It is often difficult to recognize a chief from the rest of his or her village. They live in the same village among the people they serve, and in dress and possessions, there is often little or no difference between them.. It is quite different than with many, if not most, politicians around the world who are immediately recognized in their stand out appearance from those they are commissioned to serve.

As the ceremony begins the dignitaries are introduced. At one point tribal authority is recognized and the chiefs step to the front to be recognized. All of them are wearing tennis shoes. TENNIS SHOES. Tribal chiefs in tennis shoes! It is a gesture that is not missed by the members of the American team as the tennis shoes are part of one of the incentive programs put in place by the Dzidalire Agency and the Malawi Project at the new site for the hospital and school. Tennis shoes were given to those who helped plant 17,000 trees over the two sites; the school and hospital locations. It was their way of recognizing, and expressing their appreciation for the assistance being given to their communities.

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At the end of their greeting of the visitors, members of the Malawi Project gave a new dress to 35 of the girls. The dresses came from Little Dresses for Africa, a non profit group in Michigan USA, who are preparing a shipment of 45,000 dresses to go to little girls in Malawi.

The village people in the area have already made thousands of bricks for the buildings, and cut a road over the mountain to bring access to both the Dzidalire programs, and the new international school planned for a site across from Dzidalire.

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Gordon is referring to the theme for the Dzidalire group that focuses on helping people learn to care for themselves independent of long term outside aid. The mission statement for Dzidalire, a not-for-profit, non governmental agency, states, “To empower and help people and their communities to become self reliant by teaching and enhancing skills that can be owned by the people and have their lives changed to maximize self potential and reliance.”

“Almost immediately after its establishment this group obtained land and set out to create programs to help people in this impoverished area of the country,” reports Richard Stephens, a co-founder of the Malawi Project. “In developing the land they encouraged the local villagers to plant thousands of tree seedlings as part of a Malawi Project sponsored “Shoes for Trees” incentive program. The group also persuaded the local chiefs to set aside over 200 acres of land, next to the Dzidalire land, for development of a training facility for church and community leaders, agricultural development, food processing, pre-school and secondary schools, fish farms, and other programs that will compliment the Dzidalire programs,” Stephens summarized.

Both Gordon and Stephens agree the Dzidalire-Malawi Project relationship promises to be an excellent match for the goals of both organizations to help people learn to fish, and not simply to give them the fish. Self-reliance is a keyword with both groups and both are working to bring villages and communities in Malawi into successful programs that achieve these goals.

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It is Monday and we have finally been able to move forward with the ground breaking for the new hospital. I look around at the crowd gathered for the event. It reads like a who’s who of village life in this area. Starting with the chief over much of the northern part of the Dedza District, we can count down to the chief over 22 villages, then one over 10, then on down to the village headmen and assistant headmen. Many of them are women, which still amazes a lot of people back home. The way the Chewa Tribe has always chosen its leaders there is always within its leadership ranks large number of women. In fact, it is part of the culture and tribal law that it is the old women of the village who choose each new chief. Thus, the real control of the Chewa Nation can be seen as residing in the hands of women.

Chiefs Hard to Identify
It is interesting when you are in a large crowd like this to try to pick out the chiefs. Sometimes you can recognize one or two, or at a large event, a few of them, but for the most part to recognize a chief separate from his people is nearly impossible. This must be one of the last governmental systems left on earth where the top guys in the system still live next door to the lowest on the economic rungs, and where the chief looks, acts and dresses just like everyone else in the village from which he comes. That was apparently the plan of our forefathers for the system in America, “of the people, by the people, and for the people”, but in so many cases this does not continue after the election. Here, in Malawi it seems to still be in full force.

The MC opens the event with introductions and greetings, and begins by recognizing the joint effort of the Malawi Project and the Dzidalire Community Development Agency in the plans being unveiled at this event. Hanging between a makeshift stick easel is stretched the plans for the hospital and he goes into a great amount of detail explaining what this facility will be like, and the services it will provide. I looked around at the village women sitting on the ground looking up at the plans. All I could think was how many of them had delivered babies at home rather than try to make the treacherous trip down a mountain road, then along a dangerous tarmac road, for the 20-mile trip to the nearest district hospital. And to imagine they would have made the trip on the back of a bicycle, or lying on the hard wooden bed of an old ox cart. Then to get there, and find the hospital out of the necessary supplies to help, and then to be turned away, is just too much to comprehend. Imagine? I really can’t, I have never lived that life.

