What is Tiyeni?
Read about our work and discover how Tiyeni is working with smallholder farmers across Malawi to transform lives.
Our work
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Over 60% of Malawi’s population lives in multidimensional poverty, with insufficient access to vital resources like food and water. Tiyeni tackles this challenge through our mission to end food poverty and to improve water security.
The name “Tiyeni” means “Let’s Go!” in Chichewa, Malawi's most widely spoken language. We are a Malawian-UK NGO that empowers smallholder farmers to improve their crop yields. We achieve this by delivering training in our low-cost, low-technology form of climate-smart agriculture (CSA), Deep Bed Farming (DBF). Our innovative approach begins by breaking a compacted man-made layer of soil known as the “hardpan”, which restricts the ability of roots, water, and air to penetrate the land. Results are spectacular – farmers’ crops more than double on average in the first year alone! Farmers continue to build healthy soils as they use Deep Bed Farming, sustaining these results indefinitely. Our long-term goal is to introduce Deep Bed Farming across sub-Saharan Africa wherever the climate, agricultural requirements, and socio-economic conditions are appropriate. |
I have seen many organisations working in my area, but I have never seen their achievements like Tiyeni has done... The production of maize and legumes which we have seen today can clearly show that hunger can be minimised in my area. Therefore I appeal to all of us and my people to leave the old methods and adopt the Tiyeni technology this year for us to be food secure. |
Farmers are thrilled by how much the Deep Bed Farming crops (right) tower over the conventional ridge crops (left)!
Tiyeni has been developing and promoting Deep Bed Farming since 2004. Results speak for themselves – just look at how much the Deep Bed crops on the right tower over the conventional crops on the left in the photo above! Our method is grounded in rigorous research and development by specialists working alongside people who know the landscape best: Malawian smallholder farmers. What began as a small operation in Mzuzu, northern Malawi has now spread throughout the whole country!
Tiyeni operates on a demand-based model, which means we only provide training to farmers upon request. We do not rely on incentives and inputs to try to encourage farmers to adopt Deep Bed Farming. The demand-based approach makes our work more sustainable within communities and helps safeguard their autonomy. We are experiencing high levels of success, with more demand that we are able to meet at the moment!
What needs does Tiyeni’s work address?
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Tiyeni’s work addresses a wide range of needs. Our focus impact areas are multidimensional poverty and climate change adaptation and mitigation. As mentioned, over 60% of Malawians live in multidimensional poverty. And despite having some of the lowest levels of greenhouse gas emissions, Malawi is one of the countries most effected by disastrous effects of climate change like extreme drought and flooding. These effects are especially devasting in a country where 80% of the population relies on rainfed agriculture for their livelihoods.
Tiyeni addresses these needs by equipping farmers with the skills and expertise to build self-sustaining livelihoods that enhance their food and water security, income, and nutrition while simultaneously improving the natural environment. Our work also promotes causes like women’s empowerment and clean and renewable energy (to name just a few). |
The difference is very great, because with Tiyeni ... and a small portion of land you can get a lot of money and food. With non-Tiyeni ... gardens, people are getting very little for consumption for their families. |
Our impact
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Deep Bed Farming produces results for farmers from the first year of adoption. On average, Deep Bed Farming increases crop yields by 145%. After the initial step of breaking the soil hardpan, Deep Bed Farming requires less time than conventional ridge farming, giving farmers time to pursue additional income-generating activities. This additional time combined with increased crop yields enables farmers to transition from subsistence farming to business farming, leading to the establishment of self-sustaining livelihoods.
Discover more about the impact of Tiyeni’s work by clicking on the links below. |
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What makes Deep Bed Farming unique, and why has this not been done before?
Farmers and others describe Tiyeni’s methods as common sense. Many people ask why our methods have not been used before.
In fact, nearly all the components of Deep Bed Farming have been tried before, though rarely as a combined package. Deep Bed Farming shares many attributes with other forms of climate-smart agriculture, but our innovative method stands out by beginning with the vital step of by breaking up a compacted layer of soil known as the “hardpan”. Tiyeni has also developed other developed key refinements that may not have been used before, such as the particular design of the Deep Beds. Explore Deep Bed Farming and what makes it unique in more detail with the links below.
In fact, nearly all the components of Deep Bed Farming have been tried before, though rarely as a combined package. Deep Bed Farming shares many attributes with other forms of climate-smart agriculture, but our innovative method stands out by beginning with the vital step of by breaking up a compacted layer of soil known as the “hardpan”. Tiyeni has also developed other developed key refinements that may not have been used before, such as the particular design of the Deep Beds. Explore Deep Bed Farming and what makes it unique in more detail with the links below.
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