Just over a year ago we celebrated our wedding, and a year ago we were able to send money over to Malawi for a maize mill to be built. Our wish was to make the family self-sustaining, earning money to fund them through schools, to pay for medical needs and enough food for the whole family even though there may be a famine. In Malawi a family is always extended and includes aunties, cousins, orphans … there’s a lot for our business to support, but we’ve got ambition.

What a lot can happen in a year. Within three months our dream was on target and the building was constructed. Electricity wires were installed and the mill was fitted. In a village where electricity is not a common feature, we then were in the hands of the national electricity board of Malawi (ESCOM). We waited and we waited.

In Africa we expect a bit of waiting, but this got irrational. All it needed was one of their men to come out to the village and "connect" the mill. Men did come – eventually – but then said they couldn’t turn on the power as the mill was too far away from the mains switch. It was then another few weeks for the cement to be broken up and the mill moved. We then waited again for ESCOM to return.

Some good did come of our wait. In Malawi the stable diet is nsima – a hard porridge-type food made from maize (corn) flour. It is eaten twice a day at least with chicken, beef, fish or beans (dependent on what is available or can be afforded). Cape Maclear, the village where Smickey’s family live, had just two (unreliable) maize mills for the 11,000 population. As most grow their own maize and need it ground, the maize mill is an essential part of a Malawian village. What would make the nsima taste and look good would be a de-husker. Mum made that possible as well, and we ordered a de-husker.

On Christmas day, as we were celebrating with Mum and Dad in our new house, we received news that the de-husker had been delivered. Now all we needed was the electricity.

It came to a sad point when I had to use my ‘azungu’ (white) influence to try to resolve the issue. Every day for about a week, I rang the boss of ESCOM. Maybe the word should be hounded! It was so frustrating for us both, being so far away and not being able to do too much. There was even a famine for a few months and with the family not having money it was hard for them to obtain food, even if it was available.

Eventually however, in March – 9 months after we had requested electricity – the maize mill was turned on.

I won’t say it has been without problems; there have been a few – including a jealous chief and a Church who wanted the mill moved! – but what is evident now is what a great plan it was. The harvest came the following month and it was a good one. The family work really hard and the village know they have a reliable mill that gives good quality ‘ufa’ for their nsima. They don’t have to waste money or time going to a nearby village for their needs.

We had the blessing to go to Malawi in April. The mill looked great and there was plenty of business. Dad even has the story of driving a woman and her maize from the end of the village, past another maize mill, to our mill. The family will have enough money for the three high school students’ fees for the next term and enough money to buy food for the big family. They’ve even talked about other businesses they could develop to involve more of the family.

Mum met Smickey’s family at Easter 2004. She was very fond of them and when they heard of mum’s death, they were devastated. They’d met her for just a couple of days, but felt they had ‘lost a mother’. I know if she’d seen the mill in action she would have shed a very proud tear. She couldn’t do enough for the people over there and even now she continues to make a huge difference to people’s lives.

Money very generously donated in memory of mum is helping many people fund education fees. People we have so far assisted have included the children of some ex-colleagues at PSI and the grandchildren of Catherine who used to help us in the house.

(nee Grice)