It's the dry season and the ponds hold the water that is vital to making his small farm viable in this part of sub-Saharan Africa.
Rice provides carbohydrate, but fish provides the much needed protein in human diet.
The vegetables grow because I'm now in close proximity to water. The vegetables have come because of the fish ponds. These days Maundala Salima, a small-scale farmer in Chingali, Malawi, understands and appreciates the value of integrated fish farming. His small farm lies in the shadow of the great Zomba plateau in southern Malawi. Except in times of extreme drought, the runoff rains on the mountain provide plenty of water, but in this region, farms are small, often less than a hectare in size, so it was a brave move for Maundala ten years ago when he decided to make a radical departure from what was traditional practice in the region.