We walked 3km to a smaller village in Dowa district. Our purpose was to visit the families of a few of the students we have been working with at the after-school program of RiseMalawi. We walked through grass fields, farm land, sand, and dirt roads. The villages we passed and the houses we saw were a good representation of poverty in Malawi. Most homes are made of brick with a straw roof, occasionally tin. Families live in a one room house and their kitchen is another small building just outside their door. Since most families in these villages use firewood to cook their food, they have a kitchen separate from their house to prevent smoke from entering their home. A lot of the children have ripped clothing and majority walk around barefoot.
I want to talk specifically about the second home my group visited. We split from the other group and walked an extra 1km along a sand trail to visit Ireen and her family. We sat waiting outside her home as another girl went to find her in the fields. She, along with her 2 siblings and mother, were working in the garden planting manga (maize or corn) and soy when we arrived. The fact that they were willing to leave the field, their source of food, to come and speak with us is a testament to the relational culture of Malawi. As we were waiting, I had an opportunity to sit and take in my surroundings. Chickens were running around everywhere. A man drew water from a hole with a small pail suspended from a rope that must have been at least 40 feet long. A few kids were playing soccer with a rolled up bag as a ball. Goats were grazing in the fields. Some women were outside hand-washing their clothes. I just sat in silence, in awe of the difference in which I had grown up. When Ireen and her family showed up, her mother greeted us with a huge smile and welcomed us in conversation, so we started asking her questions about their home life. Questions like how do they earn a living, how do all the siblings interact, do they have any plans for Christmas.
We then directed the conversation to Ireen. We learned that in grade 7 last year, she finished 2nd in her class. She does really well in her studies because she aspires to be a nurse. Her parents encourage her in her schooling because they see the potential she has. They desire that she won’t live in such poverty like they do. In addition to her school work, they started noticing a change in her spiritual life when she began at RiseMalawi. She started praying more. She started making better decisions. She began to lead her family in putting Christ into their everyday life.
That’s what we get to be apart of this month: helping kids to see the value of Christ in their lives so that they can impact their families and villages. RiseMalawi equips these kids to make a difference spiritually and academically. It has been an honor to get to be a part of such a ministry.
