Posts Tagged ‘World Relief’
Rwanda, Full of Heroes
Twenty years ago this month, a systemic and insidious darkness took hold of Rwanda. Conflict arising from post-World War Western interests manifested itself in the genocidal slaughter of as many as 1 million people. The wound is healing, but it is also spreading, reaching across borders into sister nations Burundi and the Congo.
Since 1995, we have been pursuing restoration in Rwanda and her neighboring countries. At first, our presence involved immediate emergency response. Today, we are seeking to restore lives so the most vulnerable individuals and communities are empowered physically, spiritually, relationally, economically.
President & CEO Stephan Bauman writes, “Reconciliation doesn’t take place on a stage during a ceremony or in a courtroom. It takes place one community at a time.” The more we empower the local Church in Rwanda to restore the most vulnerable, the more we realize our role in the equation. We are not the solution, nor are we the heroes.
These local church congregation members are heroes. A widow in their community had taken in her grandson after his mother remarried and his stepfather rejected him. Together, the church members built the widow and her grandson a new home.
They also began supporting the grandmother and grandson by providing resources that would help them thrive. They gave the boy a goat, which is a sustainable source of food and income.
The young boy (left) is also a hero. When the church was able to provide him with a second goat, instead of keeping it for himself, he gave one away to a friend whose family was also in need.
Heroes like these are supported, empowered and equipped through the local Church in Rwanda, a powerful force with the unprecedented ability to bring lasting transformation to the nation. This local Church places hope in the same Gospel and belongs to the same Body of Christ as churches around the world, even in our own neighborhood. We are intimately connected.
In 2 Corinthians 12:26, Paul speaks of the Body of Christ when he writes, “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.”
Today, as we stand alongside our Rwandan brothers and sisters in remembrance of the genocide, churches across the world enter into the suffering of the local Church in Rwanda. But we also rejoice, because the story of Rwanda is full of “heroes who make their lives the solution by daily choosing forgiveness and grace instead of retribution and bitterness” (Stephan Bauman).
EMPOWER a HERO each month.
GIVE a GOAT to a vulnerable family through our Catalog of Hope.
(Images by Sean Sheridan)
A Hero in the Democratic Republic of Congo
The Democratic Republic of Congo. It is the second largest country in Africa, home to more than 70 million people and over 250 tribes and languages. It shares a border with eight countries, playing an essential role in the economic and social development across the continent. Its unique rainforest and river ecosystems, fertile grounds and high concentration of valuable raw minerals give it nearly unlimited potential. The Democratic Republic of Congo is also home to the largest conflict since World War II. Since 1996, over five million Congolese have died as a result. Others are vulnerable to rebel group activity, extreme poverty, prevalent diseases including malaria and HIV/AIDS, a high infant mortality rate and sexual violence against women and girls ages two to 60.
Where is God in a war-torn country like the DR Congo, where eight out of every ten women is a victim of rape? Psalm 72:14 gives us a promise of his faithfulness in regions like the DR Congo when it says, “He will rescue them from oppression and violence, for precious is their blood in his sight” (NIV).
Rutshuru is a town located in the North Kivu province of eastern DRC. Pastor Fabian is from the Pentecostal Church in Kelengera, Rutshuru territory. At 58 years old, he is the father of 7 children and a true hero in his community. He refused to flee when M23 soldiers advanced. He said he could not leave his congregation behind.
(Image: Sean Sheridan)
On July 21, 2013, Fabian was taken by rebel soldiers from his home into the bush, without shoes, proper clothes or the ability to notify his wife. His feet were wounded on lava stone as he followed soldiers into the forest. After walking the entire night, he was brought before the Chief rebel and accused of espionage: he had hosted some Tutsi women who were passing into Rwanda, an act punishable by death according to rebel soldiers.
Fabian explained his role as a Pastor and a follower of Christ meant he had a commitment to all God’s children, regardless of their tribe. Fabian only asked that the soldiers not use machetes but a bullet to kill him, explaining that he was ready to be received in Heaven.
