The Malawi Project, Inc.

    At the age of 2 James fell ill from some sort of illness. His parents were and continue to be peasant farmers and they were unable to afford to take him to the hospital. His condition continued to worsen. Today he can no longer walk.
    Because of his disability James has few dreams for his future, but his farther still dreams of him being able to attend a school for those who cannot afford the regular schools, and of him learning how to look after himself. His father looks toward the end of his own life and fears what will happen to his son after he is gone.
    With the help of the wheelchair there is a much greater chance that young James can get around, learn, and become more independent. His father can now rest much easier at night knowing there is some kind of hope down the road for his son.
    The Wheelchair was given to James and his family by George Banda and his staff at the Kuthandiza Osayenda Disability Outreach in Salima, Malawi. The wheelchair was possible by contributions from the Free Wheelchair Mission in Irvine, California and the Malawi Project.

* Balaka is an African trading center in the southern district of Malawi. It sits along the paved road from Blantyre to Lilongwe and is the commercial center for the district. The population for the Balaka district in 2001 was 270,441 and is it is estimated that in 2008 it will reach 335,449. The tiny villages that mark the countryside around the trading center are still the ancient mud-hut thatched roof villages of long ago. These villages contain no electricity, running water, telephone service and no paved roads by which they can be reached.
* The nation of Malawi is one of the poorest in the world and its heath care and educational systems are struggling to keep up with the increase in population. The HIV/AIDS scourge appears to have leveled of with about 15% of the population of the nation inflected with the disease.
* For a small boy like James there is little hope for any type of future unless he has some way to get around and fend for himself when his parents are gone. With a life expectancy that is now down to 37 years of age the life span of his parents can very well leave James an orphan in the very near future. 

 

"My Name is Innocent"

His name is Innocent Banda and in many ways he lives up to what his name implies. First, he has become parentless through no fault of his own. He is "innocent". And "Innocent" was the name his parents gave him at birth. He does not know why they chose that name and will probably never know. His father died and his mother remarried and moved away. Innocent now lives in the Chimwemwe (Joy) House at Mtendere Village and acts as a senior guide and leader to the younger children in the children’s village. Innocent celebrates his birthday each year without fanfare and most often without recognition or gifts on January 5. He is the firstborn of two children. He also has a sister. His original home was in the Dowa District in a tiny village called Mkanile 2. His tribal authority was Chief Chakhaza. Innocent speaks concerning his life before coming to Mtendere, "I lived with my uncle. I slept on a bad sleeping mat, had little food, clothing and no parental care. My uncle fed his kids first, and sometimes there was nothing left for me to eat." Now, after making his home at Mtendere Children’s Village Innocent can report, "My life is very, very good. I am very happy. I have a nice bed and good food. I would like to thank God for bringing me here. My prayer is for those kids who are still living in the villages who are unable to come here."

    During 2007 Innocent found his calling in song leading and preaching at the local congregation in Lumbadzi, Malawi. In August he was selected as one of the speakers at a giant youth rally in Lilongwe. Innocent reports that he wants to grow up and go about helping other people. He is off to a good start.

Dowa District Is North of the Capital
    The Dowa District is the district or state just north of the capital of Lilongwe. It is situated just across the river to the north from the Lilongwe District where Mtendere Village is located. From his home in Mtendere Innocent can actually look over the hills to the north and see his home district. In 2001 the Dowa District had an estimated population of 434,693. The population is expected to reach 526,604 in 2008. The Dowa District is home to the Mponela Trading Center and the Madisi Trading Center where many of the early programs of the Malawi Project originated.

Without Our Help They Will Die
By Smith Chibaka, Sacred Promise Healthcare
        One of the astonishing events in Moses’ life was that he had been sentenced to death long before he was even born. After his birth, his survival depended on his parents’ faith in God. Unbelievably, after 3 months of being secretly hidden in the house, his mother put him in a basket and hid him by the banks of river Nile until that basket came to the attention of  Pharaoh’s daughter.

        When the basket was brought to Pharaoh’s daughter, she opened the basket and saw a baby in it; the baby wept and she had compassion on him. The death sentence was lifted and Moses’ life was then destined for the king’s palace.

        This was the Moses who led the children of Israel out of Egypt; The Moses who received the Decalogue on Mt Sinai.

        Today thousands and thousands of the children of Malawi are born into a hopeless society. Their fate decided long before they are even born. Providentially, some people have extended their arms reaching out to commute the death sentences of these helpless children.

        The world has shown compassion on these children and is determined to give these children a future. Aid is being extended in the form of shelter, food, clothing and school. Some are less fortunate and are only enrolled at day-care centers where they at least get some meals. Shelter is taken care of by some well wishers or next of kin.

        One area that is a burden to handle is that of healthcare. It is quite difficult to walk long distances to some Health Centers where medical help is rendered. The problem becomes unbearably when the guardians are quite elderly and are themselves in need of some assistance as regards activities of daily living. The sick children under their care are left at the mercy of nature. It is worse when those children are parentless.

        Our appreciation for the great work done by thousands world-wide, who have come to our rescue, can only be shown by the role we can play in uplifting the lives and welfare of these innocent children. Our part is to look into the health of these orphans, vulnerable children and elderly guardians.

        This is an enormous undertaking, but we feel the little we can do will make a difference.  Our program at the Sacred Promise Healthcare Center shall target on a few centers that are within the townships of Lilongwe. This is because of the difficulties in transport from place to place. 

    “It’s a strange place for a medical clinic I know. But it is the only place we have at the present. They come here day and night. It is not unusual to have a patient come to the gate at 11 o’clock at night,” says Samatha Ludick, the owner of the Cool Runnings Resort on Lake Malawi. This patient is coming because of some sort of a rash, probably from some allergy. “Rub this on and if you still have a rash in two days come back and see me again,” she instructs her gateman. He in turn conveys the instructions to the woman who is seated on the ground in front of Ludick. Thirteen thousand people live in the fishing villages around Cool Runnings and there is not one vehicle that can transport a patent to the nearest hospital located east of Salima.
    “It is 29 kilometers to the District Hospital in Salima and these poor people cannot afford transportation and it’s just a bit too far to walk there, don’t you think,” she asks? “This is why we must get the clinic done here. That way we will be able to do the simple first hand that is so badly needed.”
    Ludick has ambitious plans for Senga Bay and “its all about the villages,” she emphasizes. “These people have no resources to handle even the simplest first aid needs. Yet the problems that arise can cause someone to loose an arm or a leg, or worse,” she concludes.
    Ludick has operated the little resort on the lake since 2001 and feels it is critical for those who benefit from the area, whether by living here or just visiting, to help support the people who have no other way to make a living except through the tourism trade. In addition to a small clinic for the simplest of first aid needs Ludick intends to help the villagers create a culture center where the local people can capture and present the history of their culture in plays, bands and dances. She is also spearheading a number of other projects that are designed to keep the Senga Bay shoreline clean, as well as projects that help to create a pioneer spirit in the younger generation.
    In the meantime Ludick continues to entertain her guests with stories about Africa, offers of a “cool” and “relaxing” place for those who are always on the “run” (thus the name Cool Runnings), service projects for the villages in which her business sits, and first aid for those who come to the gate to the only place they know to get help. The Malawi Project is pleased to be assisting the Clinic at the Gate.