Check out the bar above and “A Slice of Life in Malawi” – a message from James.
Popularity: 21% [?]
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Hello everyone wherever you are! Really apologize to you all for not being on the web for a while. I know we haven’t been able to show you and tell you where we are now! As some of you know that Peter is the man who is helping me so that you can hear our voice. It has been very difficult for me to appear here cause my camera has not been working for sometime now, but we’re trying to work on it so that you can see some of the things what we are doing and where we are. I hope to all those who are following this site, some of you are starting to get to know me and to those who are taking part on helping Peter that his voice be heard as well as me. Really thank you all and I’m also thanking some of the people such as Richard and his wife Diane, Deborah Kennedy and her daughter Christine, Peter’s wife Patricia and not forgetting Doris Drake and especially Thomas. Thank you all for supporting him and keep on keeping on working with him. Not much to say but, we are wishing you all the best me and my members of HOWOMDEP. You are also welcome to see what we are doing here in Malawi. Many thanks to you Peter yourself for the work you are doing. Popularity: 43% [?] Computers are so…..much fun sometimes. They were supposed to save time, trees and I think the world. Well maybe there is hope yet. Part of that Hope is now embedded on this Web Site in that the inspiration for this site is now online and viewable . Just look for Voices the Movie or hit this link. Enjoy!! Popularity: 85% [?] Well it has been an eventful year for Voices, James and I. I finally got James a laptop and digital camera, shipped to him in Malawi via a friend Thomas Balzar. That gave James the ability to go online and start blogging. Now that may seem like a small achievement and perhaps it is. The big problem was finding someone you trust that is going to Malawi – that took almost 3 years. You must also remember that James has almost no experience on a computer and I am pretty sure that he has never owned a digital camera with the exception of the one that comes with a cell phone. So I am very proud of James for making a page of his own and getting it on the web – with pictures. So if you look on the very top bar of Voices you will see a tab that says – About me – James from Malawi. It is a good read so please enjoy it. It was great also to meet others that share the passion to help people: Susan Evans and Ted Harrison introduced me to several people on (of all places) Saltspring Island where they are doing great things. Thank you Susan and Ted. It helps to know that there are others out there and I am not the only one. Also thanks to Doris Drake , Diane and Richard Salter, Deb and Christine Kennedy, Thomas Balzar, Zoltan Barabas, and the many other people that donated money to go to help James and others in Malawi. It has been a very good year indeed. I look forward to a better 2010 as I will be going to see James once again in Malawi if all goes well. Thanks to everyone. Popularity: 82% [?] It has been a very slow climb up a very steep hill and yet we have reached the first of many peaks – along with my friend James Chipoka and Thomas Balzer, two people from the opposite sides of the planet that have a couple of common threads. One being me and the other is the Wood Market in Lilongwe in Malawi. Part of the challenge was met by my family and the sharing of my short “Voices”, which introduced me to another part of the world on Saltspring Island and to Susan Evans and Ted Harrison. It is there (on Saltspring) that Susan runs a program called “Seeds for Malawi” , to whom I have been in contact with. These fine and solid people have given me a new perspective and hope for the people not only of Malawi, but to the world. Proactive people that are making a difference without a big fuss – though I would love to make a big fuss for them. And they show me that “the little people” (in the scheme of things) can do big things. And with that newly found Hope, I will see more success and more of James (who lives in Malawi) posting on this site. Popularity: 68% [?] Malawi is an independent country situated in the central part of Africa and was a British Colony until 1964 when it obtained its independence through the leadership of its Father and founder the late Dr.Hastings Kamuzu Banda (whose mausoleum is beautiful and well decorated at the City Centre of Lilongwe the capital city of Malawi). The country has a multiparty-system of democratic government consisting of five(5)political parties representing in the National Assembly.there have been no political chaos because of the Non-state actors which brings peace dialogue among politicians. Malawi is a small country having its population close to(14,000,000)fourteen million. Its rural areas are more density populated than in urban areas and it is divided into three regions:
There are 3 major cities: Blantyre to the south, Lilongwe(the Capital) is central and Mzuzu to the North. Malawi has a tropical climate with 2 distinct seasons – it receives moderate to heavy rains during Rainy Season with cooler temperatures. The Dry Season which is hotter and of course a lot less rain. Temperatures range between 12 degrees to 35 degrees Celsius. Malawi has loamy soils suitable for the cultivation of cassava, tobacco, rice, maize, tea and many more crops including pecans. Malawi is blessed with a beautiful landscape featuring