The soldiers held Fabian captive for ten days. Without a shirt, he suffered from the cold and insect bites that caused blood to cover his body. He was given two pieces of uncooked root to eat every day. He was repeatedly interrogated. Child soldiers guarded him by night, informing him that they were eagerly awaiting the command to shoot him. Fabian prayed aloud day and night, refusing to let rebels call his community for a ransom.
On July 31, a rebel leader told Fabian he could be free if he left his possessions, including his money. With only a cell phone and an ID card, Fabian was led blindfolded by child soldiers through the night. Fabian awoke the next morning weak, wounded and traumatized, but he was home. His family, community and church celebrated that God had delivered “Papa Fabien” from the “den of lions.”
Those with hope in Jesus Christ know how the battle ends, for Colossians 1:20 explains that through Jesus Christ all things shall be reconciled to God through the peace established for mankind on the cross. World Relief has been present in the DR Congo since 2002, responding to its Biblical mandate to empower the local Church to bring peace and restoration to torn communities through village peace committees.
In reality, World Relief has stepped into God’s pre-existing, ongoing restorative plan for the most vulnerable. And what an honor it is.
Empower a Hero like Pastor Fabian today.
Happy International Women’s Day!
Today on International Women’s Day and every day, we are proud to empower vulnerable women around the world with opportunities, skills, resources and a strong sense of their inherent dignity and worth.
Women are often marginalized in many ways, sometimes lacking access to the most basic services. We know that the women we serve possess nearly unlimited potential to be change agents in their homes, communities and nations. Depending on the specific needs in the areas we work, we establish home-based care groups to improve household nutrition, address the holistic needs of those at risk for HIV/AIDS, provide necessary skills and resources for mothers, prevent human trafficking, address the comprehensive needs of trafficking survivors, resettle refugee women and form local savings groups to bring financial services and opportunities to unreached women.
Our Savings For Life is particularly important in empowering women. Women work together to collectively save and provide loans to one another. The groups are sustainable, eventually becoming self-led, small financial institutions in communities where there are none. The groups provide women with the ability to establish financial independence, provide for their families and start their own businesses. Most importantly, savings groups become places of fellowship and community. Along with savings skills, women learn about the power of the Gospel in transforming their lives and address issues like HIV/AIDS and best practices for farming.
The following stories are taken from our field offices and provide just a small snapshot of empowered women in some of the world’s poorest areas. Help us STAND for and with women like these.
Monica is from a small village in Kenya. A year ago, Monica joined a womens’ association called the “Good Hope” savings group. Since 2011, the group has been participating in village savings and loan associations, a program implemented by World Relief and local partners. Group members save and lend their funds among themselves and contribute a small amount to a social fund each week that can be used during times of need. Members are able to start projects for one another, providing the resources for needed home repairs and school expenses. Since joining this group, Monica has been able to use small loans to start her own clothing business. She is also able to set aside savings for her baby, Rachael.
Christine is from the DR Congo, where extreme conflict makes women particularly vulnerable to violence and extreme poverty. Christine watched a neighbor participate in a savings group and use her resources to buy a goat for the family and pay school fees. Christine decided to join a savings group and now invests some of the income she makes as a farmer. “I was taught by my field officer from the Bible that ‘whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously,’” She said.
Judith is 40 years old and lives in Makamba province in Burundi. She is married with six children, two of whom are in school. She is the president of a village savings and loan association in her community. Prior to joining the group, she was unable to pay for needed home repairs, her children’s’ school fees or for medical care when her children were sick. She said, “We save our money, get credits and make a small business. This makes our family happy. If someone (a member) gets a problem, we help him/her with the social fund. We talk together as members of an association and study HIV/AIDS.” After witnessing his wife’s success, Judith’s husband also joined a local savings group.
Are you interested in empowering more women like Monica, Christine and Judith? STAND for vulnerable women with us today.
Happy International Women’s Day!
#Enditmovement: Meeting Survivors’ Needs In The U.S.
