May 2014 Report on Container 8 from Birmingham Diocese to the Anglican Dioceses in Malawi

Introduction The Church in Malawi has been instrumental on issues of socio-economic development of the community. It does so with mostly the support from link partners abroad. One of such long time existing partnership is between the Diocese of Birmingham in the UK and all the Dioceses in Malawi. Among many other things the dioceses in this link share knowledge, skills, spirituality, exchange visits and resources. The container in the pictures below is one of such many benefits the partnership has produced.

The Church and state in development There is a common statement in Malawi politician usually remark when the Church and government engage each other in community service; “government would like to acknowledge the support the Church renders to its development agenda…” My question has always been: “who supports who? Whose agenda is ‘development’?” Government, like the Church in Malawi came through with the UK missionaries whom in trying to serve people better asked for protection from government back home. They also facilitated African Lakes Company to come and introduce legal trade leading to local small industrial skill

development, entrepreneurial and towns and city building, roads—infrastructure development, and such invitation for protection paved way for the birth of the British Nyasaland Protectorate—government in Central Africa.

At a later stage, after independence, for some reasons the Malawi Government took over all mission schools, colleges and nearly grabbed the mission hospitals too. Instead of the government to support the Church to fulfil its various missions to the community, it became the government’s arch rival. The Church and government are twins in societal development. And hence there should not be any hassles in clearing humanitarian support containers as it is sometimes the case. In short, the Church has always been to the community a hand in times of need; education, health, socio-economic and religious development.

The cordial relationship between the Church and governments is vital as it has enabled both to continue and extend support to the community in Malawi. As we write, in the Diocese of Upper Shire alone—the mother diocese, there are two hospitals and 11 health centres, about 39 primary schools, 18 community day secondary schools, 2 national boarding secondary schools and 1 conversional or district secondary school. The Anglican Church was the first to offer higher technical education at Makulawe Teacher College which later on went to Malindi be called St Michael’s Teacher College. The Church operated the first ever mobile clinic and a theological college in its vessel sailing in Lake Nyasa called Chauncy Maples. We appreciate the long-time partnership between the Church in Birmingham and the Dioceses in Malawi for working hand in hand since 1965 to help bring life giving—practical gospel to various communities in Malawi. Apart from various projects and skill sharing and exchange visits the Anglican Diocese of Birmingham has supported the Church in Malawi in a unique missionary effort of sending humanitarian material support to enhance skills development. Relief items such as clothes, food, medicines tools and implements for self-support are sent to help the poor rural areas in Malawi where the income per person is below £0.35 a day.

Container 8 arrives and partly offloads at Blantyre It was on 2nd of June 2014 that our new clearing, Agent Fortune Limited notified us the container arrived and will be offloaded at the Fortune premises at Manja near St Columbus CCAP Church in Blantyre. Beneficiaries from Blantyre arrived in time. The Customs officer came and we all witnessed the breaking of the container seal. Unlike other officers this lady was very cooperative and inspected gently the goods as they were being offloaded.

In the pictures above are; Bicycles for Bishop Alinafe Kalemba , MRA officer inspect winding watches, Roman Catholic priest and Nkhuzi Bay Trust and below is George Mkoko and Mr Magodi the Diocesan Secretary for the Southern Malawi.

St Martin’s Hosp.

Malindi- Mangochi

Goods for Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital for the attention of Dr Kennedy Neil 99 boxes in number were verified and left in the hands of Mr Banda in the warehouse of Fortune Limited our Clearing Agent. The Roman Catholics priests were all in time and collected their items safely. Mr Alex Sembo struggled to locate the place but eventually got into Fortune premises and collected his goods. Nkhuzi Bay Trust sent a team of people who collected all their items. They were happy that this was

the time when all their items came without any missing. Fr David Mponda of Manase did not come but his items were collected by the Diocesan secretary Mr Magodi who also collected the items sent to Bishop Alinafe Kalemba. There was Code 1E destined for offloading at Blantyre for Mothers Union in the Anglican Diocese of Southern Malawi all the 6 boxes under this code were not in the container and we thought they would be misplaced in the Malosa or Lilongwe segments, but were not found in either of the two compartments.

Malosa Offloading The container left Blantyre for Malosa around 3’Oclock afternoon and arrived around 7pm at Malosa. Offload started about 8 am on Tuesday the 3rd of June. All codes were available except goods for Malosa code number 2Q for Malosa Secondary marked for the attention of Fr H Nasoro, all 2 boxes were not found. The assumption was that perhaps these would be found in Lilongwe but it was not the case.

In pics:Fr Joel Malanda, Mrs Kumwenda of St Luke’s, Fr E Mastala, Emmanuel Pembamoyo and items for MOET, A new code that also did not appear on the list for Malosa belonging to MOET for the attention of Paterson Majonanga was found with 9 items in total. The school was immediately notified and Mr Majonanga came the same day to collect his items. At Malosa two more boxes earmarked for Blantyre belonging to Mrs Agnes Mkoko were found and we were instructed to pass them on to Mrs Thalisa Pota at St Luke’s Hospital which we did. At around midday, the container left for Lilongwe the final destination. Emmanuel Pembamoyo went with the driver to Lilongwe to hand over the container to Mr E M’baya. Emmanuel however remained to take pictures and see if boxes missed from the last two offload points would be found. Box for Fr Emmanuel Master and another for Fr Grant Tebulo were found and because there was no vehicle to bring the boxes to

the Bus station with Emmanuel as he returned, Mr M’baya promised Fr Nasoro who was visiting ACM the next day would take them as he returns south.

Lilongwe offload pictures

Instant Changes observed The pictures below were taken at St Marks Anglican Church in Mchenga Parish from some of the items sent under code 2R in the Birmingham container No. 8 for the attention of Fr Eston Pembamoyo.

In the pictures above from top left; MOET pickup car carrying items for MOET and Mchenga Parish, picture 2 is the executive committee of Mchenga gathered at the priest’s house to apportion the clothes to its seven congregations. The following picture is two of the congregations chairpersons present pick up the share for their church put in green bags. In the second line is a set of twins identified and first picture is taken before and the second after new clothes and shoes are given. The girls have their gifts in hands.

Long term and sustainable benefits

From the previous containers individuals and groups of women, men and youth have developed various skills from the sewing and knitting machines, carpentry and car mechanics tools sent in the Birmingham containers. Below are some pictures of tailoring and knitting courses provided by hired local experts who come for a period to teach participants. All pictures in this report can be copied and enlarged, click on each of them and drag to your desirable size.

Conclusion

Malawi is a country at the crossroads; it may perform well or badly in its socio-economic development depending on its various national policies. Malawi, as eaceful and orderly as it has been over decades since its independence, would in some ways be a reflection and mirror of the stable and prosperous economy in the African Continent. If well planned and managed, with such external empowering aid we usually receive; the socio-economic status of the country could rise up for the benefit of its citizens and the world around. Although many of its people are poor, Malawi has the unenviable paradox of the country that has the potential to show the world the path to real life sustainability and yet it is undergoing the most rapid destruction of its natural endowments as it tries to fight poverty. Nevertheless, the humanitarian support of various items sent in containers from the UK, in this case the Diocese of Birmingham and the Roman Church in Birmingham; help Malawians to build up their socio-economic background by reducing levels of poverty in the society. We would like to thank all who extend a hand of support in various fields such as health, education, technical, small industries as well as consumables such as foods, clothes, medicines just to mention a few. A hand of a friend in need lifts up a friend to stand tall high like the friend indeed.