March - April 2009
Emmanuel
International
Prayer & Praise:
• Malawi elections are on
May 19(ish). Please pray
for peaceful elections (the
kids’ school has imple-
mented some precaution-
ary holidays) and for the
future of Malawi.
• We are thankful for the
Canada Rotary and the
ZAP Ireland donor teams
and the great work they
are doing here. Pray that
they will be impacted and
have safe travels back
home.
• Praise for lives that are
being transformed through
EI and ZAP projects. Pray
that more lives will be
changed.
• Having guards, gardener,
and househelp may sound
like a luxury but can also
be challenging. We pray
for peace in our home.
(We do miss the luxuries
of home).
• Our gardener’s wife is due
to have a baby anytime
(no actual due date). Pray
for a safe delivery.
Planting Malawi Isaiah 61.3
an update from the VanWoerdens in Malawi
Tackling Poverty [tapping into unrealized potential]
I once asked my colleague, and millions of dollars of aid too much of it has created a
Charles Mukiwa, a long-term money have been poured into dependence on international
development worker with Em- the nation but how much of it resources.
manuel International, “If you has really made a difference?
[continued on p. 2]
could do only one thing to The father of a teacher at
address the prob- Lara and
lem of poverty in “If you could do only Talia’s school
Malaw i, what one thing to address used to teach
would you do?” He the problem of poverty i n Malawi
told me something in Malawi, what would many years
along the lines of, ago. Now visit-
“Help people use
you do?” ing his son, he
local resources to work their was asked, “In the last forty
way out of poverty.” And that five years, what has
is what we are trying to do changed?” His response was,
with the Disaster Risk Reduc- “Paved roads, men wearing
tion project (DRR) that he and jeans, women wearing pants.”
I are working on. Program Essentially nothing has
after program has been im- changed, despite years of
plemented here in Malawi international aid. But perhaps community woodlot
School Makeover [reality change for students in Namasalima]
Misango Primary School is a don’t fit in the classroom so Kids go to the toilet barefoot
rural school bordering the there are always students and return to their classroom
dike along the Domasi River in outside the windows. Some- to sit on the floor, which is also
Namasalima, where we times the teacher stands at the their desk. Textbooks are
helped the community to re- window to teach because scarce but they share what
build the dike last year. The there’s no room to move in- they have. Teachers live on a
school has 1,674 students but side. The students sit on the meager salary and are pro-
only 7 qualified broken concrete floor. The vided housing – dilapidated
teachers, 3 school hasn’t been painted in 3-room houses with makeshift
volunteers, and years. There are no doors so kitchens and toilets behind the
7 classrooms (a there’s graffiti etched in the houses. They must be dedi-
pupil-teacher dirty paint. The school has 3 cated teachers. Last year 7
ratio of over pit latrines. That means 558 students were selected to go
200:1). Grade students per toilet. They had to secondary school. Suppos-
2 has 475 stu- built some temporary grass edly that’s a high number.
dents. One shelters with a hole in the Given the school’s resources it
teacher, one ground for latrines but they
classroom. They have collapsed with the rains. [continued on p. 3]
 Planting Malaw i | March - April 2009

Disaster Risk Reduction: Tackling Poverty [continued from front]

