Sharing Resources

So, I really just am so amazed how resourceful Malawians are. I am guessing it is how resourceful most Africans are, but … my experience was in Malawi.

This picture depicts water being transported through a homemade tube made from two soda bottles. RiseMalawi staff were planning for the youth activities for the day ahead, and thus, the contraption to complete the work of collecting water from the tap.

“Africans bend what little they have to their will everyday. Using creativity, they overcome Africa’s challenges. Where the world sees trash, Africa recycles. where the world seeks junk, Africa sees rebirth.” –William Kamkwamba (Malawian, and coauthor, The Boy who Harnessed the Wind)

A Letter from Doreen

Doreen is a young girl. A sweet, kind, and inquisitive girl. She is Malawian, and she is from the southern city called Blantyre. Blantyre in my opinion is beautiful, and hilly, and full of color, vibrancy and a business city, too.

Doreen and I first met, back in April 2012, when I spent some time working at Rays of Hope. I was in BT just under two months, and did not know Doreen had grown so close to me. The day I declared it was my last day, she drew pictures for me, and joined some of the others when writing me notes. She wrote me a note, that I still have today, that says “I love you more than a cup of tea!” When I read this, I sighed, because I know Malawians LOOOOVE their tea, but then I learned that is a well known phrase in Malawi, for expressing love, I knew how sincere her note truly was. I melted knowing this, and her tears, made me cry… we hugged once more, and I drove off..

She has since been in my memories and prayers, and in my stories, for when I talk about the kids who do not have, but use all resources to set goals and hope to accomplish them too.
She wants to be a nurse. She wants to heal the sick. She comes from a poor family, and luckily has the opportunity to attend Rays of Hope Ministries.
Willie Mpasuka & John Zekeyo, loyal leaders in the community, both here and there. Mpasuka working on a Masters, at Eastern University, with the hope of bringing back more knowledge to further the work that Zekeyo is working on the ground in BT, now. They are literally providing hope and opportunity to the youth, young adults and the community at large. They are making academics a priority and leading like Christ, through their Christian leadership.
Since being back in Malawi, this past July, Holly and Ally were able to meet Doreen. We sang songs in the pitch dark night, as the power had gone out. She was in John’s house, able to see what education can do for ones life. Dinner was being prepared, as we hugged and share quality time, catching up.  Praise God, she was doing well, but studying A LOT! She was to sit for the 8th grade exam, which is a cumulative exam covering not just many subjects but many years of learning…
Pass this exam with high marks, get selected to secondary school.
Fail this exam, repeat 8th grade and try again next year.
The youth all across Malawi are under immense pressure, and to fail, its un-motivating, and trying.

Shown below is a letter from Doreen, as she shares an update about having to sit for the upcoming exam…
Doreen Gausi for Molly

….Today I received this email from my friend John, telling me 20 students out of 22 passed the national exam, and got selected into secondary schools!!

Thank you God for this amazing news! Thank you John and Willie for living and breathing for this city, and its children, its future.
Doreen is one of the 20 who made it!! 🙂

Amazing!

To You, Our Dear and Loved Family

This was the address on the letter I received from my favorite family in Madisi.
Carrot, his Mother and his brother Stephen, and their younger siblings have played a significant role in my experiences and life in Madisi.

The are my neighbors, they live on less than $1.25/day. They are practically raised by a single mother, since daddy is practicing polygamy and is usually out of the house.
Mom is a provider, trying as she sells groundnuts, and offers herself to do piece work within the community, resiliently, she smiles.
The Ibrahim family, and their smiles, oh my goodness, they are contagious. Carrot and I initially met back in 2010, when his smile captured me from across the room, and commanded my smile back. Now, I have memories of sitting inside on the simple bamboo mat in one of the two rooms of their mud/brick house, by candle light — telling stories. My Malawian momma, as I call Carrots’ mom, illuminates this small room, and humbles me with her words, as she calls me family, banja (in chichewa), O’hana (in Hawaiian, one of my favorite ways to say it). We sat, and she shared how she was scared to see me leave June 2012, and how she was worried, she would never see me again.. She faithfully prayed and thanked God for bringing me into her and her families’ life. She told us this, and I felt her love. My heart felt.
She then let me introduce Ally and Holly, and with Stephen and Carrot helpfully able to translate, they were interpreting the girls’ stories into Chichewa. I was sharing how Holly re inspired the faith I had, in order to trust God, that coming back was in His plan. I shared how Holly had never been on a plane, yet had met friends in the U.S. that were from Malawi, and how she wanted to see the impact they are making in their own communities around Malawi. As for Ally, she has always dreamed of coming to Malawi; she has been praying for this country since she was a child. Her family was connected to a couple who served as missionaries in Malawi, hence, all the prayers. All this was shared, and translated and love was lit up in the eyes of mom, Carrot, Stephen, Ally, Holly and I. Pure joy was abound, and I am constantly thanking God for that night, and the unplanned moments in our trip, that made it more worthwhile.
—

Leaving Madisi, after 8 days was particularly difficult for my team, since they were absolutely in love, and impressed by the RiseMalawi Ministry and the impacts they are making on the young people. We said goodbye at camp, but could not leave without visiting our family, one last time.

Me and my Brothers..

 

 

Carrot in Red, Stephen next, Holly, Ally and Shebo the younger brother.

 

From Dirt to a Desk, LIft a Child Up.

The title says it all,

Please visit this link, its an amazing post, that is worth sharing and getting involved.