A Food for Work Programme was instigated in September 2002 to repair a water-powered maize mill in Mlowe.
Machine-ground maize yields three times more food than hand-ground. Since 1980, villagers had been hand-grinding maize or using an old diesel engine to power the mill. This was very expensive and diesel was often difficult to find.
A barrage, river bank reinforcement, water channel, mill pond, tail race, and new water wheel were constructed by the local workers.
On-site training was provided and the maintenance of the water-powered mill was entirely undertaken by the local people without any outside assistance.
The work cost some 拢15,000 which was funded by special donations to the Malawi Millennium Project. Specialist materials were supplied free of charge in Malawi by companies from Germany and South Africa.