Speeches are Short and Sweet
Speeches begin, but are short and end quickly. Something new for politicians. No one speaks for more than 4 or 5 minutes. Scott does a really great job in his speech as he addresses the crowd from his heart about his love for the people, and the land on which the hospital, maize mill, vocational training center, and international school will be sitting. He later tells me how much he loves walking this land and dreaming of what it is going to be like when all of the 40 or 50 buildings are complete and students are here from all over the sub-Sahara gaining an education that will change their lives, and the lives of those they touch. He’s a great guy, and I really like traveling with him. His faith in God, and in the people in Malawi is something to see. It’s really impressive.

Then the time comes for the ceremonial shovel full of dirt to symbolize the beginning of construction of the facility. It has been a long time coming. In fact during the time our side has been trying to obtain the funds to build the facility, and we are still only at the beginning, the village people have used hand hoes to cut a road over the mountain, make by hand over 17,000 bricks for use in the construction, and plant thousands of trees in a Shoes for Trees program offered by the Malawi Project. This is where the Project offers new shoes to the village people who plant and care for thousands of seedlings for a year, and the government supplies the seedlings. For a group of people who are in deep poverty they are certainly rich in their commitment of support for this project. One by one, each of the government officials come forward to shovel dirt, then the chiefs and village headmen and women come forward. Some throw the dirt quickly, others with a loving pitch that seems to indicate their love for what it symbolizes, or perhaps simply true to their gentle nature.

Mama Arrives at the Event
Then, up from the valley road, a lone gold colored Land Rover lurches its way toward the crowd on the ridge. It weaves its way around rocks and gullies as it strains to stay on the makeshift road the villagers have made straight up the mountain. As the car approaches the clearing the village women are instantly on their feet, walking toward the Land Rover, and singing songs of greeting to Mama Cecelia Kadzamira, the founder of Dzidalire, and Mama to the Nation.

Mama sits with the door open for a time, and listens to the women sing. It is obvious their love for her, and the feeling is certainly reflected back to them as she smiles and listens attentively to their songs. At the conclusion she comes over to the makeshift tarp tent, and sits down near the end of the first row of plastic seats. A few more words from the MC, a number of pictures by the photographers, and it is a moment many have waited for so long to see. Mama goes to the front and shovels the ceremonial spade of dirt that really, really symbolizes the beginning of the medical facility.

Little Girl Dresses
Village women sing songs, a couple of skits follow, and the ceremony on top of the mountain draws to a close. We leave the mountaintop and go to Nkutu Village, where a large number of little girls have gathered. They give their A, B. C’s in English, count the months of the year, and follow their teachers lead in presenting a number of words and phrases they have learned in English, included a cute little song about how they are young and little, but they can count. After the little girl presentation we present about 50 of them with little dresses made by women in three different parts of America. Most of them have never seen white faces in their village before, but frowns of fear turn to smiles of joy as they hug, caress, and hold close the new dresses that have come from America.

Capped off with Soccer
A soccer game follows for everyone to enjoy, and then we turn the car toward the capital in a vain attempt to reach the lodge before dark. It has been probably the best day of the trip, and except for having a struggle trying to find the home of the newspaper reporter we carry back from the event, everything turns out about perfect. His problem is in the fact he has just moved to Lilongwe from Blantyre three weeks ago, and he doesn’t know the way home in the dark. Shades of the Area 25 experience. Finally we make it, he discovers his way to the house, and we are on the way to the lodge.

Dinner with Friends
Then the phone rings. It is a number of church leaders and friends from America. Join them for dinner, a long way from where we are currently located. “Sure, we’d be glad to”. We are glad, but this has sure been a long day. After dinner we head for the lodge, finally able to end the day.

Assisting Mama
Then the phone rings. It is the Founder of Dzidalire, Mama Kadzamira. She needs some help on a project so it is back into the city, and to her home to assist her. It is delightful to be of assistance, and is like putting icing on a cake. What else could we want from our last day in Malawi?

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A total of $25,000 will complete the mill construction, supply the equipment and build a residence for the mill operator. The mill will assist approximately 28,000 people, who otherwise would have to carry the maize nearly 20 kilometers in order to have it ground.

Over half of the needed funds have now been secured, with ground breaking scheduled for later this year.

