Still on the Ground in Malawi
Health and Wellness
We have thrilling news to share: the Health and Wellness Center has “unofficially” opened its doors! The building is now complete, freshly painted, and looks fantastic. We have successfully moved in the equipment and supplies that were shipped from Canada a few years back. With support from the Coram Deo Foundation, our next steps involve several key developments: constructing appropriate shelving, equipping the pharmacy with natural medicine, building restrooms, creating an outdoor waiting area, and installing solar power. We are thrilled to introduce Isaiah, who possesses a degree in Social Work and has significant training in natural medicine. He will dedicate the coming months to preparing the center and recruiting staff. We are excited to announce that our official opening for the community is scheduled for Spring 2025!
Help from Canada
“Stand as One” only happens when we work together. Over the past month, we received invaluable support from Doug, Darci, and Ken, who dedicated more than three weeks to assisting us. Doug and Ken jumped right in, working on leveling the soccer pitch, constructing the fence, building stairs, and planning water diversions, while also seizing the chance to visit local villages and learn about the culture. Darci helped with the “Magogo” Senior registration for the feeding program, organizing the Guesthouse, teaching in the Equip to Serve program, spending quality time with our leaders, and much more. Their contributions truly made a difference!
Teaching Teens
We once again distributed reusable menstrual pads to teenage girls, accompanied by a workshop on feminine hygiene. This time, however, we also included a workshop for the boys. The Days for Girls organization has young men serving as ambassadors, and Prince delivered the boys session. They also received hygiene packs containing soap, underwear, a toothbrush, and toothpaste. The gifts were warmly welcomed!
Office fun!
Irene dedicated countless hours in the office, helping the team implement HR policies and build capacity among all staff members, which led to the creation of an outstanding workplace environment. She has invested her time in training our finance dept. on payroll and financial issues. This ensures that all funds are managed responsibly and efficiently. Irene compiled all the handwritten records regarding our cattle and found an online platform to enter the data. She carefully reviewed each cow and calf to gather the most up-to-date information, successfully accounting for all 198 cows in the system.
Creating Communities of Care
We're excited to share our Community Mapping initiative, which we believe has the power to transform our communities! With Kingsley leading the way, our dedicated team of nine trainers visits eight villages daily to work with local farmers. Right now, we have 69 enthusiastic farmers participating in our training, and we can't wait to welcome even more in the months ahead. Each farmer has a vegetable garden and is now planting maize using organic natural fertilizer. We're providing them with high-quality maize seeds, and they'll return the favour by sharing 25 kilograms of maize once it's harvested. Seeing the community buzzing with excitement about this opportunity is wonderful! We'll be sure to keep you posted on their progress.
Team UP
What an amazing five days we experienced with Team Up from Canada! They focused on empowering over 40 coaches to become leaders in their communities by utilizing sports as a transformative tool. More than 400 kids participated in the TEAM Up Cup tournament, enjoying an incredibly fun time together. In these challenging times, sports are providing hope for young people. A chief spoke at our tournament, highlighting how this opportunity keeps kids engaged and out of trouble while they learn. The chiefs are greatly encouraged by this program and have observed a positive impact in their villages.
Feeding our Elderly
Last month, we shared our method of storing maize in blue barrels, where we light a candle before sealing the lid to extract moisture. We are pleased to share that upon opening some of the barrels for feeding, we found no weevils!
Our Leaders
Meet the leaders we have been mentoring to oversee Mitongwe Farm and Ministry. They are wholeheartedly dedicated to the Lord and committed to transforming Mitongwe and its surrounding communities into places filled with care and love. With our Lord’s guidance and wisdom, we hold great hope for the future of Mitongwe.
