The Story of Kawaza Community
The community of Kawaza is located about 20km from the nearest town of Dedza and is known for its frequent flooding. With little opportunities for employment, many people rely on farming small plots of land and selling vegetables in the nearby market. A shortage of clean drinking water requires people to walk far distances for water. Each of these challenges adds to the vulnerability of the people living in the community of Kawaza.
100 Children currently supported
15 Care Workers coordinated by Julianna
Basic Services Started in 2018
35 KM from the DEDZA Local Office
In 2009, Pastor James, seeing the devastation that years of the HIV/AIDS epidemic had left on his community, gathered with a few church members to help the most vulnerable in the community of Mcheneke. These servant-hearted individuals began visiting the sick, the dying, and the most vulnerable children in this large rural area that borders Mozambique and is home to a large number of refugees. Shortly after, Pastor James met Hands at Work leaders, who shared their vision of partnering with local organisations who were already caring for people in their communities. In 2011, the Umodzi Community Based Organisation (CBO) in Mcheneke was born. Within a few months, community members from seven local churches volunteered their time and energy to care for their community as Care Workers. With the support of Hands at Work, these local Care Workers were equipped to care for the most vulnerable children.
In Mcheneke, three sub feeding points were operating under the Umodzi CBO to provide children with access to the life-giving services of daily food security and support with education and basic health care. Children would access these from the feeding point location closest to their home. Over the years, as the needs of the most vulnerable within the community and the surrounding areas continued to grow, the leaders of Hands at Work knew they needed to respond. Hands at Work began to mobilise local volunteers from a few churches in one of the feeding point areas known as Kawaza by sharing the vision of Hands at Work. In July 2018, Kawaza became an independent CBO, operating out of a Care Point and with a team of local volunteer Care Workers who exist to care for 100 of the most vulnerable children.
Throughout 2020, a number of projects were completed to enhance the safety and hygiene of the most vulnerable children. A permanent shelter was constructed to replace the previous temporary shelter, a borehole was installed and new secure toilets were constructed. All of these projects were an answer to prayer and a testament to God’s faithfulness.
Meet Velina
For seven-year-old Velina* the brokenness in her family began when she was three months old and her parents divorced. Since then, Velina’s father has not been involved in caring for his family. With limited opportunities for consistent employment, Velina’s mother, Sephora*, relies on farming and seeking out odd jobs. When Care Workers saw Sephora taking her children along to look for these jobs in 2019, they knew they had to do something, as this family struggled to obtain even the basic necessity of food. Velina and her siblings now come to the Care Point, a place where they receive a hot, nutritious meal daily and support with their basic health care and education. Extending beyond their physical needs, it is also a place where they are known by name and can play with other children their own age. Velina loves to play netball with her friends and is in grade 3.
The local Hands at Work team in Lobi 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 Kawaza. It also gives administrative support, including helping with funding proposals, monitoring and evaluation, bookkeeping and reporting to donors.
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