The Story of Malakata Community
For people living in the community of Malakata, most days are a struggle to make ends meet. Malakata is far from any paved roads, schools, market, clinic or hospital. The people look to the only commercial farm in the area for work, and the only alternative is trying to find odd jobs in the community. Although there are many fields that people can use to plant their crops, the inconsistency of the rains (either too much or too little) makes securing a successful harvest difficult. There is a strong belief in witchcraft and ancestral worship, and many men in the community have passed away from illnesses such as HIV/AIDS or alcohol abuse. Compounding all of these challenges is the lack of access to water. The nearest stream is more than one kilometre’s walk away and it is shared by the animals.
50 Children currently supported
32 Care Workers Coordinated by Alpha
Basic Services Started in 2023
5km from the CHISAMBA Local Office
For many years, Peter and Cecelia Mulenga, (African Leaders, Zambia) have lived in the community of Chisamba, where Peter is a pastor. Four years ago, a man by the name of Alpha came to Peter and Cecelia’s church for prayer from Malakata. Two years later, Peter and Cecelia visited his church in Malakata and were quick to see the vulnerability in the community. They met a couple named Josam and Felistus, who invited them to their home for lunch. On arrival they were greeted by several orphans and vulnerable children, who Josam and Felistus had been feeding out of the little that they had.
In 2022, when the local Hands at Work team in Chisamba was looking to expand into more communities, Peter and Cecelia remembered Malakata and knew that God was calling them to serve there. Visiting the area, the Chisamba team was introduced by Josam and Felistus to local church leaders in the community and the community headman. Hearing the vision of Hands at Work, the headman welcomed the Chisamba team to his community and expressed his happiness at seeing the children cared for. From there, the Chisamba team began mobilising Care Workers from the local churches to join the Malakata Community Based Organisation (CBO). After almost a year of walking with the Care Workers and identifying the most vulnerable children, the Malakata CBO began officially serving 50 of the most vulnerable children in July 2023.
Also in June, the Chisamba team facilitated a Foundations Training for the Care Workers and church leaders, where they shared in depth the heart of Hands at Work and the reason why Holy Home Visits and Relationship Groups are a crucial part of caring for the most vulnerable.
Meet Beauty
Beauty* is the second-born of four children who stay with their 74-year-old grandmother. In 2017, while the children were living with their parents in Lusaka, Beauty’s mother tragically passed away, leaving her and her siblings with their father. Overwhelmed by grief, he turned to alcohol. He began leaving the children locked in the house while he would go out to drink, and when he would come home, Beauty and her siblings were left to beg for food as their only means of a meal. In 2019, a neighbour saw the situation and helped the children contact their grandmother in Malakata, who arranged to bring them back to stay with her. Life was still challenging for them, but in July of this year, the Care Point opened, and Beauty and her siblings joined the program. Beauty’s grandmother testifies to God’s goodness. Beauty loves to sing, play sports and attend school. She now can dream for her future, one in which she would like to become a doctor.
The local Hands at Work team in Chisamba currently supports five Community Based Organisations, which exist to care for the most vulnerable in their communities. The office provides training, networking, and encouragement to those Community Based Organisations like Miswa. It also gives administrative support, including helping with funding proposals, monitoring and evaluation, bookkeeping and reporting to donors.
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