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Why are we a part of #enditmovement? At World Relief we seek to empower the local Church to serve the most vulnerable, which inherently includes the oppressed and exploited. We work to prevent trafficking in high-risk cities in our Asia offices, but we also provide comprehensive services to survivors in our U.S. offices. We are excited to come alongside coalition partners The A21 Campaign, ECPAT USA, Free The Slaves, IJM, Love 146, Made In A Free World, Not For Sale, The Polaris Project, World Vision as well as millions of advocates worldwide as we shine a light on slavery.
The 2013 Trafficking in Persons Report defines human trafficking as “the act of recruiting, harboring, transporting, providing, or obtaining a person for compelled labor or commercial sex acts through the use of force, fraud, or coercion.” It is an under-reported, often invisible, global tragedy enslaving over 21 million people and grossing $32 billion each year. Despite the presence of state and federal laws addressing this crime, as many as 17,500 people are trafficked into the United States every year for sexual and labor exploitation. Of the one million children exploited in the global sex trade every year, a staggering 244 thousand American children and youth are at risk.
Jennifer Marks (right) is the Church Mobilizer and Volunteer Coordinator at World Relief Tampa, which has provided restorative services to survivors of human trafficking since 2004. She has agreed to provide a snapshot human trafficking in one region of the United States and what it looks like to mobilize the local Church and community in response.
Describe the state of human trafficking in the areas you serve.
J.M:The Tampa Bay region, Florida’s second largest metropolitan area, is renowned for its beautiful beaches, diverse cuisine, and thriving nightlife. Yet, beneath the surface of this vibrant community, the burgeoning criminal industry of modern day slavery thrives. In fact, Florida ranks third in the nation for calls placed to the National Human Trafficking Hotline and is one of the highest destination states for women, men, and children trafficked into the United States.
Who does World Relief Tampa serve?
J.M:World Relief Tampa assists men and women, both foreign-born and U.S. citizens. World Relief Tampa provides direct case management for adult survivors and works with local partners to meet the specific needs of trafficked children. In previous years, World Relief Tampa served exclusively foreign-born survivors, the majority of whom were male labor trafficking survivors. However, due to expanded funding, World Relief Tampa is now able to serve adult female domestic sex trafficking survivors; a population which has comprised the majority of our case load since 2012.
Can you provide an overview of your office’s work and the services offered to victims?
J.M:World Relief Tampa has three staff members, including myself. In partnership with local churches, law enforcement and community groups, our team provide direct services and referrals to meet the physical, psychological and spiritual needs of human trafficking survivors.
To address these comprehensive needs, World Relief Tampa relies upon pro bono partnerships and leverages community resources to provide transportation, food, health care, counseling, ESOL, housing, clothing, legal advocacy and employment services. Expanding our pro-bono networks is a high priority given the intense medical and psychological needs of clients and the expansive geographic circumference of the region.
In addition to client services, World Relief Tampa conducts community outreach. As the Church Mobilizer/Volunteer Coordinator, it is my responsibility to engage and equip the local Church, build partnerships, advance prevention strategies, acquire critical resources and increase awareness.
In what ways is the local church involved?
J.M:Church partnerships are critical to successfully addressing survivors’ comprehensive needs. One of the most important roles of the local church is praying for the rescue and restoration of survivors and for an end to the great evil of modern day slavery. Churches also facilitate anti-trafficking awareness presentations to increase understanding and involvement within congregations and collect donations of money and needed items. Finally, churches assist World Relief Tampa in forming new relationships with pro bono medical professionals and life mentors.
In what ways are volunteers from the local community involved?
J.M:Volunteers assist with fundraising, collection of donations, awareness, mall outreach campaigns, birthday and Christmas collection drives for survivors and mentoring on a case-by-case basis (preceded by specialized training and background checks).
From where does most of your financial support come? How is that changing?
