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A letter from Debbie Chase in Malawi |
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February 2003
Dear Friends,
Warm New Year's Greetings from Malawi, the warm heart of the world!
Economy
The New Year in Malawi has brought dwindling hope for the future
for the people of Malawi. The Malawi Kwacha (MK), the national
currency, has again dipped significantly. In 1993 a dollar was
worth 4 MK; in 2000 a dollar bought 45 MK and now in 2003 a dollar
is work 86 MK. This has led to skyrocketing inflation. In addition,
the government has recently levied a 20 percent surtax on all
items, including food.
Food Shortage
Flood and drought over the past year and a half have caused an
extreme food shortage. The scarcity of maize, the staple food,
has caused the cost of maize to rise from MK 250 per 50-kilogram
bag in September 2000 to MK 850 today. When the food shortage
was at its worst a year ago the cost of a 50-kilogram bag of maize
reached as high of MK 1200, far beyond what the majority of people
could afford.
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30 percent of the people of Malawi
are affected by the food shortage. Malnutrition and death are increasing.
People go without food for days at a time. In many areas people
are too weak from hunger to attend church or school. In rural areas
some have resorted to eating worms and other people barely survive
on pumpkin leaves and cornhusks. |
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Distribution of maize to the hungry at Mpherembe, Malawi.
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A year ago it was estimated that Malawi needed $21.6 million
to deal with the food crisis and avoid disaster. Relief from partner
churches, non-governmental organizations, and various governments
has been slow to come and meets only a fraction of the overwhelming
need. Presbyterian Disaster Assistance in partnership with the
Church of Central Africa Presbyterian and other partner churches
is providing personnel, funds, food, seed, and fertilizer for
immediate and short-term relief as well evaluation and planning
for long term development. (See the Web site of Presbyterian Disaster
Assistance to learn more: www.pcusa.org/pda.) The food shortage
is predicted to worsen this year.
HIV/AIDS pandemic
The tragic effects of HIV/AIDS affect all people and every aspect
of their lives. Malawi is losing a whole generation of workers
and parents to HIV/AIDS, resulting in dwindling economic productivity
and thousands of orphaned children. One million people in Malawi
are HIV+! 90,000 people in Malawi die every year from AIDS! 400,000
children in Malawi have been orphaned by AIDS! Relatives have
taken these children into their homes. Where they will find money
to feed and pay for school fees for these children they do not
know.
Political climate
The political climate is tense. Corruption is the order of the
day. Power and greed capitalize on the misfortune of the poor,
the destitute, the orphan, the widow, the sick, the hungry. The
president and ruling United Democratic Front Party are seeking
through force to change Malawi's constitution to allow the president
to serve a third term, using bribery, threats, physical violence,
proscription of civil rights, condemnation of clergy, and manipulation
of the political system to accomplish their goal.
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This woman received a loan to start this small store from the
Women's Empowerment Economic Pilot Project.
This woman received a loan from the Women's Empowerment Economic
Pilot Project to produce and sell beans.
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The
nation of Malawi is headed down a road of total destruction, and
unless we (Malawians with partners throughout the world) rally our
resources and shift our priorities to address these horrific circumstances
the people of Malawi will surely reach this end. But somehow the
people of Malawi keep smiling and laughing, singing and dancing,
hoping and praying that "the current state of the nation"
will miraculously change so that the people of Malawi may journey
down a road that leads to life.
Actions that keep hope alive
The people of Malawi keep hope alive through their actions that
witness to their belief in God's miraculous reversals. Women are
being empowered and churches are overcoming their differences
to unite to bring new life to the people of Malawi.
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Through the Synod of Livingstonia's
Women's Empowerment Programme women are receiving loans to start
small businesses. 40 percent of these women are widows. Most provide
for at least five children, some eight or nine. The soft loans received
to start small businesses (selling sugar, vegetables, maize, clothing,
and other items) are gifts of hope and life. The women have formed
micro-enterprise cooperatives to encourage, support, and assist
each other. Faithfully they repay their loans so that other women
will be able to receive a loan to start a small business. As the
socio-economic status of women improves, world statistics verify,
a nation begins to prosper.
In addition, women are becoming full partners with men. Within the
last two years four women have been licensed and ordained to the
ministry of Word and Sacrament. Three of these women led the December
2003 CCAP General Assembly in Saturday morning worship. The climax
of this General Assembly was the signing of a new constitution,
uniting the five synods, making the General Assembly the supreme
court of CCAP for the first time in its history. A Blantyre Synod
clergywoman was among those leading worship on this historic occasion.
Women present in large numbers sounded their approval with overwhelming
applause as this woman was introduced to the Assembly.
United as one church, these five CCAP Synods are now a stronger,
more dynamic, life-giving force than they ever were as separate
bodies. The three CCAP Synods in Malawi have become a united prophetic
voice with power in action, guiding, serving, bringing redeeming
life to the people of Malawi.
As one, united CCAP General Assembly the Synods work together to
meet these needs:
- Famine Relief Provide food for the hungry and seed
and fertilizer for food production.
- HIV/AIDS Provide educational materials, workshops,
initiatives in home-based care.
- Mission Work in South Africa Formerly two mission congregations,
one belonging to Livingstonia Synod and the other Nkhoma Synod,
worshiped in adjacent classrooms, fraught with suspicion and
immersed in conflict. Now these two congregations are working
together to become one congregation.
- A Prophetic Voice Pastoral letters, press releases,
prayer services, and demonstrations to oppose government corruption
and the ruling party's attempts to change Malawi's constitution
to allow the President to run for a third term.
- These are actions that keep hope alive! Thanks be to
God and thanks be to God's faithful people.
Remember the people of Malawi. They are your sisters and brothers!
Keep hope alive through your faithful actions of prayer, food relief,
means for development, and HIV/AIDS prevention and care.
Grace, Peace, and Hope,
Debbie
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