Imagine Walking Miles

Imagine needing to go to the hospital and having to walk 20 miles, ride the back of a bicycle, or if you can do neither of these how would you feel about laying in the back on an ox cart? This is what the people southeast of the Lintipi Trading Center have to do. They have no health-care facility around their villages, and the nearest district hospital is 20 miles south of them. To be sick, even with a minor illness, can be life threatening.

This is why the Malawi Project has set out to help the Dzidalire Community Development Agency, one of the non-profit groups in Malawi, to build a hospital near this poor area of the nation.

In the past couple of weeks the first $2,000.00 has been donated to this project. The village people in the area have already carved a road over the mountain so those on the other side can reach it. They should not have to wait too long. It's a long trip by ox-cart to the nearest hospital.

Three Things to Keep in Mind

When you set out to be of assistance to the people of Africa there are three things you might want to keep in mind if you do not want to create a welfare dependency.

1.    “It is not about the plan, the program, or the project. It is about the people.”   This principle helps keep you focused on what is important. It is the people.

2.    “Do not give a man a fish, but teach him to fish so he will survive when you are gone.” This principle keeps you focused on creating incentive programs, not developing programs that make you feel good, but will only lead to a dependency.

3.    “Do not do for us what we can do for ourselves.” This principle keeps you focused on having Malawians as equal partners, and doing equal work.

These have been foundation principles of the Malawi Project since its inception in 1999. In each case where these principles have been applied one can see great success taking place in the local programs.

First Funds for Hospital

We have now received the first $2,000.00 of the needed funds to build a new hospital in a very remote area about 35 miles south of the capital city of Lilongwe, and north-west of the Dedza Trading Center. Its the beginning.

Plans for a New Hospital

Can you imagine trying to obtain the funding to build a new hospital, even a small one, in an African nation during such a downturn in the markets in the U.S.? Well, that is what we are trying to do and its like pushing a chain uphill. BUT, by the Grace of God we will succeed. By faith we have posted the begin date as this year before the rains of the sub-Sahara start we will have the foundation poured for the hospital north of Dedza.

Keep watching and see it come true.