Here is the latest update from Moses M’Tambo, our Chifundo program director in Kalieka Township, Malawi. He starts with the background story of one of the Chifundo children, Hannah Yesaya…
Hannah Yesaya was born on 9th April in 2006 into a Christian family of five children, all girls. She is currently at nursery school, enjoys playing with toys and answering questions proficiently.
Both of Hannah’s parents are HIV positive and on ARV treatment. When the father first tested HIV positive, he did not tell his wife and began taking the ARV drugs secretly. His wife was later involved in a car accident that almost paralyzed her and while hospitalized, discovered that she was also HIV+.
Because of these situations, the family struggles to survive. Hannah’s mother has had little education and is completely unskilled – she cannot get a job. Her father has faced discrimination in various work places because of his HIV status so he has tried to start a small tinsmith business. However, tinsmith work requires a lot of hard work and a man of his poor health cannot withstand it. This greatly affects his ability to provide and makes it difficult to estimate their income from from one week to the next. Hannah and her family live in a rented house and it is hard for her father to pay the rent and or even provide food. This is why Hannah so desperately needs the food, clothing, supplies and services the Chifundo program provides.
I recently visited two other children, Blessings and Praise Kandulu at their home. While there I met with their grandmother who told me she was impressed by their spiritual and social growth. She also shared the challenges she is facing since the children were orphaned – such as providing clothing and proper food for two more people. I encouraged her with the word of God and prayed with her.
The participation of kids outside the main Chifundo program continues to increase. The township kids are excited to the point of forgetting that they are only supposed to come once a week. They are also showing up on all the days the main Chifundo children meet, bringing the total attendance to as high as 70 children. It is really a big problem for us to turn any child away but we are trying our best to resolve this issue.
Thank you for giving sacrificially to show God’s love to the orphans of Malawi. Continue to pray for us so that the Lord should continue to meet all of our needs.