The Story of Mcheneke Community

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.

103 Children currently supported

15 Care Workers Coordinated by Laines

26 KM from the DEDZa Local Office

Basic Services Started in 2012 

The Umodzi CBO, meaning ‘We are together’, began with a few individuals answering God’s call to serve their community. Today, 15 Care Workers have been mobilised to care for the most vulnerable children, bringing God’s hope and love to the brokenness and trauma that many people in this large community carry. Holy Home Visits are foundational to caring holistically as it allows the Care Workers to build strong relationships with the children and their families, thus enabling them to support each child’s physical, emotional and spiritual needs. Through Holy Home Visits, Care Workers are able assess each child’s needs and make a plan for they can most effectively care for the children.

In addition to visiting children in their homes, Care Workers from the Umodzi CBO provide 103 children with a hot, nutritious meal daily and support with their education and basic health care. When children come to the Life Centre to receive a meal, they find a supportive, healthy environment that provides holistic care and support.

Recently, the physical construction of the Life Centre in Mcheneke Community, including new toilets, a kitchen and a simple caretaker’s house, was completed. Having a Life Centre provides a safe and welcoming environment for the children to come to eat and play.

The Life Centre is not only for the children, but is also a place for Relationship Groups for Care Workers, Primary Caregivers, children and members of the local church where they can share their challenges, hear God’s word and pray together.

The prayer is that as the Umodzi CBO continues to grow and develop, they will continue to be a source of light and hope for the wider community.

Meet Deena

Twelve-year-old Deena* stays with her parents and two siblings, aged six and three years. Deena’s father is disabled and her mother has various health challenges, including epilepsy. They do piecework and farming, and Deena’s father tries to sell potatoes. Due to his disability, this has been difficult and they have struggled to find enough food.

Deena started coming to the Care Point in 2014 after Care Worker Thandiwe identified her whilst doing Holy Home Visits. Because of the parents’ situation, when the younger siblings were born they also became part of the Care Point. The youngest sibling, Gala*, is part of the 0-5 years programme. Becoming a part of the CBO has been transformational for this family, allowing these siblings to experience the love of Christ through the Care Workers.

Deena enjoys playing ‘Fly’ with her friends and learning Chichewa in school where she is in grade 4. She would like to be a doctor one day.

The local Hands at Work team in Dedza currently supports six 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 Umodzi. It also gives administrative support, including helping with funding proposals, monitoring and evaluation, bookkeeping and reporting to donors. 

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