Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world, with just over half its population – mostly people in rural areas – living in poverty. This week, give thanks and pray for local churches across the country that are taking steps to transform the lives of people in amazing ways.
Sunday 21 May
Faced with declining harvests because of climate change and the rising costs of fertilisers, small-scale farmers in Chiradzulu, Malawi, have found a sustainable solution to increase their yields. They produce natural fertiliser from locally sourced ingredients that they call ‘bomb’. ‘It’s better than fertilisers from the shops – my yields were far much higher,’ says farmer Lovemore. Praise God for this innovation.
Monday 22 May
Kankhombe Primary School in Salima, Malawi, used to only have four toilets for its 351 schoolchildren. ‘The situation was critical – some girls were forced to skip school on certain days of the month,’ says headteacher Mr Munyukwi. The high rates of absenteeism are now a thing of the past since Tearfund supported the school to build eight toilet blocks. Pray for Malawian girls still facing period poverty.
Tuesday 23 May
Mercy fled from her abusive husband with her two children. Give thanks to God that she was able to join a Tearfund-supported self-help group and now grows and sells groundnuts, meaning she’s able to provide for her family. ‘The group has really transformed my life,’ she says. ‘When I look back, I cannot help but say thanks to the Lord.’
Wednesday 24 May
Martha’s joy at discovering she was pregnant turned to fear when she became ill shortly after. ‘I was worried I would lose the baby,’ says Martha, who lives in Chiradzulu, Malawi. But her prayers were answered when a woman from the local church, Joy, became her ‘mother buddy’ and helped her to stay healthy. Pray that more pregnant women in Malawi will get the support they need during pregnancy.
Thursday 25 May
The Kazengera self-help group in Salima is transforming the lives of its members in many innovative ways, including irrigating farmland with a ‘treadle’ – a human-powered suction pump.‘We are grateful to Tearfund for the assistance they gave us in procuring the pump,’ says group member John. Give thanks that they can now grow vegetables throughout the year.
Friday 26 May
Kaphirifulu Church Network in Salima received training from a Tearfund local church partner about how to identify the most urgent issues to tackle in their community. They decided that lack of water was the greatest need. So they pooled their resources and drilled a borehole, which now provides 341 people with fresh, clean water. Pray that more local churches will be encouraged into action.
Saturday 27 May
With 97 per cent of people in Malawi dependent on burning wood for cooking, widespread deforestation is a huge problem. In response, Pastor Harold’s church in Salima has led an initiative that has so far planted 63,480 trees. ‘We have one goal of making our area much greener through tree planting,’ he says. Pray that more churches in the area will catch this vision.
