by admin | Oct 31, 2020 | BLOG
When most of us go to the sink or the shower or the tub, there it is. It’s just there, we don’t even think about it. But what if it wasn’t? What if that little green or brown bar of soap wasn’t at the sink any longer? How effective would your hand washing be without soap? How about that dirt under your fingernails? Could you get your clothes clean without soap?
Most of us don’t even think about such things, but for many in Malawi not having soap is a reality of life. The truth is that soap is a wonderful gift that people in other parts of the world prize and that we in America take for granted. This has been especially true during the pandemic of 2020.
This month Y-Malawi began a new initiative to change all that. The Vocational Training Center has just held their first soap making class! Students will now be learning how to make bar soap that people use for washing hands, clothes, basically everything. The process is fairly simple and uses safe ingredients that can be sourced locally. It’s an initiative that will not only help solve the issues of having soap, but it will provide new small businesses for people too.
Graduates will be able begin making soap on their own as a small business. Y-Malawi has already been providing soap for women, girls, and others in need through the sponsorship program. Now Y-Malawi can purchase the soap from these small businesses in the villages rather than at a major store in the city. People will also be able to sell their soaps at the Vocational Training Center store and other small shops in the area.
Making soap is just one more way God is using Y-Malawi to bring sustainable development and the hope of the gospel to the people of Malawi.
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by admin | Oct 2, 2020 | BLOG
The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 changed everything, for everyone. Just like in the United States, schools have been closed in Malawi since March. The closing of schools brought alarming challenges to continued learning, especially since few have access to internet resources. Yet, perhaps even more alarming, the closing of schools brought life safety issues for many children, especially girls.
Even in Malawi schools provide a safe place for children. There are advocates at school, and in Malawi safety in numbers. With schools closed many children found themselves alone at home or in the village for long hours, even days at a time. They found themselves vulnerable to abuse from parents and other adults just because of their new reality.
As a result, reports of child abuse began to grow quickly. These reports included abuses of child labor, but also physical abuses. Young girls seemed to suffer the most. In one district alone, more than 2,000 teenage pregnancies were reported during the late Spring. This represented more than a 100% increase over the prior year. Other abuses were up too. Child marriages and sexual abuse against children also rose more than 100% compared to the year before.
In defense of these vulnerable children and girls, Y-Malawi and our partners responded with child protection campaigns. These have included children of all ages, but particularly young girls. Each campaign was designed to raise awareness, to give girls knowledge, and to arm them with actions they can take to avoid danger. Speakers included welfare workers, nurses, police officers, clergy, and older girl role models.
Each girl received a workbook and the encouragement that they are not alone and that they are loved. They learned that they have a voice and they have recourse. Literally thousands of children and girls have attended. Many adults have attended too. As schools begin to reopen in Malawi, each of these girls will take with them this new knowledge that will help guide, protect, and enable them way beyond the events of 2020. We are so grateful for the special gifts that have made these campaigns possible.
Take that COVID! Take that 2020! Take that abuse!
by admin | Sep 24, 2020 | BLOG
40 years ago, the area Y-Malawi is working in was declared a “no go zone.” No churches or Christian organizations were allowed to work in this area. That all changed two years ago. Traditional leaders and government officials saw that what Y-Malawi was bringing would benefit the people. They wanted vocational training, food security assistance, education for their children, and knowledge of how to get greater crop yields. They allowed Y-Malawi to come.
One of those who saw the benefits first was a very important Chief. This man has more than 200 other Chiefs who report to him. He is a man of great authority. In the photos above and below he is holding court where decisions will be made that impact hundreds of lives.
When Y-Malawi wanted to buy some land to set up a Vocational Training Center, he had to approve the purchase. Even though he was a devout follower of another faith, instead of allowing Y-Malawi to purchase the property, he ruled that the property should be given to Y-Malawi. This because he reasoned the benefit to his people would far outweigh the small amount of the sale.
He also allowed Y-Malawi to begin holding Bible Studies in his area. While he didn’t care about the Bible, he saw that at Bible Studies people were learning better gardening methods, how to read, about nutrition, and even financial skills. What he didn’t see coming was that one of his wives would make a decision to follow Jesus while attending a Bible Study.
When this happened, the Chief was not happy. He made this wife and her children leave the house and village. He did many other things to humiliate her. Y-Malawi provided some minor support, but on her own with the help of the Holy Spirt, she was bold and became a voice for Jesus in the community. She even started her own Bible Study just for women. At first, the Chief remained angry, but over time he noticed a change in this woman. It wasn’t just that she was saying she was now a Christian. She seemed a very different person. He began to talk with her to find out what was happening.
Eventually, the Chief reconciled with this wife. Then he started attending a Bible Study with her. And then it happened, the Chief himself made a decision to follow Jesus! Almost overnight he became a completely changed man. He has become very bold for Jesus. He has told people there will be no more Mask Dancers. He has taken a stand to end child marriages. He even helped start a Bible Study in a village known to be very demonic. Almost 100 are now coming after just the first few weeks!
