Powering Resilience: How Orant's Energy and Environment Program Is Helping Malawi Face Climate Change

Climate change is not just a fancy group of words to explain some political agenda. For Malawians, it’s a day-to-day challenge. Communities across the country face unpredictable weather patterns which can bring stronger storms, droughts, and destructive flooding. 

Earlier this year, in March, flooding and heavy rains claimed 13 lives and affected nearly 10,000 households, washing away homes, livestock and crops. Many of these households depend on agriculture for income and to feed their families. One single climate disaster threatens months and sometimes even years of hard work. 

Short-term solutions only provide temporary relief from smaller storms. Larger storms can frequently turn into tragedy, with hundreds of lives lost in mere minutes. These challenges require long-term solutions to strengthen communities before tragedy strikes again. Orant Charities, as an expert in the Malawian climate, addresses these challenges head on through its Energy and Environment Program. Orant helps these rural communities become more resilient by expanding access to sustainable energy, protecting Malawi’s natural resources and reducing practices that contribute to the ever increasing environmental degradation. 

Malawian households end their days with the setting sun as there is little to no light at night due to unreliable electricity supply. This leads to students being unable to finish homework. Even simple tasks like charging a phone require a great deal of travel for Malawians. 

Orant changes this with solar energy. In 2025, Orant Charities installed four solar systems at two community secondary schools; 356 household mini-solar systems were distributed throughout the communities being served. These systems provide reliable electricity and cut down the use of firewood. 

At Tchale and Ngala Community Day Secondary schools, students are now able to participate in evening study sessions which contributes greatly to their education. With proper lighting, student’s academic success only continues to go up. 

In the home, solar power provides families with the ability to charge their phones, a dependable source of energy. The use of fossil fuels is decreased as a result of sustainable energy harnessed from the sun. In 2025, Orant Charities was able to secure more solar panels and systems for expansion in 2026. 

Energy access for lighting and devices is only one piece of the puzzle when it comes to environmental sustainability. In Malawi, households use firewood for cooking. With firewood as their primary heat source, deforestation is a real issue. Malawian forests are constantly threatened by local communities, who depend on them for their livelihoods: A cycle that can’t be broken until sustainable cooking methods are introduced.

Orant Charities addressed this challenge by constructing 172 energy-efficient cookstoves in 2025. These cookstoves use a fraction of the firewood needed ordinarily, which helps these families limit their fuel consumption and decrease dependence on a plummeting firewood supply.

On the other side of things, Orant as well as community members have planted 8,230 trees which has helped in restoring the natural ecosystem. Orant Charities was able to do so through its partnership with Opulence Malawi who has a shared commitment to environment sustainability while fostering community development. 

The Energy and Environment program works alongside other programs at Orant like agriculture, business development, healthcare and WASH initiatives creating trackable solutions that benefit the total community. With 20 years of experience, Orant Charities is trailblazing solutions never done before in Malawi, with success unparalleled in the Dowa region. Through the support of generous donors from across the world, Orant is able to reach new villages every year. If you want to empower families in desperate need, learn more about how you can make a tangible impact with an organization that won the highest level of charitable transparency from Candid.