Maonde, Malawi
It is difficult to comprehend the struggles faced by the poor in Malawi. When it comes to education, many children dream of going to school and learning, living in the hope that they may one day succeed, get a job and escape the cycle of poverty they were born into. But for too many children in Malawi today, these dreams never come to fruition.
Cecelia was born in a country where only half of children actually finish their school education. In her early years, Cecelia’s life was simple and uncomplicated, but her father’s death was followed by a series of traumatic events. When Cecelia was little more than five years old her mother remarried, as was customary within her culture. Three more children arrived in quick succession into an already busy household and Cecelia felt lost. There were people coming and going constantly through the house and yet Cecelia felt so alone. With her family struggling every day just to survive, Cecelia watched as other children walked by her house wearing their matching uniforms and swinging their school bags and she wondered if her dreams to be just like them would ever come true.
When Cecelia’s stepfather abandoned the struggling family, Cecelia wondered if there was anyone who knew how desperate they really were. Would anyone come to their rescue? Did anyone hear their cries for help?
In the community of Maonde, a group of loving Care Workers, who had named themselves ‘Chisomo’, meaning grace, came to Cecelia’s family in an act of love and servanthood. They began with regular visits to the family’s home, where they listened to and prayed with Cecelia and her mother and siblings. In time, the Care Workers had wonderful news for Cecelia, too. They wanted to help her and her siblings go to school for the very first time.
Cecelia is now 8 and studying hard in grade 2 alongside many new friends. She dreams of becoming a teacher and giving more children the chance of an education. God’s grace through the Chisomo Care Workers means that Cecelia’s dream really might come true.