Five Years and Nearly Five Hundred Quilts Later

    It started in 1998 when Jenny Church from Indianapolis, Indiana USA made a quilt for her employer to take to Malawi and give to a needy family. When the Stephens couple returned that year they brought Jenny a picture of the recipient of her first donated quilt. Her story appeared on the Project’s web site and was also featured in a story in the Indianapolis Star newspaper’s coverage of the Malawi Project’s work in Africa. When people learned the plight of the peaceful, poor people of Malawi they reacted.

    Across the U. S. women started making quilts and blankets for the Project. One of these groups was the Busy Bee Quilting Group in Greenwood, Indiana. The 85 members of the group started working for Malawi in a big way, led by the efforts and interest of Mrs. Suzanna Miller.

    In a recent report on their progress since that day in 2002, this group alone has produced 432 quilts, 83 receiving blankets, 55 bags of soap, lotions and diapers and 45 gowns. Other individuals from various parts of the nation have added additional quilts and blankets to that number. Another person is Mrs. Ida Partlow of Portland, Oregon who has contributed box after box of humanitarian aid, including large numbers of baby blankets, quilted hats, and hand made dresses. Teams including a 2007 team from Auburn, Alabama added even more quilts to the needs of Malawi.

    In 2007 the members of the Project’s board prepared to leave for Malawi. Shortly before their departure Jenny Church appeared with her newest creation, another hand made quilt to be given to an appropriate recipient. The team packed it in their personal luggage in order to insure its safe arrival.

    Pictured upper right are Suzi Stephens of the Malawi Project and Suzanna Miller with the Busy Bee Quilting Group. In the picture below Stephens and Amanda Savage who traveled to Malawi in 2007 with a team from Auburn, Alabama.