In Malawi, Mulanje Mission Hospital supports children who have been orphaned or are vulnerable due to HIV and AIDS. With assistance from PWS&D, the program evaluates and identifies those who would benefit most from health and education services. In addition, the program extends its support to the families of vulnerable children through a livestock-keeping initiative, which helps provide nutrition and income for the children and their caregivers. 

Below, one of the participants, 22-year-old Benedetta January, shares how the project has changed her life. 

“When I was young, I thought life was just normal until I started realizing how tough it was for my mother—a single mother—to take care of five children, especially with me being a person with a disability. My mother struggled to feed us; sometimes, we would go to bed without eating. The house we lived in was thatched and leaked during the rains,” shares Benedetta.

“My mother’s experience of caring for me as a person with a disability was incredibly challenging. She had to carry me on her back to school, go home to cook for us and then come back to pick me up since I didn’t have a wheelchair. Sometimes, I couldn’t attend classes.

“My mother met a lady who ran the Apatsa Private Primary School, which had a program for orphans and vulnerable children from Mulanje Mission Hospital. She instructed my mother to register my name for the project. 

“The project gave me hope. It has supported my education from primary school up to completing university. While in college, I was provided with a wheelchair.

“The project not only supported me with school but also provided nutritional support and access to free health services. Additionally, the project supported me by giving me a goat. 

“Very soon, I will be graduating with a bachelor’s degree in social work, thanks to the support from the project. The goat I received multiplied, which greatly assisted us financially at home. My mother was able to buy basic items for our household.

“I have been sharing my story with friends, especially at college. My goal is to become employed and give back to the community through my services. I aim to support my friends with disabilities so they can also become educated. Additionally, I want to improve my family’s life and support my brothers and sisters in their education.

“I am so grateful; the project has changed my life. Very soon I will be a graduate because of the project. I thank God and the lady who introduced my mother to the project.” 

* This story was originally published in the Summer 2025 issue of the Presbyterian Connection newspaper.