Zomba, Malawi … They all have dreams and expectations, and they all have desires, needs and ambitions. Yet their inner self cannot be revealed, nor can it be known by the outside world. They go through a terrible kind of torment each day, and they face the realities of a life with little or no expectation of having their situations reversed. These are the expectations that orphaned children face in the nation of Malawi. Yet, with God’s hand there is hope and the possibility for a different future for such children as organizations are increasingly paying more attention to their plight.
Recognizing the vast problems faced by the orphan situation many community-based organizations are mushrooming across the country. These village community groups work towards helping underprivileged children who lack necessities in life by sourcing aid from other organizations and individuals, while at the same time trying to create self-help activities that will generate income. To so many of these orphans clothes, food, school fees, shelter are not part of everyday life.
Located just inside the southeastern district of Zomba is the One Voice Community Based Organization. It focuses on reaching out to underprivileged children in 14 surrounding villages. The organization is caring for a total of 160 orphans. These children receive basic education in a grass thatched shelter erected 12 kilometers west of the district capital. These children get porridge for breakfast each morning before they receive basing academic principles at the centre.
Two of the 160 children, Ester Thabu, 9 and Hamadu Dauda, 10 are physically challenged. Besides facing the lack of clothes, food and good shelter, Ester cannot walk to and from preschool. This forces her mother to carry her on her back. In view of this, the CBO’s director sought a wheelchair for the little girl. Meeting Ester and her friends for the first time, the realization of their needs was clearly visible With help from the Malawi Project, a donation of T/shirts and pencils was given to each of the 160 children.
In addition, two wheelchairs were given to little Ester and Hamidu to help them freely go to and from school. This donation was made possible through the joint efforts of Malawi Project and Free Wheelchair Mission. These two children were attacked by cerebral malaria earlier in life.
After receiving the wheelchair, Ester’s mother expressed happiness and thanked God for the help to her daughter. “She was attacked by cerebral malaria when she was 2 years old and from that time on, she has been unable to walk”. She spoke with tears flowing down her cheeks, as she remembered how it all started. Ester hails from Nkawa village of Traditional Authority Mlumbe-Zomba. She expressed how important the wheelchair will be as she will no longer have to carry the young girl on her back to get to school and back home.
Formed in 2007, One Voice Community Based Organization is registered with the Malawi Government’s social Welfare and the District Health Office to carry such activities as peer Education, Advocacy, Vocational Training, Community Based Child Care (CBCC).
In his remarks, as he received the donation from the Namikango Mission, Shadrick Tambala said it is pleasing to note that the Mission has considered helping these orphans in a shortest notice. “We are pleased that the Namikango Mission has gone that far by helping these orphaned children. As a village organization, we lack a lot of supplies to help these children with and it’s of great help that the Mission has donated these clothes, Pencils and Wheelchairs that will go a long way in making these children self reliant in future”.
Village headman Nkawa 1, in whose area the organization is located, expressed not only happiness to witness the orphans in his area receiving the assorted items, but was touched that aid from an International Organization was channeled to his village. “As a village headman, it is for the first time to witness such a big donation being given to my subjects, more especially orphans. These orphans lack a lot of things and it is my hope that Namikango Mission will continue considering these children.”
As we left the centre, we were all witnesses as we saw little Ester going home on a new wheelchair with a new T/shirt and a pencil that she will be using at school the following morning and indeed in future.
– Wilson Isaac Tembo & Richard Stephens