J.M:Prior to 1994, World Relief Tampa focused on refugee resettlement and equipping the church to “welcome the stranger” into our congregations and our hearts. Funds provided by the US State Department Refugee Resettlement Program and church donations allowed World Relief Tampa to reach hundreds of vulnerable refugees.
In 2004, World Relief received a grant from the US Department of Justice (DOJ) to serve victims of human trafficking in the Southeastern United States through the “Network of Emergency Trafficking Services” (NETS) program. World Relief Tampa became the pilot site for this program and has continued to receive federal funding to expand anti-trafficking activities in Tampa for the past 9 years.
This federal funding will end in April 2014. As a result, World Relief in Tampa must increasingly rely on the local Church to fund the expenses associated with meeting the vast needs of human trafficking survivors in the Tampa Bay region. However, as awareness grows, local churches are increasingly sharing a vision for their indispensable role in demonstrating God’s love for victims of exploitation and abuse.
What victories have you witnessed at your office over the past years?
J.M:The last couple of years have been marked by change, creating a host of challenges and blessings. In 2012, World Relief Tampa began ministering to domestic victims of human trafficking. Over the next year and a half, 90 percent of World Relief Tampa’s clients would be female American sex trafficking victims, a majority of whom lack basic life skills and struggle with crippling drug addictions, PTSD and trauma bonding. Additional training bolstered staff competence (and confidence), but nothing brought peace like the power of prayer. As the World Relief team experienced a deeper understanding of the intense spiritual warfare surrounding service to these women, churches launched prayer groups to stand with staff in this battle for the restoration of bodies, minds and souls.World Relief Tampa is confident that God will move mountains to defend the vulnerable as the Christian community moves out in His strength and provision.
In addition, World Relief Tampa has initiated a Mall Outreach Campaign to equip churches to launch awareness and prevention ministries in local malls, a documented venue for trafficking recruitment. Malls are being prayed over and employees at over two hundred stores have already been educated on what to do if they witness suspicious behavior. To further target those on the front lines, World Relief Tampa is traveling throughout the region to provide domestic minor sex trafficking training to mall security teams.
What are some of your goals for the future?
To better meet the comprehensive needs of human trafficking survivors, we will continue to build our community of church partnerships and expand pro bono serve providers. In particular, we hope to add pro bono trauma counselors to guide clients in their restoration journey. Similarly, we will develop strategies to better connect clients with church congregations and healthy mentors who are trained and equipped to provide long-term guidance and friendship.
To meet the needs of survivors and ensure the long-term financial security of the World Relief Tampa human trafficking ministry, we are also developing a plan to broaden the support base through monthly financial donors.
When asked to share a piece of scripture integral to the mission of World Relief’s Tampa office, Marks shared Matthew 25:34-40. The passage is a reminder of the necessary changes we must make in our lives to advocate for the oppressed. It ends with Jesus’ words: “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
Learn more about World Relief.
Learn more about #Enditmovement and how you can get involved!
Give the gift of hope to survivors of human trafficking around the world.
(India) Pastor Daniel’s Story
This is Pastor Daniel Jayachandran, a local pastor in India. He is pictured with his wife, Amutha and their three children. In 2012, he attended World Relief’s Families for Life training and was so moved by the message of healthy marriages that he appointed a new pastor over his church and moved to an unreached area to plant new churches. He disciples other pastors and trains them using the Families for Life curriculum. These pastors often go on to reach thousands of congregation members and people living with HIV. We are proud to empower pastors like Daniel who go on to change their communities with the holistic Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Ending Poverty Means Ending Violence
“Without an end to the violence that plagues so many in slums, labor camps, brothels, villages, and neighborhoods, our work to end extreme poverty, stop senseless disease among children, and create sustainable economic solutions could erode and even altogether unravel.” –Stephan Bauman, President & CEO of World Relief
As World Relief empowers the local Church to serve the most vulnerable, we come face to face every day with the reality that poor people are extremely vulnerable to violence. Many of the countries in which we operate are war-torn and lack a just rule of law. Around the world, nearly 30 million children, women and men are held as forced labor slaves. One in 5 women will be a victim of rape or attempted rape – and sexual violence makes everyday activities like going to school, gathering water, using a communal restroom or taking public transport dangerous.
