Timotheos Canada Assisting Communities
The vast majority of people living in rural communities in Malawi are extremely poor - they live from day to day hoping that they will be able to find/make enough food the following day to supply for their families. Finding consistent jobs is extremely difficult and many people do “piece work” which means they will take on any job they can for a small payment, typically enough to supply a little food for the day.
Timotheos is able to provide steady job opportunities for a variety of people. One of these ways is by hiring local people to be guards at both our childcare centre/foster home and by our main home and office location near Blantyre. We want to share the following story with you as we believe this will truly demonstrate how your donations make an impact on many people in Malawi, people who otherwise would not have a hope for tomorrow but would simply be living to make it through the day.
Recently we had to hire a new guard for home/office location which means that he is now able to provide a steady income for his family. His family consists of his wife and 9 children, 7 children of their own and 2 orphans of close family members. He moved his family into the neighbourhood around our place but the following night thieves came, threw bricks through the window and stole some of their pans, pots and plates.
His wife did not dare to sleep in the house for another night so the next morning we went looking for another house to rent. This house is a little closer to our place, about 400 meters away. This should be a safe place as it is further away from town.
Their new rental home which should be secure enough for his wife to feel safe with the children while her husband is at work.
Moving was a quick process as this is all of their belongings - remember, a family of 9 children…
Approximately a week later this guard came to ask for a second advance in the month. This normally does not happen, so we were asking him what that would be for and to describe his money management to us. He answered that he did not have any food for his family to eat. The day prior the last little bit of flour was fed to his children and his wife and him did not eat. When asked what he did with the money that he received last month, he answered that he paid off a hospital bill from one of his children, which was worth 2 months wages. He explained all his other expenses which were just food. Instead of money, we loaned him a bag of maize. He told us that his family can eat for a month from 1 bag, but if that is true, they will not eat much. Now he will have food, but he does not have a penny to spare in order for him to buy anything else. For example, some salad, or meat, clothes or soap. Hopefully by next month he can buy some of these things again, although he has borrowed enough now, that this coming month’s paycheque will not be big either. By loaning him maize, we make sure that the family has at least some food, but that is the bare minimum. It is quite sobering to see a 57-year-old man sitting on the table, telling us that he has no food for his wife and his 9 children. It shows how much we take for granted everyday.