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At the intersection of real needs and real love . . .
Real Stories - Results in Malawi
“…Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’” -- Jesus (Matt. 25:40)
With no rain there is no maize crop…
Fertilizer and seed money was given to 2,017 registered gogos in three regions of Malawi in time for planting their gardens in December. The price for fertilizer had quadrupled. But, because of our gogo sponsors, SAFE was able to meet their need--enough for two bags of fertilizer and seeds of their choice (pigeon peas, ground peanuts or soy). The gogo pictured is signing to receive her fertilizer and seed money. The food situation was so bad for the whole country that if there had not been more rain, the situation would have become dire for the April/May harvest. ECD Director, Mary Phiri reported, "Last night we had some rains here in Zomba town… praying the maize around here will be saved."
A banner day in the preschools (CBCC)…
U.S. Coordinator Leslie Lewis says,"If I could show you one thing I saw on my recent trip, it would be the fabulous tool the Bible banners are proving to be in teaching God's Word." In addition to the key 10 Bible stories and truths children are learning from them, caregivers are also using the banners to teach colors, counting and songs. Frequently, even village adults are seen watching and listening to the lessons from the banners. Children, cooks, parents, chiefs and caregivers are all benefitting.
Film changed their Respect for women
Lameck, one of the SAFE staff, prayed with several local village pastors (kneeling in this photo), to have an outreach meeting with 25 chiefs (mostly Muslim) from the Kawiya villages. They decided to show them the "Magdalena" file that portrays Jesus' love and respect for women. Muslim men regard women as second-class people in the community. After the film it was awesome for Lameck to hear chiefs (standing in above photo) praying and asking God to forgive them for their wrong attitudes.
One chief commented, "What we saw in the film is what is happening in our communities … so we would love for you would show the film to all the people we are looking after so they would also turn from this behavior as we have now decided to do."
literacy…the road out of poverty
93 orphans receive our help with secondary school fees. Our CBCCs are preparing over 2,000 preschoolers to enter primary school on their journey to literacy.
The parents of one sponsored young man do not read or write, but "Smart" (the son's name) ranked ninth in his high school graduating class of 200, so he is qualified to attend a university. Thanks to the support of SAFE founders, Dick and Charlotte Day, Smart is enrolled at Livingstonia University, a 17-hour bus ride from his home town of Zomba. He's never been out of Zomba before.
A suffering child…
The little boy in the pink shirt is John Kangombe. John was discovered by our staff at one of our Childcare Centers in Katchindamoto. malnourished and needing to be tested for HIV/AIDS, His mother has three children and also takes care of her late sister's children and her granny. She does piece work to feed them. Because the family often goes to bed hungry, the mother sent him to our CBCC to get the porridge served daily to the children. We are providing John's family with immediate assistance.
Thank god for "the Joseph Project"
The 2016 Malawi report read: "This erratic weather and another poor harvest means there will be hunger with only a little food available through July. Then, no food again with hunger beginning in August until the harvest next year. The staff are reporting that villages are eating corn husks and pumpkin leaves. The food shortage is the most serious since the famine of 1982. Church members, our staff and people everywhere are praying for food for the hungry.
So there is enormous gratitude for "The Joseph Project," funded by all the U.S. gogo groups and sponsors. We were were able to buy maize ahead for January. Now in February we have just found 900 more bags to purchase for March. Our gogos and the most needy are so grateful, saying: "We have food from the Jesus people!"
imagine you're a child-headed household…
James is reporting to Mary Phiri (SAFE's ECD Director). He told her that he is receiving the help that had been promised and that the assistance has changed his life completely. "See how I look! I am able to buy decent secondhand clothes for me and my three siblings and we are using the other money to buy food and now we are able to go to school." James was sounding very confident and he came to assure Mary that he would continue to work hard in school to improve his performance.
From 100-year cyclone to rebuilt homes…
37 homes of our gogos were destroyed by the historic cyclone and flooding. Bricks had to be made and the remaining maize harvested before rebuilding could begin. Mervis, pictured in front of her almost finished home, lived in a classroom at our CBCC in Simiyoni village until she could move in. It was the outpouring of help from the gogos and sponsors in the U.S. that made the recovery a tribute to God's mercy and grace.
Children helping children
Cathy Cheonga (SAFE's Regional Education Coordinator) challenged youth involved in our SAFE Life Youth Clubs: "Let's go entrepreneurial this year so that we can buy soap and sugar for our homes and even for the gogos who are helpless." In one club, with the money they raised, they bought a treadle sewing machine in order to provide school uniforms for their friends in need.
To raise funds, the youth made things from local materials. The Kachindamoto youth wove mats from palm branches they found along the lakeshore. The mats are needed to sit and sleep on. They also made brooms for sweeping--and on fuel-efficient stoves--they made pumpkin cake (something they had never tasted).