At World Relief, we see firsthand that those without protection often lack access to the opportunities, services and materials required to meet their most basic needs. In fact, four billion people – most of the world’s poorest people – live in places where their justice systems do not or cannot protect them from these crippling forms of violence. To advocate for the impoverished, we must also be advocates of peace and protection.
We are joining hands with our friends at International Justice Mission to address the violence directly contributing to poverty around the world. Today, IJM President Gary Haugan and co-author Victor Boutros are releasing their new book, The Locust Effect, to explain why the end of poverty requires the end of violence.
Learn more about The Locust Effect and ways to get involved with the fight for peace. Don’t miss IJM’s unforgettable new video showing what the world is up against as we work together to help the most vulnerable.
World Relief in Burundi: Maternal & Child Health
In Burundi, approximately 58 percent of children under the age of 5 suffer from chronic malnutrition. Malnutrition is associated with serious medical issues later in life as well as lower education attainment, lower earnings and more prevalent violence. It is a result of poor nutritional practices, limited access to food, minimal dietary diversity and chronic illness. Because 80 percent of Burundians live on less than $1.25 per day and have limited access to the most basic financial services, poverty compounds these vulnerabilities and contributes to a cycle of malnutrition in households.
World Relief is empowering the local church to serve the most vulnerable in Burundi and meet the holistic physical, spiritual and relational needs that exist. World Relief provides long-term training and supervision of staff and government officials, who in turn train Health Workers and mothers to promote better health practices in the community through behavioral transformation. Concurrently, World Relief works with the Ministry of Agriculture to train Community Health Workers on the operation and development of small gardens for women to grow food and improve household nutrition and dietary diversity. World Relief also works in partnership with church network Dutabarane to provide crucial financial instruments to the poor through Village Savings and Loans
Associations.
Marasmus is a form of severe malnutrition caused by a deficiency in calories and energy.Félicité Havyarimana, a young woman from the central province of Gitega, had witnessed the effects of the disease in the life of her son, Alfred, ever since he was one year old. She said, “I was sad and desperate, not knowing what to do. In my despair, I turned to traditional healers, convinced that someone had cast a curse on my child.”
When a volunteer from World Relief’s Child Survival Program visited Félicité and examined her son, she explained that Alfred was suffering from malnutrition and that it could be cured. “I didn’t believe her, of course,” said Félicité. “Nevertheless, since nothing had worked so far, I started to follow her advice on health and nutrition, even if I wasn’t really convinced”.
A month later, Alfred began gaining weight and his health began improving. Encouraged, Félicité began participating in World Relief’s cooking workshops, where she learned about the components and preparation of well-balanced meals. “The lessons were really helpful to my children, especially to Alfred who was totally cured and went back to his normal weight,” said Félicité.
Almost three years old, Alfred is now a healthy child who, like many of his peers in the province, has benefited from World Relief’s Maternal & Child Health program. Félicité said that the program opened her eyes to the mistakes she did not know she was making when it came to the nutrition and health of her children. “Now,” she said, “I try as much as possible to keep them on a healthy and well-balanced diet, and I take them to the hospital to see a doctor at the first sign of illness, instead of seeking advice from traditional healers.”
At the root of the program is the long-term goal of Integral transformation of not only behavior, but beliefs, values and attitudes that bring Burundians to a place where they can experience the kind of life Jesus came to bring – life to the full (John 10:10).
Savings For Life: Financial Opportunity for the World’s Most Vulnerable
The world’s poorest have a tremendous capacity and willingness to save and protect assets when financial institutions cannot serve them. They save to meet social obligations, to prepare for emergencies, to start or expand small businesses and to respond to seasonal changes in cash flow. However, the lack of banks in rural areas often leads to high fees and unattainable minimum balance requirements, leaving savings vulnerable to loss and theft.
