Long-time partner of Nu Skin Enterprises and Malawian businessman and philanthropist Napoleon Dzombe received the 2009 Nation Achiever Award to recognize the impact his generosity and business and educational ventures have had on the people of Malawi. Sponsored by Malawi’s national newspaper, the award recognizes individuals and groups that made a unique and outstanding contribution to their communities in 2009.

“We congratulate Napoleon for this well-deserved recognition and we are pleased to be associated with him in improving the lives of his fellow Malawians,” said Blake Roney, chairman of Nu Skin Enterprises. “Napoleon has played an integral part in the humanitarian projects we’ve partnered in and his life-long devotion to improving the self-sufficiency of his nation is truly inspiring.”

The partnership between Dzombe and Nu Skin culminated in 2007 with the dedication of Mtalimanja Village to house the School of Agriculture for Family Independence (SAFI). This school, a long-time dream of Dzombe’s, teaches farmers how to improve their agricultural outcomes and be able to sustain their families. Dzombe partnered with the Nu Skin Force for Good Foundation to build Mtalimanja in 2006. It was named by the local people and means “long arms that give.”

Mtalimanja Village is home to 30-40 families for two years while they live on site with their families and attend SAFI to learn more effective agricultural techniques. Husbands and wives both attend classes and children are also educated and cared for. Maize yields at SAFI are triple what the average farmer harvests. In 2009, the first class of 33 families graduated and returned to their homes to implement their new knowledge and share it with their communities.

Nu Skin’s relationship with Dzombe began in 2003 when he helped distribute VitaMeal, an enriched corn and soy porridge developed and manufactured by Nu Skin to meet the nutrition needs of children. Nu Skin’s Nourish the Children initiative facilitates the purchase and donation of VitaMeal to charity partners that distribute the food to those who need it most. In 2004, Nu Skin partnered with Dzombe to build the Madalitso VitaMeal Plant and benefit the local economy by producing VitaMeal in Malawi. The plant employs nearly 60 workers and supports hundreds of farmers with a market for their crop. Approximately 60,000 bags of VitaMeal, each containing 30 child-sized meals, is produced and distributed every month.