Malawi
Accommodations:
Transportation: bus/van
Lodging: Madisi Parsonage
Food: Typical dish- lots of rice and possibly a meat like chicken or fish
Worship: Madisi Worship
Cultural Day: Market Trips/ Safari
Economic Empowerment:
ZOE: A ZOE working group provides orphans and vulnerable children a community where they experience understanding, compassion, and acceptance. Poverty often means a life lived in isolation, unconnected even from those who share the same struggles and challenges, but through ZOE, they can begin their journey towards a better life together.
HOW IS IT DONE?
- ZOE program facilitators first contact community leaders and local officials to educate them about the empowerment approach and to ask for their help in identifying children. During the first meeting, the children and their young caregivers learn how they will change and improve their lives within three years. The ZOE takes a step back.
- Working group members elect their own leadership, make rules to guide their meetings, choose a group name and decide where to hold weekly gatherings.
- The group selects a project, such as a group farm, or decide on a mutual help activity, like building dish drying racks for each other. This fosters companionship and teaches the children that they can depend on each other as they journey together towards a new life of self-sufficiency.
- The eldest child from each family attends weekly meetings to discuss their activities, both achievements and challenges, and to share in prayer and reflection with each other. Additionally, ZOE’s staff and selected community members hold regular training sessions covering the topics of food security, health and disease prevention, business management, and child rights.
**There are 147 households and a total of 328 members thus far.
- Chiyembekezo “Hope” Working Group: 25 Heads of Household (Ages 14-21), Total Number of Children is 59
- Dalitso “Blessing” Work Group: 37 Heads of Household (Ages 14-21), Total Number of Children is 85
- Limbikani “Work Hard” Working Group: 29 Heads of Household (Ages 13-20), Total Number of Children is 74
- Tadala “Blessed” Working Group: 24 Heads of Household (Ages 13-20), Total Number of Children is 46
- Umodzi “Unity” Working Group: 32 Heads of Household (Ages 13-22), Total Number of Children is 64
Small Business Training:
- A training workshop in business management and financial prudent was conducted for five days from 4th to 8th April at Madisi Secondary School. The training targeted youths who are different levels of intervention from first to third years. This training was designed through a number of training methodologies such as lecturing, question and answer, focused group discussions and presentations among others. The participants were also equipped with technical skill on how they can manage business finances. The training aimed at boosting capacity of the youths in coming up with sustainable businesses.
- We have supported children with additional funds to boost their businesses.
- We have paid school fees for 27 students in secondary school and supported 79 pupils in primary school with uniforms.
Education: ZOE- The preschoolers showing us some of the songs and lessons they have learned. Paid school fees for 27 students in secondary school and supported 79 pupils in primary school with uniforms.
Health: Only a portion of the medical supplies we brought with us for clinic.
- We conducted training on HIV/AIDS for five days from 22nd to 26th April, 2015. The topics included: introduction of HIV/AIDS, mode of transmission, signs and symptoms, prevention, relationship between HIV/AIDS and STIs, meaning of Anti AIDS Clubs, roles and responsibility of Anti AIDS Clubs, HIV testing and counseling and communication. We formed three Anti AIDS Clubs.