Since piloting the Savings for Life program in 2008, World Relief has empowered more than 100 thousand participants across six countries through the facilitation of effective and impactful community-based savings and credit groups. After years of testing and expanding, World Relief has developed a program that offers safe and reliable financial services to people who are otherwise excluded from formal banking institutions. Through regular savings and access to appropriately sized loans, group members can meet daily household needs and establish their own income-generating activities.
The Savings for Life program, like other World Relief initiatives, is also one of spiritual transformation. It is integral to the fulfillment of World Relief’s mission to “empower the local church to serve the most vulnerable.” Churches are the point of contact in communities where World Relief is present and pastors work to identify the most vulnerable within those communities. Church volunteers serve as field agents to mobilize and train the savings groups. Finally, World Relief promotes Savings groups because of its commitment to the holistic Gospel of Jesus Christ, a message that leads to transformation in every area of life.
Often, World Relief implements the Savings for Life program alongside other interventions. In Burundi, care group volunteers who bring life-saving health messages to more than 30 thousand mothers every month are invited to participate in Savings for Life groups. In Rwanda, Savings for Life is combined with leadership training so that church and community members can take initiative to meet the needs of vulnerable neighbors with their own resources. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, farmer group members involved in Savings for Life can buy better seeds and fertilizer with their own resources to produce greater yields.
Some of the most vulnerable in Kenya have also benefited from Savings for Life. Compared to other countries in East Africa, Kenya enjoys the largest, most diversified economy (USAID, 2013). Because of its location, the country serves as a place of transport and therefore plays a vital role for much of sub-Saharan Africa. However, decades of unjust governance have stunted economic development. About 60 percent of Kenyans live on US$2 or less per day (USAID, 2013). Kenyans facing poverty often lack access to the most basic financial services. Supplementing the life-impacting work of economic development, Savings for Life groups in Kenya educate members in managing their own savings. As savings accumulate, group members have access to appropriately-sized loans with which they can finance business or personal needs.
In 2011, a women’s group registered with World Relief in Kenya and Fadhili Trust to participate in a village savings and loan association in Ongata Rongai in Kajiado North. Group members save and lend their funds among themselves and also contribute to a social fund to assist with emergencies. When the group began to grow, the women registered with the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Development to be recognized by other institutions and gain negotiation power for development. Now, they plan to begin using savings to purchase land for various group members. In the last two and a half years, not one of the members has defaulted on a loan or payment. This is the story of just one of several groups operating in seven regions across Kenya.
The groups also provide discipleship for members through regular Bible studies. World Relief believes that God’s restorative plan for mankind includes, among many things, character development with regard to stewardship, personal finance and attitude towards work. The goal is not wealth, but worship – pointing the most vulnerable to a right relationship with God through Jesus Christ and empowering them to live in a way that brings Him glory.
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10
World Relief in Fort Worth: A Refugee’s Final Destination
When refugees enter the United States, they are still a long way from their “finaldestination.” Arrival marks the beginning of physical, social, financial, relational and spiritual challenges that threaten this vulnerable population’s ability to be self-sufficient in an unfamiliar culture. World Relief in Fort Worth is empowering the local Church to meet the holistic needs of this group by resettling and meeting the holistic needs of several hundred refugees a year.
There are currently 15 to 16 million refugees in the world. Less than half of one percent of these refugees is offered stable resettlement in a developed nation, but the United States resettles the largest portion of these refugees. Most are given legal residency status and permission to work upon their arrival. They come seeking security, hope and community, but are less likely to experience social connection, more likely to have physical and mental conditions and are entering a country with few economic opportunities. Too often, refugees entering the United States are resettled into spiritual and physical poverty.
World Relief in Fort Worth is seeking to change that. From the moment refugees arrive at the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, they are met with the relational, physical and spiritual love of Jesus Christ. The World Relief staff provides refugees with housing, medical services, cash assistance, ESL, case management, employment assistance and volunteer involvement. Additionally, by partnering with local churches and volunteers, World Relief Fort Worth connects refugees to the greater body of Christ. Often traveling from war-torn, oppressive communities, a refugee’s need for employment, housing and food cannot be separated from his or her need for peace, community and security.
