmers who are integrating biochar into their fields and will soon incorporate BSF into poultry feed. This pilot will help us measure feed cost reductions and bird health improvements before expanding further.

As we move forward, we are balancing continued training with deeper follow-up and stronger measurement. With high farmer interest and clearer strategic focus, 2026 will be a year of consolidation, learning, and targeted growth.

Your continued support makes this work possible. Contributions help us expand farmer mentoring, strengthen our measurement systems, and reach villages that are currently on our waiting list.

Thank you for making this happen.

With appreciation,
Dana, Michael, Evelind, and the East Africa Biochar Team

Our teams in Malawi and Kenya have been busy training new farmers while helping experienced ones put their extra biochar to good use in value-added activities.

This past quarter, we trained over 4,000 farmers, half in Malawi and half in Kenya. With fertilizer prices continuing to rise in both countries, demand for biochar training has surged.

We expanded into additional villages across the districts and counties where our trainers are based, through both our Warm Heart leads and invitations from local organizations. As in previous seasons, two-thirds (67%) of trainees were women,  eager to improve soil health and strengthen their family livelihoods.

In Malawi, we continued our partnership with the Catholic Development Commission (CADECOM) in Zomba to support biochar training in nearby villages. CADECOM covers training expenses, while our team provides coaching for their trainers.

Last week’s session brought together 83 participants, who learned both trench and barrel (TLUD) methods.

Each participating village received two TLUD units to begin its own production. Corn cobs perform especially well in TLUDs, while corn stalks are better suited for trenches. This round of training reached four new villages, building local capacity for sustainable biochar production.

In the DRC, training continues in areas outside the conflict zones. The team recently secured an affordable piece of land to start a cocoa farm, where biochar is already being used to improve soil structure and water retention. The site will also serve as a demonstration and training center for nearby farmers.

Our Black Soldier Fly (BSF) pilots are also advancing. In Kenya, BSFs are reproducing well, and the team has begun a chicken feeding trial to test feed cost savings and bird health improvements.

In Malawi, BSF production faced a temporary setback but is back on track. The team is now working with local chicken producers to identify healthy birds for our first micro-lending pilot with chickens.

Although we have a growing waiting list of villages for biochar training, we are also dedicating part of our limited funds to design a follow-up survey to measure biochar adoption and outcomes.

Our last survey in 2021, based on about 1,000 farmers, showed an impressive 89% adoption rate for the trench method.

The TLUD barrel, however, proved too costly for most farmers, a finding that has shaped how we tailor future training and technology support.

We’ll keep you updated on our progress.  There is such a large need to reduce hunger and protect our environment. Thank you for making it possible!

With best wishes for the months ahead,

Dana, Michael, Evelind, and the East Africa Biochar