Age is No Restraint from Serving

“I was on a plane heading for Ann Arbor, Michigan,” recalls Florence Crosthwaite who is approaching her 90th birthday. “During the trip I was reading the latest issue of Readers Digest magazine. It was the July 2005 issue, and it featured a story about Don Schoendorfer, the founder of the Free Wheelchair Mission in southern California. The magazine had nominated Don as an ‘Everyday Hero’ in its July issue, and I saw the opportunity to have them send wheelchairs to Malawi.”

Florence contacted the Free Wheelchair Mission in Irvine, California. They set up a program for wheelchair distribution with the Malawi Project, and the first shipment of 550 wheelchairs was on its way. This first shipment was quickly distributed, and drew national attention. Soon large numbers of people and organizations were contacting the Project in order to add their names to a growing list to receive the much-needed wheelchairs. The Free Wheelchair Mission specializes in all terrain plastic wheelchairs that are designed with bicycle tires that can easily be replaced in third world nations. The Malawi Project set up distribution points all over the nation and the program started growing. Since that first shipment the number of wheelchairs reaching Malawi, or in transit, has now topped 3,000. Florence will probably never travel to Malawi, nor will she meet the people whose lives she has changed. However, it is evident from stories that come from the cities, towns and villages that countless lives have been changed by the efforts of this one Florida resident. It is obvious she refuses to accept age as a reason, or an excuse, for not helping people half a world away.

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During recent meetings between the two groups in California the final touches were put on another shipment of 550 wheelchairs to be sent in the next few weeks to Malawi. The wheelchairs will be distributed through the Malawi Project’s southern warehouse in Thondwe, Malawi at the Namikango Mission and Maternity Hospital. Upon arrival in the country organizations throughout Malawi will be notified, and the wheelchairs will be picked up for distribution to those needing them.

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I met a 9-year-old village boy who has a burning desire to be educated and crawls to school.  Fredson Mtentha of Nkanda Village is the boy, and  he has never walked. While some of us complain of worn out shoes, old-fashioned clothes, and boring channels on television, Fredson’s worries about how he can get to school. His burning desire propels him to crawl a 4-kilometer stretch of dusty road in order to reach school each day. Even though he tries in his classes, he lags far behind, and at the age of 9, Fredson remains in the first grade of a primary school. His case is a symbolic representation of many young boys and girls who are struggling with being unable to attend classes due to mobility issues and a lack of suitable wheelchairs.

At Namikango Mission each day is different from the others, and each day brings its own new challenges. Today I had to tell a 9-year-old boy that, at least for now, we do not have a wheelchair for him to go to school.  It’s been a painful day.

Report by Wilson Isaac Tembo

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By and large, even when you factor in the downtime for the fuel problems the entire trip, the lost luggage at the beginning of the trip, and the demonstrations that turned violent in the middle of the trip, we still had a very productive trip.

Namikango
Going to Namikango, even for just a short time, is always a delight. It will not be the same with the Thiesen family returning to the states in just a few days, but the Malawi staff is well trained, conscious and more than able to carry forward. Mark has spent the past year moving responsibility over to the staff, and from what I have seen they are and will continue to move successfully forward without missing a beat. A real compliment to them and to Mark and Era and the work there during the past 7 years.

Wilson, Basani, Roderick, Sampson, all of them, they are just doing a great job. The warehouse looks excellent, and the distribution network for medical supplies and wheelchairs continues to enlarge. It all looks good.

Cool Runnings
With another V-Tractor about to arrive Sam is really going to have her hands full. Don’t know how she does it. Two tractors, working closely with the Paratroop Battalion to complete the library, distributing wheelchairs, the successful work at the Safe Haven, the Cinderella Program, the widespread help through Clinic at the Gate, the community policing assistance, and all of the other things she is doing to help. Just one person, making such a difference.

Dzidalire
I’m really excited about the new hospital, and then there is the international school. It’s going to be our biggest project to date, and the people in the villages are already outrunning us with the work they are doing. Thousands of bricks already made, the road over the mountain, and 17,000 trees planted all over the mountain, they are just going all out to make this a reality.

Medicine and Medical Supplies
There is just so much more that is going on. The millions of dollars in medicines and medical supplies, and everything that brings to mind all over the country. It just makes my head swim to thing of it all. Wish we could have looked in on the other programs with which we have involvement. There are just too many. God is so good, and He has sure opened the door for us to help the people of Malawi. Wonder what will be next?

For me, I think I’m going to try to get some sleep before we reach Rome. Maybe this time I can sleep on this plane. The height of the luggage racks above our heads and down the center isle sure gives you the feeling of having a lot more space. This is the first time I have been in the center seat and felt even remotely comfortable. Guess we better make sure we are on 777’s from now on.

