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During my time in Malawi I realized something…
So many ministries and other non governmental organizations have come to Africa and have a done a lot of things for the country. All of these organizations regardless of their background come in with good intentions, but they fall short. Malawi, and Africa for that matter, has received aide in many ways, but they have not been taught how to help themselves.
Africa needs empowerment not handouts.
During our time in Malawi we got to live with a ministry called Youth Care and also visited a couple other ministries named Live Love Malawi and Rise Malawi. All three of these ministries are created and operated by educated and capable Malawians who know the country, the culture, and best ways to support their people. They are motivated, willing, and able to make a change in their community.
Do not get me wrong, they need our help and support, but what they don’t need is for us give them food when instead we can teach them to grow their own. The don’t need us to remind them they are poor and send more junk food or barrels of used closed from the Goodwill. They don’t need us to come and tell them how to “do it right” or change what they do because their methods are already proven successful. They need financial support to continue the good work God has used them to do. The need trades people to volunteer their time to teach them a trade and service that they can use to support themselves. They need opportunities to work and good men and women to work for. They need to learn how to start businesses and empowerment to build businesses blessed by God.
What do you have to give away?
What do you have to support Malawi?
What are you willing to give to change the world and empower others to do the same?
We lived and worked with YouthCare Ministries in Lilongwe, Malawi. I have never met a more gentle, meek, caring, and wise man as Gibozi, the man who manages this program. We were honored to love on the children of this orphanage, also known as a safe haven. Family is encouraged within the children while they live with the ministry. Most children still have families even though they don’t live with them. YouthCare encourages the family to visit the children and the children to go home to visit their villages during breaks. This encourages a relationship as the children eventually transition out of the ministry to maintain these relationships as they build healthy, God-fearing families themselves. So many children need love, encouragement, and care and YouthCare fills that gap for children ages 3 – 18. Click on this link to support YouthCare and they continue to provide for children in Lilongwe: http://urbanpromiseinternational.org/our-ministries-malawi/malawi-youthcare-ministries.
LiveLoveMalawi is where I met Fiki and learned about the situations that women in endure in Malawi. I thoroughly enjoyed her pure heart and was encouraged and exhorted by her heart for ministry and her support of the community and Malawi in general. We got to tour the ministry site that allows them to serve this remote community with English classes, medical services, farms, and self sufficiency. I personally fell in love with their sewing ministry where they are working to empower women with a trade to sell and financially support themselves. Click here to see where you can plug in: http://www.livelovemalawi.com.
Rise Malawi is where we met Rose and Franklin. This ministry is bringing education to the village and specifically working to empower young women. They are building a school and housing to allow children of additional villages the chance to empower their children as well. This ministry welcomed and cared for us as welcomed new members of their family and go even further for the children in the surrounding villages. Click here to support their good work: http://urbanpromiseinternational.org/our-ministries-malawi/malawi-risemalawi.
My favorite part about these ministries is that I got to see them work as a connect body of Christ. From orphaned babies to young women, I saw the directors of each ministry connect as friends and cooperative members of the Body of Christ connect and love each other well. They support each other and support their community well, together. They love like Christ as the disciples did… with their full heart to see the beauty of heaven come on Earth as it is in Heaven.
I was blessed to see my dream of having a connected body of Christ already working through this group of people. It was such an honor to work with each of these ministries and I pray and encourage you to find a way to support.
You can support as a missionary on a short term mission trip..
In a long term missionary role…
Coming to Malawi to volunteer and share your skills…
Simply hugging and loving on the children…
Not even leaving your chair by giving financially.
There is no reason not to support. Join me in supporting these ministries.
“Don’t hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or—worse!—stolen by burglars. Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it’s safe from moth and rust and burglars. It’s obvious, isn’t it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being.”
Matthew 6:19-21 MSG