Malawi like any other country has a number of tribes which include Chewa, Tumbuka, Yao, Sena, Ngoni, Lomwe and Mang’anja. The main language is CHICHEWA. Chichewa is the countries main language spoken all over the county and it is easy to learn the language.though we’re from different tribes, we all form one Malawi society which is loving and friendly.and this friendly atmosphere which makes Malawi to be called THE WARM HEART OF AFRICA. Again its Christian element influences peace, friendliness and stability as a God fearing country. The main staple food for Malawians is NSIMA (pronounced - seemaa) and it is made from maize flour and seconded by RICE. Malawi is rated as one of the most poorest countries among other developing countries. The HIV/AIDS pandemic and illiteracy rate have been the main causes of increased poverty rate. Lack of resources like farm inputs for smallholder farmers has also the major contributing factor. (ROLE OF THE GOVERNMENT), The government is trying its level best to alleviate this poverty by introducing the following initiatives, (1)Putting in place HIV/AIDS working policies which enable the implementers advocate the issue. (2)It has introduced the fertilizer subsidy program, but this subsidy program is only targeting on most vulnerable people. But not all of them can afford to buy these fertilizers cause not all therm has money or other sources to have the fertilizers. (3)It has introduced free primary education which gives chances to all children to attain education. (4)It has also given the Non-state actors mandate to help tackling the poverty. Therefore, as Malawian citizens, we decided to take part on helping the government to help those vulnerable people. We decided to form a group of people who wish to volunteer in this work. We talked to the village Headman after seeing how children are being affected to this pandemic. So as the youths of this nation, we are trying to help and teach on how we can end these problems for the better of the nation. The name of our group is called Holy Worship Ministries Development Programme (HOWOMDEP). HOWOMDEP is a local Malawian Interdenominational Faith Based Organization(FBO). It is registered with the (a)Lilongwe City Assembly(LCA).(b)Association of Pre-school Playgroups in Malawi(APPM)and Registrar General in the Trustee Incoporation Act with the main objective of supporting Orphans and other Vulnerable Children(OVC)and Widows among others. HOWOMDEP has its members from different churches. It is still at grassroot level. OUR MISSION is to provide social economical support to Orphaned and other Vulnerable Children(OVC),Widows and other disadvantaged groups for the advancement of their physical and spiritual lives at community level. CURRENT ACTIVITIES (1)teaching and providing food to OVC in preschools. (2)taking care of home based patients by cleaning their homes,washing clothes and ensuring that guides for medication are properly followed, (3)empowering widows and people living with HIV/AIDS whose health is in that position to do work by giving them some capitals for small scale business. (4)empowering the youth by introducing for them football and netball clubs,HIV/AIDS programs and debate based on youth alert magazines.
HOWOMDEP has so far managed to achieve the following; (1)trained twenty-four(24) volunteers in psychosocial support in 2008 (2)trained the executive staff in Financial Management Monitoring
Popularity: 73% [?]
Then I took a second look and saw the “Business” of being Poor and its fundamental flaws. These business are usually run by people living outside the Target country that they are helping. Which means that you are paying a much higher rate for salaries within the remote country that is trying to find funding for the Target country. Now I realize that the only way to get a large enough injection of funds to help these Targets is through outside sources and yet wouldn’t it make sense to base these organizations within the Target countries that they are helping? Have a scaled down fund raising staff in the Remote countries that are trying to sol And yes I’m sure that somewhere along the line that all this is flawed as well. Yet it seems to be a much better answer – base things in the host country and get money sent and directed locally – one would imagine that they would know where the money is needed most. And yes I realize that we can’t save everyone and the poor will always be poor. Yet I would like to try and change peoples perspectives of how things are done. A lofty goal , still I will try.kke to try, wouldn’t you? Popularity: 72% [?] |
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ACHIEVEMENTS
licit funds from? A fund raising presence within the Target country would not only contribute more funds locally by having local staff spend local dollars, the cost benefits of having local staff and their expertise would be huge. Again do the math. Local salary of lets say a telemarketer in Vancouver is $12 an hour x 8 hours x 5 days x 4 weeks = $1960.00 per month! That is almost 3 families yearly earnings in Malawi alone!