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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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Requests are handled through the Malawi Project warehouse manager in Thondwe, Malawi, Wilson Tembo. This is one of the major distribution sites for supplies going into Malawi, and in the past two years has handled two of the shipments of wheelchairs.

Suzi Stephens, Malawi Project’s Medical Director, and one of the founders, notes, “The request for wheelchairs has increased many times over each year as more and more people throughout Malawi have learned they are available through this program. They are increasing as well in all of the agencies and groups we are assisting. We even receive requests at our offices in the U.S. on a weekly basis. The need is just so immense, it is hard to explain to someone who has never traveled to this part of the world.”

The most recent shipment of wheelchairs reached the warehouse the middle of 2010, and a recent request was sent to Wilson Tembo to reply with the inventory of wheelchairs still in the warehouse. Since a picture is worth a thousand words the following pictures vividly reflect his answer. The first picture is the wheelchair inventory in September 2010, and the second picture is that same location today.

Dick Stephens, one of the founders of the Project indicates, “Another shipment of wheelchairs is waiting to be sent to Malawi. Free Wheelchair is anxious to work with us. We have a great, on-going relationship with them. All we need is the final $5,000.00 that for transportation costs.”

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The minibus conductor needed the fare, so he pleaded for me to jump into his bus. The man even decreased the bus fare by 10%. Still I felt I should not jump into that bus. I went to a nearby grocery to get something to eat. There would be many more buses, and I was certain I would still get a lift on another bus.

I went to the shop, taking my time. Finally it was time to go outside and find a ride. A few meters from the shop another minibus drove up and stopped. A man from this bus was trying to persuade me to jump into his bus, and the conductor who had talked to me earlier came to where I was standing, and pleaded that I go on his bus. I could not believe this minibus had been waiting for me all this time. I felt that I had no option but to yield to the man who had waited for me, and even lowered his fare by 10%. As soon as I was on board the bus started off. There had only been room for one more passenger. Little did I know of the importance of what the conductor had done, or the importance of my decision to choose this particular bus out of all of those who were passing along the road that night.

After traveling for 12 kilometers, the bus stopped, and some people got off. There was someone sitting next to me who also getting off at this point, and this gave me an opportunity to be closer to a man who had been two spaces away from me. The bus started up and sped to another stopping point.

At this location, the man on my right hand got off the bus. It was only then that I realized the man was crippled. He crawled out of the bus on his hands and knees, and continued on his hands and knees into the people milling around. I watched in disbelief. In moments I knew the reason behind my entire trip was being summarized by the crawling, crippled man.

I had left my place early in the morning on the way to Namikango to collect some wheelchairs for crippled people. The wheelchairs had been handed over to me by the good graces of the Malawi Project, the Namikango Mission, and the Free Wheelchair Mission. While I was thinking of trips to villages looking for people who would benefit from these wheelchairs, just there right before my eyes someone was crawling. The message was clear.

I immediately requested that the minibus driver stop for a few more minutes, while I rushed after the crippled man. I obtained the particulars of his physical address, and contact number for his next of kin. There was little time to chat but I assured him that I was going to come and visit him in the near future. As I got back into the bus I could not help but thank the Lord whom I felt had sent His angels to persuade me to catch that particular minibus.

Three weeks later, I had managed to organize transport, and picked up a wheelchair to deliver to the crippled man, a Mr. M. Chamba. We drove right to the place he had been dropped the day I met him. I looked around, searching for him, and eventually found his wife. The poor woman did not know what it was that I had for him, but in faith they sent someone with a bicycle to fetch her husband and bring him to a shopping center. The van I had used had been parked next to a supermarket.

Mr. Chamba arrived, little suspecting who it was that wanted to see him. I reminded him where we had met, and that I had assured him I was going to visit him. He had no words and gazed in disbelief as I handed him the gift of a wheelchair from The Malawi Project.

Dr. Smith Chibaka & Richard Stephens

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Erik Tryggestad, from the Christian Chronicle newspaper, Wilson Tembo, the manager of the warehouse operations at the Namikango Mission, and I had traveled to this remote village in southern Malawi to observe the distribution of a number of wheelchairs. These were made possible through the efforts of the Malawi Project, and the Free Wheelchair Mission in Southern California. What we found on our arrival was impressive and surprising. Wilson Tembo picks up the narrative.

“To reach Ntalimaja Village we had to make the unavoidable passage through the bush. Up and down we bounced along on the pothole filled, dirt road. When we reached the village we were met by representatives of the organization is Mawa ndi anthu otisamala organization, (It’s name means the children are the future leaders who will care for us).”