Hospital Also on List
At the same time as the maize mill is coming off the drawing board, the Project is also focused on beginning construction of another major medical facility in the central region of Malawi. It’s first venture in hospital construction took place between 1999 and 2006, when a five building, 110-bed medical complex was completed north of the capital.

Ground Breaking Anticipated
Working closely with the Dzidalire Community Development Agency in Dedza, this new medical complex is expected to have construction underway later this year. The villagers have already made thousands of bricks, and are eager to see the construction begin. Fund raising has started, with ground breaking anticipated to take place in June or July. Pouring the foundation is hoped to begin shortly after that.

The medical complex is expected to take multiple years to reach its full capacity, and the cost of the buildings is estimated at $300,000.00. The first phase is an out patient clinic with a birthing center to follow. This will move forward as funds are available. As with the maize mill, the villagers of the area must travel many miles to reach the district hospital, and this is most often in the back of an ox cart, on a bicycle, or walking.

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The entire situation changed with a single wheelchair, thanks to a cooperative program being that is being carried out between four aid groups. It started with the Free Wheelchair Mission in Irvine, California, an international aid organization distributing wheelchairs around the world. The Wheelchair Mission has joined hands with the Malawi Project to deliver 2,300 wheelchairs to Malawi over a four-year period. The Malawi Project, in turn, focuses its attention on helping a number of in-country organizations with agricultural, medical and educational aid, including wheelchairs. Two of these organizations are the Namikango Mission and Maternity Hospital in southern Malawi, and the Dzidalire Community Development Agency in Dedza, Malawi. A single wheelchair started passing along through all of these hands until it finally arrived in the Dzidalire Agency, who moved it along to Mr. Makhuwila. A long trip and a lot of hands, but success was achieved through the efforts of all of these groups.

Mr. Makhuwila expresses his appreciation to the Malawi Project, and in turn to all of these groups, for the wheel chair. He was overwhelmed with joy with his wheelchair. He said, “I am very happy because the Malawi Project, through Mama Kadzamira has come to my rescue. I was unable to move around during the past six months. They have now given me a wheelchair that will enable me to move around and continue pursuing my pastoral work among people of Area 25. I thank the Lord for his mercy and the gift of the wheel chair. May God bless the Malawi Project, and Dzidalire Community Development Agency.”

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Dedza, Malawi … Dosidedi Filiberito is the younger brother of Donesiya Filiberito of Nkutu Village, Traditional Authority Kamenya Gwaza in Dedza District. Dosidedi is about 30 years old while the sister, Donesiya is about 35 years old. Both were victims of polio within two years of birth, and have never walked during their entire lives.

Upon receiving the wheel chair, Donesiya, the girl said, “thank God I can now go to church.” She said that although the church is only about 200 meters from her house no one was willing to carry her to church week after week after week. Now that she has a wheel chair she will be able to go to church.

Dosidedi, on the other hand said that he has been craving to go and see the new trading centre two kilometers away, but no one was willing to carry him there. He is therefore looking forward to wheeling himself to the trading centre for the first time in his life.

Both Dosidedi and Donesiya thanked the Malawi Project, and their contributors, for the donation of the wheel chairs.

Augustine Bobo,
Dzidalire Community Development Agency
Dedza, Malawi

Note: While the dreaded scourge of polio has been nearly wiped out in the west, it is still a major problem in sub-Sahara Africa. There are countless stories like this one where children and adults are helpless to get around as a result of polio.

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Dedza District, Malawi … The question poses all kinds of thought and response:

    “I might for a few feet.”

    “I might if the ground were level.”

    The problem comes when one realizes these conditions cannot be met.

    Sandida needs to be able to go far greater distances than just a few feet. She is now too heavy for her aged mother to carry, and the ground is seldom level enough for anyone to carry a heavy load very far without falling. Yet, it has been the plight of Sandida’s mother and family for weeks, months and in fact, for years.

    Sandida Boko is 18 years old, and comes from Nkutu village, Traditional Authority Kamenyagwaza in Dedza District, Malawi. She was a normal child until 1999 when she was attacked by epilepsy. It resulted in periodic impairment of consciousness, and this was accompanied by convulsions. Overtime, she lost her ability to walk. She was relying on her mother (the lady in a blue and gold shawl with one side of her face swollen in the picture) and her young sisters and brother to move around.

    In a nation where the average person walks 10-miles a day it is nearly impossible to get around if you cannot walk. There are no sidewalks anywhere in the Dedza district. There are almost no paved roads, outside of M-1 and one road that goes over toward the lake well south of the Trading Center. And there is no way to get around in the village, seldom even a bicycle that can supply transportation to a crippled 18-year-old.

