I visited the Zowe Community for the
first time with a group from Eastern
University (Philadelphia) January
2004. On that trip the group
assessed the community with the
assistance of the Zowe people and
leaders. Out of this assessment
came many ideas on how to help the
community in sustainable ways.
While there they learned that
Zowe is made up of 13 villages,
410 households with a
total of 1,987 people.
first time with a group from Eastern
University (Philadelphia) January
2004. On that trip the group
assessed the community with the
assistance of the Zowe people and
leaders. Out of this assessment
came many ideas on how to help the
community in sustainable ways.
While there they learned that
Zowe is made up of 13 villages,
410 households with a
total of 1,987 people.
Kris' zowe experience
| Zowe Community |
The primary school is centrally located. The average
enrollment is 400 students with six instructors. This is
one of the areas that the initiative is working. There is
a fund started to help students to attend secondary
education. As well as a goal of improving the school
buildings, supplies and equipment.
enrollment is 400 students with six instructors. This is
one of the areas that the initiative is working. There is
a fund started to help students to attend secondary
education. As well as a goal of improving the school
buildings, supplies and equipment.
The high mortality rate due to
malnutrition, childcare
problems, HIV/AIDS, and
malnutrition, childcare
problems, HIV/AIDS, and
many preventable diseases has lead to establishing a
new medical clinic for women and children. The clinic will assist
with prenatal care through 5 years of age. This will be built this
summer (2005). (see below for update)
new medical clinic for women and children. The clinic will assist
with prenatal care through 5 years of age. This will be built this
summer (2005). (see below for update)
Other ideas that are under development include:
This initiative is a long-term "program" that will
eventually impact many developing communities.
- Helping people establish loving, healthy
relationships with the living God. - Pounding, grinding and packaging mill. (Income
generation) - Nutrition program for school children
- Clan-based cattle ranches/feedlots
- Bio-gas initiative (fertilizers)
This initiative is a long-term "program" that will
eventually impact many developing communities.
| Kris playing duck duck goose with kids |
| Girl with sibling |
| Women singing |
| Woman cooking nsima |
| Village |
UPDATE ON JUNE 2005 TRIP & MEDICAL CLINIC
CONSTRUCTION
This trip marked the beginning of the construction work on
the medical clinic. The projected completion date is August
2005. Living in the community already is the Health
Surveillance Agent. He will be giving immunizations, health
education, HIV/AIDS education, prenatal care, nutrition
information and is able to treat mild cases of malaria at the
clinic. He was been placed in Zowe by the Catholic Hospital in
Euthini.
See more photos of trip. To contact us click here.
CONSTRUCTION
This trip marked the beginning of the construction work on
the medical clinic. The projected completion date is August
2005. Living in the community already is the Health
Surveillance Agent. He will be giving immunizations, health
education, HIV/AIDS education, prenatal care, nutrition
information and is able to treat mild cases of malaria at the
clinic. He was been placed in Zowe by the Catholic Hospital in
Euthini.
See more photos of trip. To contact us click here.
July 6, 2005
Dear Friends,
I am writing to once again thank you for your support and prayers. The trip to Malawi proved to be
amazing and fruitful. My concerns and anxieties before departing, of course, were for naught as I was
welcomed wholeheartedly and my skills were put to good use.
I was housed with two other women, Melissa & Christy, who
will be staying in the community for 1 year and 2 years respectively.
Our house appears to the right. It was wonderful and the community
spent a whole day before our arrival remudding the inside and
making wood windows. They also built a kitchen and bath hut for
us. We were very grateful for this. Melissa and Christy will continue
to live in this home until their house is complete in August.
We were well taken care of and looked after by Daniel. He helped
us cook, clean, do laundry and speak Tumbuka. And, thankfully
collect water because I did not gain the skill of carrying heavy buckets of water on my head before I
left. Daniel will also stay on as an employee for Christy and Melissa.
One of the challenges of this trip proved to be the inefficiency of developing nation governments
and processes. Everything takes 5 times longer to get accomplished and the infrastructure slows travel
to a slow crawl at times. There are 2 main paved roads to travel between the North and South of
Malawi and all the roads around the community are dirt or sand in “off-roading” condition. I was
grateful for non-travelling days - riding in the back of a pickup truck on those roads was not enjoyable.
The benefit to everything moving at a much slower pace is that it teaches patience.
The other good news was that when we arrived in the community they had already made 240,000
bricks for the construction of the medical clinic and the house for Christy and Melissa. The foundation
for the clinic was dug and by the time I left the bricks for the foundation were laid. The estimated time
of completion for the clinic is August. The hospital also sent a Health Agent to live in the community
already. He will be providing the services that the clinic will offer such as; immunizations, HIV/AIDS
education, nutrition education, prenatal checks, 0-5 checks, etc. This was very exciting and
encouraging. Again thank you for your support for the clinic, we were able to exceed our goal of
$12,000.00 and had $14,000.00 at the beginning of construction. This will allow for medicines and an
examination table.
The people of the Zowe Community are wonderful and warmhearted. They have a very strong work
ethic and if you happen to sit for a moment to rest they are asking you if you are tired. Sunday is really
their only day off and that is not even a true day of rest. The women still need to cook,
gather water, clean and look after the children and any other chore that still needs to be done. The
women are truly the backbone of this African community which is true of most communities
throughout Africa. From sun up to sundown they are doing what needs to be done. The women and
girls participate in very little play due to this schedule and workload. One of the goals is to encourage
and support the girls in the community to get into secondary school (high school). As well as getting
the men more involved in the chores that need to be done in support of their wives.
