The Malawi Project continues to enlarge its programs of assistance in other districts of Malawi. One of the program additions is the Kuthandiza Osayenda Disability Outreach in Salima, Malawi.
The Kuthandiza program was started because of the disability of its director, Mr. George Chimpiko Banda who was born with disabled feet and legs. His lifelong struggle with his disability has spawned a focus on helping others who suffer from similar disabilities. George reports, “This conviction caused me to start sacrificing some of my resources to reach out to these people in the form of village to village visits, provision for some second hand cloth, wheelchairs, and tricycles to enhance mobility.” George also comments about his assistance to his clients in their spiritual life, as well as a limited amount of aid in cash, and his help in HIV/Aids counseling.
Richard Stephens, Executive Director of the Malawi Project notes, “We started working with George in 2006 and we were immediately impressed with him and.jpg)
with his focus on his mission to help the handicapped of his nation. In this case where a major disability slowed his life since childhood George is a real life example of someone who has turned lemons into lemonade. George has taken his own disability and turned it into a life long commitment to helping his countrymen.”
As word of his activities spread George reports that the resources he had available could not keep up with the demand, so he started soliciting funds from some well wishers. As the work continued to grow it called for bigger facilities and more funding. The Outreach organization (KODO) was started and facilities were rented on the east side of the main road near the Salima Trading Center in Eastern Malawi.
The organization has seven trustees and ten committee members, and its outreach is beginning to spread into all three regions of the country.
In 2006 the Malawi Project, through a partnership with the Free Wheelchairs Mission in southern California sent 100 wheelchairs to George for distribution to people he was working with. Today the Malawi Project is supplying the resources to paint and re-letter the front of his building, and plans are under way to give him additional resources and wheelchairs for his work.