How Local Superfoods are Offering New Solutions to Malnutrition

By Ulemu Mbengwani

Malnutrition continues to be a pressing issue in Malawi, affecting many households that struggle to access enough nutritious food throughout the year. While efforts have been made to address this challenge, long-term solutions remain limited, and many families still rely on coping mechanisms that do not guarantee consistent nourishment.

This reality highlights the urgent need for local solutions that are affordable, practical, and sustainable. But what does that truly look like in practice? Is it simply an aspirational phrase, or are there concrete ways to confront serious nutritional challenges through homegrown innovation?

For a recent graduate of the University of Malawi, Joseph Kachiya, who studied for a Bachelor of Education in Human Ecology, the answer lies in creating highly nutritious yet affordable foods made from ingredients that Malawians already know and grow, such as baobab, sorghum, sesame, and khobwe.

Driven by his passion to improve the nutrition status of Malawians and deep understanding of the country’s pressing malnutrition issues, including widespread nutrient deficiencies affecting children, pregnant women, lactating mothers, and rural communities, he founded SmartCare Nutrition Consultancy.

“I came up with the idea in 2021 while studying food and nutrition science at the University of Malawi. What I learned in class made me see the real nutrition challenges facing communities and inspired me to create SmartCare Nutrition Consultancy. I registered the consultancy in 2023 and set out to develop a flagship project that could make a tangible difference,” he recalls.

“Under this initiative, we have launched three projects: Thanzi nutrition project, Tsogolo lowala Nutrition project and Tiwale Nutrition project, with the aim of improving access to nutrient-dense foods, improving nutrition status of the vulnerable groups, promoting dietary diversity and support community education on nutrition. These efforts are vital in combating malnutrition and fostering heathier communities in Malawi,” he says.

The company has invented unique flour known as Thanzi sorghum flour made of sorghum blended with sesame and khobwe (beans). It has also invented Thanzi Soy-baobab flour, which is made up of soybeans blended with baobab fruit powder.

These flours are affordable, locally available and nutrient-dense. Thanzi Soy-baobab Flour is particularly versatile and can be used for porridge, baking and other food preparations, offering an alternative to imported fortified foods.

Baobab, for example, is widely regarded as a superfood because of its dense nutritional profile. Sorghum is another valuable ingredient, a locally available crop that thrives even in areas with limited rainfall.

“This demonstrates how Malawi’s own natural assets can be transformed into powerful and sustainable tools for better nutrition, tools capable of addressing nutritional challenges across the country,” he explains.

Joseph’s motivation to take action grew from witnessing chronic malnutrition in communities such as Chikwawa, where droughts and flooding worsen food insecurity. His training in nutrition and food science helped him recognise nutrition gaps and identify sorghum as a viable local ingredient.

Through conversations with vulnerable families and health workers, Joseph saw firsthand the depth of Malawi’s nutrition challenges and the need for a practical, locally driven solution. This realisation directly inspired him to establish the Thanzi Nutrition Project and begin developing Thanzi Sorghum Flour.

“This became the Thanzi Nutrition Project, which provides cooking demonstrations, nutrition education, and assessments for vulnerable groups. With no external funding, I launched it in Chikwawa using my savings, turning a classroom idea into a practical effort to fight malnutrition,” he narrates.

Apart from the Thanzi Nutrition Project, SmartCare Nutrition Consultancy offers a wide range of services to support community health and wellbeing. The consultancy provides interventions for non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, cancer, hypertension, malnutrition, obesity, and arthritis.

“We also offer guidance on food preservation techniques, menu design and meal planning, as well as monitoring key health indicators including blood sugar levels, body mass index and blood pressure. In addition, we provide nutrition education and counselling for pregnant and lactating women, children under five, people living with HIV and AIDS, and elderly populations to ensure that vulnerable groups receive tailored support to improve their nutrition and overall health,” he says.

Since its inception, SmartCare Nutrition Consultancy has achieved several milestones that highlight its growing impact. Joseph launched the Thanzi Nutrition Project and the Tsogolo Lowala Nutrition Project in Nyasa Village, Chikwawa, to address malnutrition and food insecurity, and on 8th November expanded the effort with the Tiwale Nutrition Project at Stella Maris Secondary School in Blantyre.

His work earned him a place as an incubatee at CRAFS UNIMA FIT-HUB, and he has represented SmartCare at major events such as the 2025 World Food Day and the Africa Day for Food and Nutrition Security, organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and Malawi’s Ministry of Agriculture.

His innovations have also gained national and international recognition, including the Best Innovator 2024 Award from Nutrition Television in Nigeria, and the selection of the Thanzi Nutrition Project among the top innovations in the 2024 TotalEnergies Innovation Challenge. He has further been nominated for the Founder of the Year Award (FOYA) Global in the Healthpreneur of the Year category for Africa.

Communities have warmly embraced these initiatives, quickly adopting Thanzi Sorghum Flour and the knowledge shared through outreach programs. The education component has strengthened community involvement and long-term sustainability. Support from traditional leaders and local authorities has helped raise awareness and encourage participation, affirming that these locally grounded solutions are both needed and appreciated.

Looking ahead, Joseph is planning initiatives to build on the success of SmartCare Nutrition Consultancy. He aims to develop nutrient-dense snacks for school feeding programs and implement a Nutrition for the Elderly program, providing fortified foods and supplements to enhance health and quality of life.

To reach remote communities, he plans a Community Health and Nutrition Digital Platform, leveraging mobile technology for education and counselling as well as tracking health outcomes. He is also working on a magazine highlighting the health benefits of local foods, with recipes tailored to specific nutritional needs.

Joseph is committed to fostering entrepreneurship in the nutrition sector through training programs that empower youth and women to start small businesses producing fortified foods, healthy snacks, and natural juices. By combining skills development, mentorship, and access to resources, these initiatives seek to create a new generation of nutrition leaders and expand practical, locally grounded solutions.

He sees growth opportunities through partnerships with companies, NGOs, and government agencies, particularly in corporate wellness and social impact programs. He also believes that regional expansion into Zambia, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Nigeria could open new markets, while collaborations with universities and training centres provide avenues for research and innovation.

In his final remarks, Joseph encourages young people and fellow Malawians to believe in the power of their ideas.

“My journey with SmartCare Nutrition Consultancy began as a simple desire to address malnutrition but has been sustained by passion, persistence, and the conviction that meaningful change is possible,” he says.

He urges others to look within their communities, identify challenges and pursue innovative, sustainable solutions without fear of setbacks. He also appeals for partnerships and financial support to help expand SmartCare’s reach, noting that with greater resources, the organisation can deliver scalable nutrition interventions across Malawi.