While in the community we were able to help move bricks to the construction site. This saved the
women from having to carry all the bricks for the clinic and house on their heads. Sand was also
needed to make the cement so we were able to load that into the pickup truck as
well. We received plenty of help from the children in the community who wanted
to help in whatever way they could. So we would form lines to move the bricks.
This worked well until the men in their 20's arrived and took over the work from
us women and children. I have to admit they were more efficient at the work
then we were...tossing bricks instead of hand passing them down the line. This
gave me more time to visit and be with children.
The children loved to read and be read to. They would borrow a book for a day and share it amongst
themselves before returning it. This was the beginning of the library we hoped to start in the
community. We started loaning novels to adults and children's books to the younger children. We hope
to expand the number of books have.
Overall, my experience in Zowe was a positive one. Many of the cultural differences were a challenge to
me and others on the team as I'm sure we were a challenge to many of the Zowe residents as well. I
am already looking forward to my next opportunity to be with my Malawian brothers and sisters as I
miss them and Africa greatly. God willing I will have another chance to be with them in the near
future. I am continuing to raise support for supplies and medicines for the clinic as well as for the
other projects we are undertaking in the community. I ask that you continue to pray for the project and
for Christy and Melissa as they live in the community sharing and learning with the residents of Zowe.
There is so much more I could share with you, however, it would take up too much space. Please feel
free to contact me for more information.
To God's Glory,
Kris
Dear Friends,
I am writing to once again thank you for your support and prayers. The trip to Malawi proved to be
amazing and fruitful. My concerns and anxieties before departing, of course, were for naught as I was
welcomed wholeheartedly and my skills were put to good use.
I was housed with two other women, Melissa & Christy, who
will be staying in the community for 1 year and 2 years respectively.
Our house appears to the right. It was wonderful and the community
spent a whole day before our arrival remudding the inside and
making wood windows. They also built a kitchen and bath hut for
us. We were very grateful for this. Melissa and Christy will continue
to live in this home until their house is complete in August.
We were well taken care of and looked after by Daniel. He helped
us cook, clean, do laundry and speak Tumbuka. And, thankfully
collect water because I did not gain the skill of carrying heavy buckets of water on my head before I
left. Daniel will also stay on as an employee for Christy and Melissa.
One of the challenges of this trip proved to be the inefficiency of developing nation governments
and processes. Everything takes 5 times longer to get accomplished and the infrastructure slows travel
to a slow crawl at times. There are 2 main paved roads to travel between the North and South of
Malawi and all the roads around the community are dirt or sand in “off-roading” condition. I was
grateful for non-travelling days - riding in the back of a pickup truck on those roads was not enjoyable.
The benefit to everything moving at a much slower pace is that it teaches patience.
The other good news was that when we arrived in the community they had already made 240,000
bricks for the construction of the medical clinic and the house for Christy and Melissa. The foundation
for the clinic was dug and by the time I left the bricks for the foundation were laid. The estimated time
of completion for the clinic is August. The hospital also sent a Health Agent to live in the community
already. He will be providing the services that the clinic will offer such as; immunizations, HIV/AIDS
education, nutrition education, prenatal checks, 0-5 checks, etc. This was very exciting and
encouraging. Again thank you for your support for the clinic, we were able to exceed our goal of
$12,000.00 and had $14,000.00 at the beginning of construction. This will allow for medicines and an
examination table.
The people of the Zowe Community are wonderful and warmhearted. They have a very strong work
ethic and if you happen to sit for a moment to rest they are asking you if you are tired. Sunday is really
their only day off and that is not even a true day of rest. The women still need to cook,
gather water, clean and look after the children and any other chore that still needs to be done. The
women are truly the backbone of this African community which is true of most communities
throughout Africa. From sun up to sundown they are doing what needs to be done. The women and
girls participate in very little play due to this schedule and workload. One of the goals is to encourage
and support the girls in the community to get into secondary school (high school). As well as getting
the men more involved in the chores that need to be done in support of their wives.
While in the community we were able to help move bricks to the construction site. This saved the
women from having to carry all the bricks for the clinic and house on their heads. Sand was also
needed to make the cement so we were able to load that into the pickup truck as
well. We received plenty of help from the children in the community who wanted
to help in whatever way they could. So we would form lines to move the bricks.
This worked well until the men in their 20's arrived and took over the work from
us women and children. I have to admit they were more efficient at the work
then we were...tossing bricks instead of hand passing them down the line. This
gave me more time to visit and be with children.
The children loved to read and be read to. They would borrow a book for a day and share it amongst
themselves before returning it. This was the beginning of the library we hoped to start in the
community. We started loaning novels to adults and children's books to the younger children. We hope
to expand the number of books have.
Overall, my experience in Zowe was a positive one. Many of the cultural differences were a challenge to
me and others on the team as I'm sure we were a challenge to many of the Zowe residents as well. I
am already looking forward to my next opportunity to be with my Malawian brothers and sisters as I
miss them and Africa greatly. God willing I will have another chance to be with them in the near
future. I am continuing to raise support for supplies and medicines for the clinic as well as for the
other projects we are undertaking in the community. I ask that you continue to pray for the project and
for Christy and Melissa as they live in the community sharing and learning with the residents of Zowe.
There is so much more I could share with you, however, it would take up too much space. Please feel
free to contact me for more information.
To God's Glory,
Kris
| Medical clinic |
To contact us click here.
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