Jason, whose name has been changed for this story, is one such refugee. He grew up in Iran where he and his family practiced Islam faithfully. When he entered university and studied Islamic law in his late teens, Jason found himself drifting from particular aspects of the religion that disturbed him; meanwhile, his interest in Christianity grew. Jason worked in Iran as a human rights attorney and professor before leaving his country and spending two years as a refugee in Turkey. Because he had no family or relations at this point, the UNHCR decided to resettle him in the United States and in August 2012, World Relief Fort Worth welcomed Jason at the airport.
World Relief found him housing in an apartment and employment with AT&T upon his
arrival. He feared his Iranian heritage would create tension with Americans, but he adjusted through the friendship of a World Relief volunteer who Jason now says is “like my brother.” Later, World Relief Fort Worth offered Jason a job as a Case Manager. He says his work with refugees at World Relief is much like what he did in Iran. His experience navigating through their challenges has provided him a special understanding of refugee clients. A.C. Musopole writes, “It is a transformed person who transforms his or her environment,” a compelling truth that is evident in Jason’s life.
The same volunteer whom Jason describes as “family” invited the recent refugee to attend Gateway Church at Southlake. There, Jason made the decision to follow Jesus Christ and asked his friend to help him become baptized. During this interview, Jason’s joy was evident as he talked about the peace he has found in Christianity and how he knows that Jesus Christ is his “final destination.”
Child Care Centers are Vital for Malawian Orphans and Vulnerable Children
In the United States, where about 91 percent of children are covered under some form of health insurance (U.S. Census Bureau, 2011) and have access to health and social services, it can be difficult to acknowledge the stark, contrasting conditions for children in countries like Malawi. There, poverty, food insecurity, HIV/AIDS prevalence and weak social service capacity have led to child abuse, neglect and exploitation. The needs of Malawian children are physical, spiritual, emotional and social. However, care is limited: only six percent of orphans and vulnerable children in Malawi receive medical support, four percent receive psychosocial support, nine percent receive material support and six percent receive educational support (UNICEF, 2011).
Community-based child care centers serve as vital spaces for children to play, receive nutrition and hygiene education and access clean water. They are viable solutions for Malawian communities, yet only 30 percent of Malawian children have access to them. Local churches, in collaboration with key stakeholders, have the capacity to increase the provision of child protection and development initiatives in their communities through the establishment of more centers.
World Relief in Malawi is responding to God’s heart for justice, particularly for children. World Relief in Malawi is empowering local churches to create sustainable programs that promote self-efficacy, self-worth and hope for the future of 500 children between 3 and 18 years of age, most of whom are from HIV-affected, rural communities. Through the formation of 10 church-run, community-based childcare centers and the renovation of four existing centers, children will have better access to cutting edge, holistic services. At centers, volunteer caregivers provide children with nutritious food, facilitate games, assist with homework and provide life and psychosocial skill services. As an integral aspect of meeting the holistic needs of these children, caregivers also help children memorize Scripture and gain a better understanding of Jesus Christ.
Recently, World Relief staff shared its mission and vision for Malawian childcare improvement with Salima district’s traditional leaders, including Chief Khombedza. The Chinkhali Presbyterian Church decided to reopen its childcare center, which closed in December 2012 from a lack of resources, training and community involvement. “We did not know recommended ways of handling children at a childcare center,” said Paulina Katoma, one of the church’s volunteer caregivers. “We just did it anyhow.”
Now, through its partnership with World Relief, Chinkhali Presbyterian has access to the resources, training and empowerment necessary for meeting vulnerable children’s physical, spiritual, social and emotional needs. In word and deed, the church is able to share the transforming power of Jesus Christ with Malawi’s orphans and vulnerable children.
“In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.” Matthew 18:14