“Founded in 2001, the organization was born mainly to care for and support children and other vulnerable people in their homes. Luwis Gama, the organization’s director greeted us upon our arrival, along with a number of village women, men and children (beneficiaries) who were to benefit from the wheelchairs we brought for them. The organization is a grass roots program that reaches into 14 villages, and is on record having served a total of 300 orphans, 55 elderly people and 34 physically challenged people since it’s inception. Luwis also noted that 12 orphaned children are getting free Secondary education through the center, and 43 families that are caring for the orphaned children have been provided with female goats to act as financial source.”

“In addressing the audience, Richard Stephens of the Malawi Project said, ‘On behalf of the Malawi Project, I am extremely pleased with the spirit that the people in this village have; the heart of helping yourselves and I would like to see the Project continuing to work with you’. Stephens further noted there are so many people in the villages just waiting for the government to come and help them, but, surprisingly, the people of this village have jointly come together to help themselves.”

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Today in Machinji an event is taking place that will not garner any of the world press. Few even in the immediate region will know it has taken place. But for 35 children with serious disabilities it is one of the most important days they will remember. It is the day George Banda and his workers from the Kuthandiza Osayenda Disability Outreach (KODO) have come to Machinji. Located 250 kilometers to the east just outside the Salima Trading Center near Lake Malawi, George and his crew came the night before in order to be on time for the 7:30 in the morning event. Arriving too is the Director of Education for Special Needs children from the capital city of Lilongwe. And the most important arrivals are the 35 brand new, white, all terrain wheelchairs made possible by the joint effort of the Free Wheelchair Mission in California and the Malawi Project in Indiana, USA.

As he handed over a wheelchair to the family of one of the children the Minister for Special Needs spoke, “Primary school Education is free in Malawi now, and it is sad to see that some Malawian children are failing to attend classes because of disabilities and lack on mobility aids such as these wheelchairs Thanks for such a wonderful donation. The ministry of education is trying hard to make inclusive education a success,” he said as he handed over a new wheelchair to one of the children.  It is a day not to be forgotten in this tiny spot on the world map known as Machinji.

- George Banda and Richard Stephens

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After entering through a set of steel doors, we hear them clang shut behind us. We begin to move deeper into the courtyard of humanity, realizing we have disappeared from the watchful eyes at the steel gate. It is safe, as we are in an area for first offenders, but there is still something about crossing that line from the freedom of the outside to the locked in conditions inside a prison. We make our way deeper and deeper through the crowd of prisoners and the outside world gets farther and farther way. One wonders what it must be like for a man or woman who find himself or herself locked inside with no way to go outside the outer fence for months or years. We know we will be going back through that gate in a little while. The prisoners know they will not be going outside, some for a very long time.

We walk across a grassless, cluttered courtyard to a brand new chapel built to assist the prisoners in their religious services. Surprisingly we find ourselves in the midst of a very respectful, appreciative group of prisoners. They don’t seem much different than any of us. One cannot conclude about why they are here. What offense did they commit? How long will they be here? What chance do they have when they go back home? All we can see is a respectful group of men sitting on hewn benches waiting for what we have to say. One quickly feels a strong desire to help them. It is the same feeling experienced when meeting with the prison officials.

Stay and Eat with Us

Its easy to understand that it is nearly impossible for the government to feed all of the prisoners, but they tell us about the prison farms where they are making a gallant effort to raise enough food. If we can get one or two of the V-Tractors to them it will greatly increase their ability to feed the prisoners. The prisoners in the chapel applaud when they are told our group has brought the wheelchairs and medical supplies. It is one thing to know the pain of working in a rural hospital and not having the supplies to care for the patients, but they can leave and go someplace else. Imagine the struggle of working in a locked down unit full of prisoners who have no place else to go, and then run out of medical supplies.

Leaving the chapel we start back through the prison yard filled with humanity. Men are milling about everywhere, and most watch us closely as we pass through. Our escorts direct us back toward the big steel doors that make our exit to freedom. Beside a brick inner wall are a group of prisons sitting in the dirt over a small cooking fire. They are preparing nsima, and a few beans, in an old blackened pot over an open wood fire. As we approach them one of the men looks in our direction. He seems to be in charge of the meal and as we approach he turns toward us.

“Come, wash your hands and join us,” he says. We continue to move toward the doors that will lead us outside. After leaving the prison Dick Stephens, one of the founders of the Malawi Project, recalls, “That moment will remain tucked tightly in my heart for a long, long time. After that prisoner spoke to us, I found myself trying to decide which of us was really in prison. At first glance it is him. But on further consideration perhaps it is me, and not him. After all am I not trapped in a world of too many possessions that I am often unwilling to share? This man has almost no possessions, yet he welcomes the chance to share the only thing he has with me, his food.”

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