In 2005, elders of four local villages in Malawi, Africa started an orphan project with 125 orphans. Later that same year, First English Lutheran Church (FELC) in downtown Mansfield got involved in the project to lend a helping hand. Now in 2013, this partnered effort helps feed over 300 orphans in 19 villages.
It all started in 2002 when Joy Jones, Vice President of Malawi Orphan Care Project, traveled to Malawi with her aunt and uncle, who were missionaries and helped plant many orphan projects in Africa.
“When I went over there for the first time, I fell in love with the country,” stated Jones. The people are very gracious, open, loving, and friendly, and the country is beautiful.” She prayed that she might be able to go back to Malawi upon returning to the states, and years later, her prayer was answered.
Shadreck Chikoti, a Malawian native, had served as a translator for Jones’ trip to Malawi. Chikoti organized a non-government agency called Kanyenyeva Orphan Care Ministry (KOCM), which created an orphan project in Malawi. The KOCM was in need of assistance because the country was suffering from food shortages, and so Chikoti contacted Jones for help.
“I brought that up to our church, First English Lutheran in downtown Mansfield, and our church rose to the occasion and started to support this orphan project,” stated Jones.
And since that time, the Malawi Orphan Care Project (MOCP) was birthed. This non-profit organization works in partnership with KOCM and sees support from FELC, Trinity Lutheran Church in Monroeville, Ohio, Immanuel Lutheran Church in Crosby, Minnesota, among other churches and individuals.
The invaluable relationship between MOCP and KOCM has helped benefit orphans in Malawi in a number of ways, one of them being the feeding program. Orphans can come to feeding program three, soon to be four, times a week to receive a meal and Bible lesson. Those who visit range from four-year-olds to high school aged teens. Typically, 350 orphans are fed, sometimes 400 or more, during a single meal.
“For most of the children, it’s a supplement. For a small number of the children who come to the project, those are the only meals they eat in a week,” explained Andy Jones, husband of Joy Jones and associate pastor at FELC.
There are at least one million orphans in Malawi due primarily to HIV/AIDS and malaria. Malawian children are considered to be orphans if they have lost one or more parents. If they have lost both parents, they are considered to be a double orphan.
“There’s such a need there and when you go there and see that, you realize that although we have problems in this country and help people out here too, there are people in other countries that don’t even have clean drinking water,” stated Andy Jones.
This year a community well was drilled, thereby offering clean water to Malawian locals for the first time in history.
Other ways that the project works to help orphans is through funding children’s education fees. High school education costs $150 for one year per person. The project was able to fund 25 students’ fees.
Joy Jones noted that an individual’s education does not benefit just one person, but an entire community because the students typically go on to earn a job after graduation and allocate a portion of their income towards community needs.
In addition to helping fund high school students’ education, the project also helps pay for boarding school costs. Boarding school amounts to $1500 a year. Currently, the project is helping fund four boarding school students’ expenses.
Furthermore, the MOCP aims at helping the Malawians to become financially self-sufficient. In this endeavor, the project spurred the creation of a bracelet business. People can send donations if they wish to receive a bracelet. Two dollars of the expense goes toward a scholarship fund for high school students, $1 goes toward the bracelet maker, and the remaining bracelet costs go toward the supply expenses and shipping and handling.
Right here in Mansfield, efforts are going strong to support the Malawian community. There was a walk-a-thon to help raise money for the well, a shoe drive, and there will be a 5K this coming March. “We’re hoping to be able to have [the 5K] downtown so that we can hopefully benefit the businesses at the same time raise money for the orphans of Malawi,” stated Joy Jones.
For those interesting in becoming involved in the project, visit http://malawiorphancareproject.org/. One can donate through that website or through the mail by making donations payable to the Malawi Orphan Care Project, 53 Park Ave West, Mansfield, OH 44902.
“We’re always looking for people to sew clothing and those who want to run a fundraiser or come to meetings,” stated Joy Jones. MOCP meetings are held monthly at FELC. “Also, if anyone is interested in thrift shop purchasing, we like to send the children clothes.”
Andy Jones noted that there are typically yearly trips to Malawi. Three teams are looking to go in June, July, and August of next year.
“Every time we go there, we ask the village leadership, ‘Would you rather have us send you the money, or do you want us there?’ and every time they say, We want you to come,’” stated Andy Jones.
Between both and Andy and Joy Jones, they have visited Malawi nine times and intend to go again next year.
“There’s such a need there and when you go there and see that, you realize that although we have problems in this country and help people out here too, there are people in other countries that don’t even have clean drinking water,” stated Andy Jones.
