| Lives being changed in Chikwawa |
L ast Tuesday morning I headed an hour south to the Chikwawa district, which is located about 50 miles south of Blantyre. The drive takes you down the Blantyre hills into the plains of the Chikwawa where it is much hotter. I was heading down to have a meeting with a micro-finance organization, MLF. MLF assists groups of women start and/or grow their micro-business by providing them with training, loans, and business advice. They are willing to work with any groups of 15-20 women that the churches can assemble. I have started talking to pastors to explain the program and get a level of interest. The first pastor I was working with was James Dinyero in Chikwawa. James oversees about 5 churches in the area and identified 2 churches that he thought would benefit from the program. My trip to Chikwawa was supposed to be a brief meeting with the MLF representative. Honestly, I thought there was a 50-50 chance that I would actually meet up with him. Things here in Africa rarely turn out as planned so I was mildly optimistic that this meeting would happen, but I prayed that God would arrange things so that it would be a productive trip. Shortly after arriving into Chikwawa I was able to find the representative as he was waiting for my arrival. After meeting for about 5 minutes he asked if we could go and meet James to discuss the program. I hadn’t planned on this happening on this trip, so I was thrilled that I was able to contact James and arrange a meeting that day. After a bit of off-roading through a village and a hike up a mountain we made it to the James’ house. The MLF representative was able to share about the program with James and another church member and they were really excited. James will be moving forward with MLF to arrange the training and start of the program. This program will be offered to about 30 women in the church community and should start in the next few weeks. These micro-loans will give these women the opportunity to build their businesses, which will allow them to provide for their families. Most of these women have kids, husbands, and other relatives that will be directly impacted by this economic opportunity. It is probably safe to say that 120-150 people could have their lives radically altered through this program. As I drove up the mountains heading back to Blantyre last Tuesday I reflected upon my day in Chikwawa. It was a surreal experience to help facilitate the connection between these churches and MLF knowing that this program could transform the lives of so many people. This was truly one of the most rewarding days of my time here in Malawi and one I am grateful to have experienced. I want to thank all of you who have supported us through prayer and finances. It is because of your prayer and support that lives here in Malawi are being transformed and the love of God is on full display. Without you, these 30 ladies, and 150 or so familiy members, in Chikwawa would not have the opportunity to experience such a life changing experience. |