In Matthew 22: 37-39, Jesus basically tells us the two most important things we can do in this life are to love God and love people. His ministry was an example to us of how to do that. Jesus cared for people, He healed and helped them, He fed them, He listened to them, and people responded to Him everywhere He went. The formula is simple and this Chief is a great example of what God can do when we choose to love God and love people.
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by admin | Sep 8, 2020 | BLOG
Every year our partner Fishers, Trainers and Senders (FTS) hosts a Bible Quiz and Sport Competition for thousands of children who attend Kids Clubs. That was all before COVID-19. Important government meeting restrictions and good social distancing practices sidelined all the sport components, and nearly caused the entire event to be canceled. But not so fast, COVID!
To ensure the children didn’t miss out on an event they look forward to all year long, the FTS team went into high creativity gear. Instead of one big week-long event, they modified the format to be held at 97 different Kids Clubs locations. At first the task seemed overwhelming. To pull this off they would need the support of 180 volunteers and the full-time commitment of 18 staff members. The events would need to be stretched out over 11 days straight!
Once they derived a plan the work began. There were logistics to solve. More vehicles would be needed. There were thousands of gift bags to assemble. More prizes would be needed because there would now be more winners. Overnight stays had to be planned. Local officials had to be included and approvals all obtained.
It was a massive undertaking. Yet, in this time of COVID-19 challenges, with schools closed, with adults facing depression and other challenges, with more children vulnerable than ever before, the team reasoned that they could not let these children down in their time of greatest need. They didn’t.
When it was all over, they were exhausted. Across the 97 locations almost 7,000 children had attended. Restrictions prohibited sports, but that didn’t stop them from reciting Bible verses, listening to stories, testimonies, and sharing in fun at a safe distance. The best news is that those 7,000 children heard The Word of God. They learned about Jesus; they saw love in action. They realized someone cared during a time when for some, that might seem an impossible reality.
Take that COVID!
Click here to learn more about Y-Malawi or help with a gift
by admin | Sep 8, 2020 | BLOG
Need more proof that economic empowerment works? Read Samuel Chadza’s story, his own words.
“I and my wife were privileged to benefit from the goat pass-on program. The goat that we received gave birth to an offspring. When the offspring was weaned, we passed it on to another in need. Later our goat also gave birth to a second female offspring. Currently, we have two female goats which are both expected to give birth to offspring soon.
The ministry also assisted us with vegetable seeds, fertilizer, and chemicals. My goal from the profits was to buy a bicycle to ease travel challenges. Unfortunately, it was not achieved because the land that was chosen did not have enough water. I did manage to raise K15, 000 ($20) from the vegetable sales through which I was able to buy 2 ducks, 2 rabbits, and construct a corral for all the animals.
I also used part of the money to hire women to fetch water for me. I used the water to mold 10, 000 bricks. My expectation is that after firing the bricks and selling them, I will be able to use the money to purchase the bicycle I have been longing for.
All this has given me hope on how I will take care of my family. Previously I was only wondering around looking for work in the fields.”
Can you hear the pride in his words? Samuel is an entrepreneur. He has learned the art of business. He has learned that he can do more than work for a few pennies a day in the field of someone else. This is what economic empowerment does. It gives people self-esteem; it gives them hope.
by admin | Aug 26, 2020 | BLOG
Why do people go on Vision Trips to Malawi? The answer to that question can vary, but usually people go with the intent to help the poor people of Malawi. Often the thinking is that as Americans we can bring knowledge, resources, determination, and encouragement to help the Malawians who have so little. The truth is that people who go with those thoughts in mind most often come back with a completely different viewpoint.
It is true that during Vision Trips we minister to the people of Malawi, but it is just as true that they minister to us. Vision Trips are about experiencing a different culture, land, and people far from the United States. Yet the experience is primarily about relationships. Trip participants spend time and get close with the people of Malawi. We share life. We talk, laugh, sometimes cry, pray, and worship together. At a certain level we become family. The experience is life changing. Trip participants often tell us they have maintained relationships with those they met in Africa for years.
Participants tell us over and over again how they went to Malawi to help those in need, but they returned having been helped themselves. It is hard to explain, but the people of Malawi are filled with an infectious joy for life rarely seen in the United States. There is much we can learn from the people of Malawi about living a life of joy. Most of those we visit have so little materially, yet they have so much of what many of us lack. People come back from Vision Trips with a new perspective on life. The experience gives them new eyes to see the world differently. You might say they return with their eyes wide open.
So, are you ready to go? Now is the time to begin planning for 2021. We have 6 trips planned so far. There is no deposit required to register, so pick one and reserve your spot now. Once registered we even have tools to help you with fundraising!
- Spring Vision Trip – May 15 – 25
- Pastors Vision Trip – May 29 – June 12 (Not a Pastor? You can register too!)
- Azuza Pacific University – Sorry this is a closed trip
- Whittier Area Community Church – Sorry this is a closed trip
- Summer Vision Trip – July10 – 24
- Later Summer Vision Trip – July 24 – 7 August
Click here to learn more about Vision Trips and/or register
