Page 27 - PC Fall 2023

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FALL 2023
A Mission Partnership Spanning Five Decades
Connection
PRESBYTERIAN
27
Since 1994, when free primary school education was introduced, Malawi’s primary schools have generally been overcrowded, un- derstaffed and under-resourced. Imagine a six-year-old child sit- ting shoulder to shoulder on a classroom floor with 99 other children, with one teacher and one worn out blackboard? This was the situation at Misanjo Primary School. Our long-time Malawian friend, Dr. Zipangani Vokhiwa, now a science professor in the U.S., had begun his schooling at Mis- anjo. He despaired to learn of the overcrowding. How could parents hope for a better future for their children? For equal oppor tunities for their daughters and their sons? It’s known that with inadequate schooling in Malawi there is great- er risk of child marriage, teen preg- nancy and gender-based violence.
Today, Dr. Vokhiwa is giving back to Malawi. As a Fulbright Scholar Award recipient, he is in Malawi this year assisting Malawi University of Science and Tech- nology (MUST) with the develop- ment of a STEM (Science, Tech- nology, Engineering and Math) Centre. In addition, following his consultations last year with the Misanjo CCAP pastor, the PTA Committee, local chiefs and the school headmaster, the Misanjo Primary School Rehabilitation Project team was formed. Con- tractors were hired and building
The Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (CCAP) minister, the school head- master and the chair of the school parents’ committee standing in front of one of two new classroom blocks when it was under construction.
The new classroom blocks in Malawi, now in use, with students and teachers outside during a break.
began on two school blocks with two classrooms in each. The total cost would be $35,000 (U.S.). Initial funding came from Dr. Vokhiwa’s own savings and fun- draising efforts. But in fall 2022, as the walls for the classroom blocks were near completion, Dr. Vokhiwa told us that additional funds were needed for the roofs, outside gutters, drainage and in- terior plastering.
We wondered if we could help support this project ourselves and by raising money through The Presbyterian Church in Canada. After communication with Life & Mission General Secretary, the Rev. Ian Ross-McDonald, who also discussed the project with the Rev. Gama, a donation of $4,325 (U.S.) was sent to Blan- tyre Synod. By February 2023, the roofs were on! While still dreaming of 160 student desks (costing $7,700 U.S.) and even- tually a library (costing $8,000 U.S.), the community was very grateful and hoped to have stu-
dents in the classrooms by April. Then on March 13, Cyclone Freddy hit Blantyre Synod. In early April Dr. Vokhiwa wrote, “Many Malawians, over 1,000, died...homes, bridges and roads washed away. Relief campuses were set up for displaced fami- lies with support from local army, teachers and citizens... Currently the Southern Region is in recov- ery mode... I drove to my home village and the Misanjo school blocks that we are constructing
are intact—thank God!”
Blantyre Synod is participating
in this relief effort. As its partner, the PCC is helping. Let us all pray for Malawians. And if you can of- fer financial support, designate your donations to PWS&D’s “Re- lief for Tropical Cyclone Freddy” or to International Ministries for “Blantyre Synod” or for “Misanjo Primary School Rehabilitation Project.”
For more information contact Lily Ko at lko@presbyterian.ca or call 1-800-619-7301 ext. 254.
By Anne Saunders, former Life & Mission Agency employee and member of the Cutting Edge
of Mission Committee, and Alex Bruce, elder at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Dartmouth, N.S.
In the mid-1970s, we were CUSO (CanadianUniversityServiceOver- seas) volunteers with our spouses in Malawi. Back then, Malawi expor ted maize to neighbouring countries. It hadn’t yet experienced the HIV and AIDS pandemic, cli- mate change droughts and flood- ing, or COVID-19. And we had yet to learn about The Presbyterian Church in Canada’s mission work in Malawi. While there, however, we did become aware of CCAP churches—part of the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian, be- gun in the late 19th century with Dr. David Livingstone.
But we did not know that the PCC and CCAP’s Blantyre Syn- od partnership was in its early stages. The Rev. Brian Crosby, the first PCC-appointed mission staff, arrived with his wife, Eliza- beth, in 1969, to serve in youth ministry, working with local lead- ers to strengthen the ministry of the Likhubula House Youth Cen- tre. We met Brian Crosby during our volunteer orientation at this facility. After the Crosbys, the Rev. Charles Scott and his wife,
Sharon, arrived in the mid-1970s. Charles served as assistant pas- tor at the cathedral-like St. Mi- chael and All Angels Church in Blantyre, where we attended a friend’s wedding.
The PCC–Blantyre Synod part- nership has always had a training component. In the early years it provided opportunities for Ma- lawian church leaders to attend Canadian Presbyterian theological colleges. It also provided many Canadian Presbyterians with op- portunities to grow in faith and expand their worldview, serving in various roles and participating in study tours. Currently, PCC mis- sion staff the Rev. Dr. Blair Ber- trand serves at the Zomba Theo- logical University, while the Rev. Joel Sherbino serves in Prison Ministry.
When Blantyre Synod’s general secretary, the Rev. Dr. Billy Gama, visited the PCC national office last September, he spoke of the Syn- od’s concerns related to youth, climate change, theological education and pastors’ salaries. Blantyre Synod covers Malawi’s Southern Region and has over 1.2 million members. There are 185 ordained ministers serving over 600 churches and 700 prayer houses. There are also 274 public primary schools, many struggling to provide an adequate learning environment.