A letter from Jodi McGill serving in Malawi
September 2014 - Signs of Progress
Time flies! Somehow we have now lived in the northern region of Malawi for over 20 years. During those years we have witnessed many improvements in the life of Malawians and increasing opportunities for more individuals. These changes in Malawian lives have led to significant changes in our roles as co-workers with our partner, the Church of Central Africa, Presbyterian (CCAP) Synod of Livingstonia.
When I reflect on those 20 years, I feel as if I should produce a litany of accomplishments, and maybe if pushed I could give a few. However, each year as my responsibilities within the health, nursing, and education work of the Synod are being ably performed by Malawian nationals, my roles and contributions are more a case of being with others as they carry out the work, being an ambassador and bridge to churches and individuals who are praying and listening to how they can walk alongside the work of the Church. There are now more trained nurses who are the clinical supervisors for the nursing students, the secondary school scholarship fund is integrated within the Synod’s Education program, and it has been a few years since I have been directly involved with any of the activities of the Synod’s Health Office. The changes are not only wonderful from a development context, but also due to some special learning needs we find ourselves as a family in need of pursuing homeschooling for a couple of our children—so these improvements allow me to take on that role for this academic year.
So, even though I will not be actively practicing nursing as much as before, what being here has taught me is that sharing the grief, workload, and problems of others is as important as being able to fix the brokenness. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” The work that the church does in His name is to prevent further tragedies and comfort those who suffer them. It is an honor to share the sorrows and joys of people here with those in the U.S.A. and vice versa.
For Jim, recent improvements in general living standards, although small in scale and far from universal, have opened up options of being able to work with our Malawian peers to continue the work of improving the supply of safe water, sanitation and hygiene in rural and peri-urban areas in the Northern Region of Malawi. Rather than expecting to pass along knowledge and skills, Jim’s role has become much more to work with colleagues within the water and sanitation sector so all can learn and understand the reasons why available improvements are not being accessed by people.
Through this work the Development Department of the Synod of Livingstonia assisted in the establishment of a Centre of Excellence for Water and Sanitation at Mzuzu University. The Centre of Excellence provides research and linkages to expertise around the world to help find resolution to the problems. The Development Department also has partnered with churches in the United States as well as international donors to establish a learning and training centre that aims to build up small water and sanitation businesses. Low-cost options for improved water and sanitation facilities are demonstrated and made available for purchase to individuals and family groups in addition to the common customers of government and not-for-profit organizations.
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Isaac, the one in red, with other drillers trying new techniques to provide water at Kavinchere Primary School
Mr. Isaac Mkandawire is one of the entrepreneurs who now run a small water supply business that is supported through the Center. He says:
“I was a politician working with a Member of Parliament who gave me an opportunity to learn at the Centre. Now I run my own water company and I have a passion for the water business. And over time as I look back I am quite happy to see people benefiting from services I have rendered. It is quite gratifying. A well that we drill within the compound can provide safe water to everyone, including the elderly, the disabled, some who are orphans, the schoolchildren—they are all benefiting from the water being both safe and within a short walking distance from their compounds.
“The assistance that we are receiving from the Centre and its supporters is developing a passion within us, especially me, to do more than what I am doing now. We have a solution to most of the challenges that people are facing to have safe water in Malawi.”
Thank you to all who support our work, which makes these opportunities available to Malawians like Mr. Isaac Mkandawire and which shows how much we all are part of the body of Christ.
Jodi
The 2014 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 143
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