In DRR, we focus on development using can sell them to others and generate series of small changes using local re-
local resources. A recent visit to Nyanya income. sources, poverty-stricken families can
Village paints a good picture. The first experience major transformation. Grow-
thing the community showed us was a The last thing the community showed us is ing drought tolerant crops
woodlot – rows of small trees in a land- how they used the fuel efficient results in food secu-
scape where only a few scattered trees stoves and fireless cookers (food rity. Food processing
remain standing. EI has been encouraging warmers) to prepare a delicious utilizes local foods
reforestation to address the problem of meal from a variety of foods. A to improve nutri-
deforestation and promote environmental typical Malawian is “hungry” if she tion. Preparing
responsibility. The trees are grown from hasn’t eaten nsima. To change the meals using fuel
local seed and the woodlot is expanded mindset that food=nsima, EI is train- efficient stoves mini-
each year to provide ing communities in food mizes the number of
a sustainable source of processing. We can encour- trees that have to be cut
firewood and poles age people to grow crops like for firewood. And reforestation replen-
and to provide protec- cassava and sweet potato, but ishes the timber and firewood supply
tion for the soil. if a Malawian doesn’t see it as while protecting the environment. In addi-
food and doesn’t know how to tion, the alternative crops and fuel effi-
Next, the community prepare it, we have accom- cient stoves offer economic opportunities,
showed us their gar- plished nothing. But with train- which combined with our Village Savings
dens of cassava and ing, cassava and sweet potato and Loans and micro-enterprise projects
sweet potato. Most can be turned into flour to eas- can significantly increase the amount of
farmers de pend ily make nsima or store for cash flow in a community. Effective com-
mostly on rain-fed future use, and other local munity development is holistic and grass-
maize production, but foods can be utilized to pre- roots, and empowers people to utilize
with changing weather pare nutritious balanced meals. local resources to bring change. Seeing a
patterns, this poses a With a diversified diet, fami- village like Nyanya embracing this kind
high risk for food inse- farmer showing cassava lies are also much more food of development is uplifting and inspires
curity. Cassava and secure since they no longer hope for the nation. As one of our field
sweet potato are drought tolerant crops depend solely on maize production. staff put it, “the project can really
that are easy to multiply. EI has provided change the community’s mindset of rely-
the initial stock of cassava cuttings and There is no simple solution to the prob- ing on external assistance because they
sweet potato vines to plant in community lem of poverty in Malawi – for most have realized that there is hidden treas-
gardens, but from there the seed is easily people it’s a vicious cycle. But with a ure amongst themselves through their
multiplied and cuttings are trans- shared contribu-
planted to individual gardens tions.” By helping
and shared with other villages so them realize their
that lots of households benefit potential, lives are
from improved food security and being transformed.
a viable cash crop.

Walking back to the village,

they showed us the kiln used for
making fuel efficient stoves. Most
Malawians use three stones to
cook over a small fire. EI is not Andre and his
only promoting the use of fuel colleague, Charles
efficient stoves that use only a Mukiwa, enjoying
fraction of the firewood to cook some of Malawi’s
a meal, but also helping commu- finest village cuisine.
nities make the stoves so they It’s not even nsima!
 Planting Malaw i | March - April 2009

School Makeover [continued from front]

probably is. Drop out rate is high. With But all that is changing at Misango Pri-
over 350 students each in Grades 1 to 3, mary School. Thanks to several Rotary
each subsequent grade has fewer students. Clubs in Canada, the school is being
Grade 8 has only 40. There’s not a lot of transformed. The roof blew off one of
incentive to go to school – poor learning the classrooms about 2 years ago and
environment, not enough teachers, few was never replaced. But Rotary has
learning resources. Plus there’s work to be helped replace the roof so the school
done, a matter of survival really, and girlshas two more classrooms. Already, the
often get married off at age 13 or 14. government has assigned a new teacher
to the school. The floors have been
patched so that students have a
decent place to sit at least. All the
walls have been painted to
brighten up the classrooms. They
have also installed a small library
so that students can actually read
books and maybe even read at
home. School supplies will be dis-
tributed this week so that both
students and teachers will have
resources for teaching and learn-
school soccer team in Tim Hortons uniforms ing. We also had a soccer and
netball tournament and gave the school
sports uniforms, soccer balls, and fris-
bees. With two consecutive Rotary teams
and several weeks of work, the school
has undergone a major transformation.
Although the school still faces many chal-
lenges, the learning environment at the
school has been drastically improved.
We’re hoping that other changes will
follow, especially the construction of la-
trines for the school, and Rotary has as-
sured us that this is only the beginning of
a relationship with Misango Primary
School. THANK YOU, Rotarians and
friends from the Toronto area!

Pastor Leads by Example [a transformat ion story] Randomly Malawi:

