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Save the Children Cope Program - Malawi
Stories from the field

  
 

 

 
 

Rock2243Henry Ng’ambi, now 22, is among the AIDS orphans who is benefiting from Save the Children’s five-year-old COPE program.  Through COPE’s Kanyama Community AIDS Committee in the Dedza District, Henry enrolled in a course on paper recycling and papermaking and, after completing the course, received a US $200 loan to start a papermaking business. 

Rock2243Henry’s business, which has grown to include paper diaries, postcards, maps, and other blank books, provides the income he needs to support his mother and younger brothers and sisters.  He also has moved to Dedza town to be closer to the market and is currently securing another loan so that he can open a shop in which he can make and display his products.

  
     
  Rock2243The Namwera AIDS Coordinating Committee (NACC) founded and supported through COPE, has organized a skills training program for orphans. 

Rock2243One, Kaisi Wisiki, now 18, of the village of Malamia in the Mangochi District, credits Save the Children’s program with restoring the hope and future that he lost following the deaths of both his mother and father.  “NACC saved my life.  I had wanted to do anything to get rid of my life because it was getting so much tougher by day all the time.” 

Rock2243Kaisi was identified as a vulnerable orphan by NACC, which learned that he was living with an uncle who forced him to leave school and work in tobacco fields or tend goats from early morning until dark.  If the uncle discovered that Kaisi had attempted to return to school, or if the goats returned too early, Kaisi was not fed that day.  Once, he was not fed for six days before finally receiving food from someone else in the village.  Kaisi was trained in tinsmithing – making watering cans, metal containers, and other items – and received a small loan of US $6.25 so that he could purchase metalworking tools and begin earning an income.  He is now supporting himself, his grandparents, and several other relatives with whom he is living.

  
 

 

  
  Rock2243Group Village Headman Chindamba, whose village in the Mangochi District bears his name, is helping to improve food security for AIDS orphans and critically ill adults in the village.  Chindamba, a member of the local Village AIDS Committee (VAC), established by Save the Children, set aside land he owns for a communal garden and planted cassava.  When the VAC was ready to harvest the first crop, he made sure that it was distributed to AIDS orphans and adults who could not work because of illness. 

Rock2243Seeds from the crop were given to families caring for orphans so that they could plant a new crop of their own.  And when there were not enough seeds for every family, Chindamba provided seeds from his own garden without cost.  “You know, these people I am assisting are my own people and indeed needy.  Never at any time did I think supplying seeds would be regarded as assistance to vulnerable households.  Now I realize that this is a lasting assistance one can get, and better than most food supplies, which you would eat and forget.”

  
 

 

  

Rock2243Save the Children
 Rock2243Save the Children COPE stories
 Rock2243Malawi Journal
 Rock2243Malawi Journal part 2
Rock2243Malawi Journal part 3
Rock2243Malawi Journal part 4
Rock2243Malawi Journal part 5
Rock2243Malawi Journal part 6
Rock2243Mozambique Journal
 Rock2243Mozambique Journal part 2
 Rock2243Mozambique Journal part 3
 Rock2243Reflections and articles
 Rock2243HIV / AIDS in Africa
 Rock2243Advisory Board Biographies
 Rock2243Advisory Board Visit Agenda
 Rock2243'net links to Malawi & Mozambique
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 Last updated September 18, 2004
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