Chifundo Director Pastor Moses Mtambo and his hard-working Malawian team have done it again!! Every year they make Christmas a wonderful memory for the kids in our Kaliyeka township program for orphans and vulnerable children – and this year was no exception.
Thanks to their hard work and generous supporters here in the US, Ancient Path was able to provide a Christmas feast and new school uniforms for all 120 children in the program. In addition, the team distributed maize to the guardians of every household, making this a “successful and unforgettable” event, according to Pastor Moses.
On Christmas Day the team rose early to begin food preparation – not an easy task for so many people and all over an open fire, of course! The excited children arrived at noon, gathering under the open shelter recently constructed by the team to protect them from the rains.
While waiting eagerly for their meal to be served, Pastor Moses shared the heart of the Christmas story. He reminded them of the “special free gift of God” to be celebrated with gladness on this Christmas Day and to live generously, always sharing what we have with others. Next it was the children’s turn to participate and Moses writes – “they were just good!” They sang songs, answered Bible questions and stood, one after the other, to talk about what the story of Christmas means to their lives.
By 1:00 pm the party was in full swing and each child dined on a plate overflowing with delicious food: chicken and rice (a rare treat!), vegetables and fruit and bottles of soda. The feast was followed by dancing and even the village chief joined the party – much to everyone’s delight! Hours later, the children went to their homes with the reminder to return another day with their guardians for part two of their Christmas celebration.
That day arrived and once again the children and and guardians gathered – this time to receive maize for each household and a new school uniform for each child. Pastor Moses encouraged the guardians to care for the children and to raise them up hand-in-hand with the Chifundo team to be future leaders in the community. A representative from a local community organization talked about the impact of the Chifundo program in Kaliyeka Township and asked Moses to convey their gratitude to the Ancient Path team and contributors for the effective work here.
As the guardians lined up with buckets to receive their maize, everything went smoothly for the first hour. But since there is no Chifundo facility yet, food and supply distribution must happen in view of the rest of the community. As the word spreads more and more hungry people line up hoping to receive maize. Moses writes “it was a great challenge to see someone you know removed from the line” as the names were called out from the Chifundo register. Every Chifundo household eventually received their portion, but it is never easy to turn hungry people away.
After the maize distribution, the children lined up to receive their school uniforms. Although public primary education is free to all children in Malawi, the students must purchase their own school uniform, notebooks and pens. Many children are unable to attend school because their families cannot afford the uniform or the price of a pen. Ancient Path regularly provides the necessary school supplies for these 120 children – and on this day, everyone went home with a new uniform!
This is quite an accomplishment considering that the uniforms are not store-bought in standard sizes as they are here in the US. Chifundo team members have to measure all the children, shop for enough fabric and sewing supplies, and then hire and oversee the tailors to complete the project. Add to this the outdoor market shopping for food supplies and the purchase and delivery of large quantities of maize – this team has been busy! A huge “well done” to Moses and his team!!
And many thanks to all of you who give to these children. Because of you they are regularly fed, clothed, cared for in sickness and able to go to school. Every dollar you give makes a difference and in 2013, we ask that you to continue to help us help them!
More photos of Christmas in Malawi! [flickr-gallery mode=”photoset” photoset=”72157632596372472″]