    No wonder the gift from the Free Wheelchair Mission to the Malawi Project and on to the Dzidalire Community Development Agency for delivery to Sandida and her family was such a fantastic gift to the entire family.

    When Sandida’s mother received the wheelchair from the Dzidalire Community Development Agency she was very excited and full of praise of the Malawi Project which donated the wheelchairs. She said, “Sandida was getting too heavy for her and her other children to carry around. Sandida will from now on be able to move around on her own. She will be able to go out and mix or play with her friends on her own.  May God bless the donors of the wheelchair.”
 

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Media Covers the Arrival
A reporter and photographer from the Malawi News Service, the assistant district health officer, all of the top officials from the Kachere Orthopedic Hospital, the Chief Medical Director from Queen Elizabeth Hospital and two of the board members from the Malawi Project gathered early behind the orthopedic hospital where the 40-foot shipping container had been parked. When the container doors were opened a cheer went up from a crowd that had swelled to 40 people.

Estimated at $400,000.00
Estimated at somewhere around $400,000 by Project officials, the shipment included medical supplies for the Kachere Orthopedic and Queen Elizabeth Hospitals in Blantyre, Dzidalire Community Development Agency in Dedza, the Namikango Maternity Clinic in Thondwe, and the Sacred Promise Clinic in Lilongwe.

Arrival of the Village Tractors
Topping off of the shipment were two V-tractors to be used for agricultural programs in the southern and central districts. The reporter, photographer and many in the crowd were amazed to see the two prototype farm tractors that had never been seen before.

The shipment was made possible through a joint program including the L. T. Rich Manufacturing Company in Lebanon, Indiana, Universal Aide Society of British Columbia, Canada, and the Malawi Project.

Pictured is the District Health Officer as she observes thousands of dollars in medical supplies being offloaded.

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The custom designed units, V-Tractors for short, are part of a bold new incentive in research and development by Tom Rich of the L. T. Rich Manufacturing Company with the cooperation of Richard Stephens, Executive Director of the Malawi Project. As the doors of the overseas container were opened outside the Kachere Orthopedic Hospital in Blantyre representatives from the Malawi News Service started taking notes and snapping photographs. A crowd gathered, including Kachere and Queen Elizabeth Hospital administrators, church leaders and representatives from the two agencies chosen to receive the first units. The Dzidalire Community Development Agency in Dedza, and the Namikango Maternity Clinic in Thondwe are the recipients of the first two tractors. The Universal Aide Society of Vancouver, Canada, and its contributors supplied the cost for the transportation of the two units from central Indiana to Malawi.

Thought “V” was for the Shape
Mark Thiesen, the Director for the Namikango Mission and Maternity Clinic in Thondwe made this comment about their new tractor. “At first I thought the “V” stood for the shape of the tractor. But when I learned it actually stood for “village tractor”, and how the tractor had been invented exactly for a developing county, it all made sense. I was impressed with its easy and simplicity of operation, along with its versatility to do so many different jobs. Anyone, even if you have never operated a motorized vehicle before, as is the case of most village farmers, can now cultivate their fields. A farmer who previously cultivated only 1 or 2 acres will now be able to gain production from ten or twelve, while having more time to do other tasks. This can easily make the difference between mere survival and enjoying a complete escape from poverty.”
It’s an All-In-One Unit

Samantha Ludick the proprietor Cool Runnings Lake Resort, scheduled to receive the next unit that is currently being prepared for shipment to Malawi, “This is exactly the right tractor for us at this time in our development. Having an all-in-one unit is just the thing we need. Now the kids can go to school. They have always had to work in the fields along with their parents, but now the V-Tractor can do it all. It does everything. It can run a generator, turn a concrete mixer, plow the field, disk, harrow the ground, pump water, haul water, just everything, just everything. Now that is really cool.”

It Will Revolutionize Farming
As the first tractor started its field trials Stephens noted, “Today is a memorable day in Malawi. A single person sitting on this tractor is doing what it would take two or more men a month to do, and this one man will do it in just a couple of hours. This will revolutionize farming the same way the small John Deere or Farmal tractor changed America from a horse drawn system to a mechanized world. That led America to world success in farming. It will change Malawi as well.”

Just then the first tractor reached the far end of the field, turned and started to carve out two more rows of crusted soil.

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