EI works in partnership with the Evangelical
Baptist Church of Malawi. This case study is
an example of this partnership:
Reverend Sam R. Kaipa is a pastor of a
small rural Evangelical Baptist Church in
Kapu Village, TA Mulomba. Rev. Kaipa is
also the chairman of the Village Develop-
ment Committee. He has been actively in-
volved in DRR since 2006, implementing
interventions such as crop diversification,
seed multiplication, and afforestation. Pas-
tor Kaipa joined the DRR project not only
to improve the food security of his family,
but also because he has a vision for the
transformation of his people in the church
and in the larger community. He has a vi-
sion for physical and eternal transforma-
tion. Pastor Kaipa sees DRR as a way of
breaking the cycle of poverty in his village.
Rather than depending on handouts, he
wants to demonstrate through his own ac-
tions how development activities can trans-
form lives. Rev. Kaipa is involved in seed
multiplication and propagation of trees,
Democracy is very young in Malawi and
which he plans to propagate commer-
although campaigning officially began in
cially. Through the sale of cassava and
March, political rallies have been taking
other small business efforts he has been
place since we got here in August.
able to pay for school for his son who is
Elections are taking place on May 19,
attending secondary school and purchase
but it could likely be moved by a few
clothes for his family. As a pastor, he
days — you just never know.
does not want to live on the support of
his congregation, but he wants his con-
Most people have harvested their maize
gregation to imitate his development
by now. The hunger season is over. The
initiatives. He also envisions Muslims and
rains have slowed down and the dry
Christians being united through working
season will soon begin. May and June
in development together. However, this
are the coldest months — sleeping with
has not been without challenges as some
blankets is nice for a change.
Muslims had to be convinced that the
interventions were not targeting any Poinsettias grow up to 15ft tall and
particular faith groups. The DRR project bloom during the Easter season, not at
has been strengthened by working with Christmas time. I guess Jesus was born a
Pastor Kaipa because he knows the peo- baby so he could die as Saviour.
ple and their needs and being in a posi- Somehow this beautiful red flower has
tion of influence, he is able to promote come to point out the entire good news
DRR interventions. Empowering local of Jesus for the world.
churches and CBOs significantly enhances
the project’s impact and sustainability.
 Planting Malaw i | March - April 2009

Irrigation Project Benefits Entire Village [a transformation story]

Mr. Wild Fayala’s household suffered from
poverty and hunger and he joined various
DRR activities to change the
future of his family. Mr.
Fayala lives with his wife and
five children in the village of
Mbalwe in TA Nyambi,
Machinga District, where they
practice subsistence farming.
Joining the irrigation club in
his community has made a
drastic difference in the life
of his family. Mr. Fayala is
now able to realize a surplus
den are now practicing irrigation in their
crop, which he has been able to sell to
own plots and realizing surplus crops.
buy school uniforms for his children and
Others in the community who have not
provide basic house-
used irrigation are able to buy crops
hold needs. Thanks to
from the project participants instead of
wintercropping, his
buying expensive produce at the market.
family is now less de-
In this way, the whole community has
pendent on rain-fed
benefited from greater food security. In
agriculture and more
addition, some crops from the community
food secure as a result.
garden were sold to purchase bricks to
Like Mr. Fayala, most
line the new community well so that the
members of the irriga-
Mbalwe residents have access to safe
tion club who were
drinking water.
trained in the commu-
nity demonstration gar-

Transformation Despite Disaster [a tran sformat ion story ]

Mr. Saizi Mwalinyu, also
known as Atcheya, has been
actively implementing DRR
activities since EI first intro-
duced DRR in his home village,
Mwamadi. In 2006 Mwamadi
had experienced flooding and
the community was assisted
with treadle pumps, seed, and
fertilizer to start irrigation.
Harvesting enough food to
feed his four children after
experiencing a disaster con-
vinced Atcheya to adopt DRR
as his friend. Since then he has
been involved in food process-
ing, fuel efficient stove mak-
ing, conservation farming,
micro-enterprise, and adult
literacy. Before his wife
passed away, they were able
to operate a small business
that significantly improved
their household income. Since
his wife’s death and being
solely responsible for his chil-
dren, he has not managed to
run the small business but he
has continued the various agri-
culture interventions to look
after his children. Through
these interventions, Atcheya
has experienced
major transformation.
He has managed to
build a house with an
iron sheet roof for his
family and he has
bought a bicycle, a
radio, and clothes
for his children. With
a smile on his face,
Atcheya was
pleased to testify of the munity has become aware of
women in his village who are resources that they have within
to take care of their families their village that they can utilize
through the same interventions. to improve their lives.
With a little training, the com-

New pictures of hippos, the school makeover, and more on our blog!

Your prayers and support are enormously appreciated! Thank you!

Andre & Alexandra VanWoerden [Lara, Talia, Ezera] Emmanuel International Canada
Private Bag 12 Zomba Malawi PO Box 4050 Stouffville ON L4A 8B6
265.8.169.380 (Andre) or 265.8.169.382 (Alex) 905.640.2111 info@eicanada.org
alexandre.vanwoerden@gmail.com www.eicanada.org
vw-mw.blogspot.com