Their Stories (3)
Learn more about the families that we are working with through the Life Abundantly Project.
THE STORY OF GINFORD MKANDAWIRE
My name is Ginford Mkandawire. I was born in 1964 at Chonanga village in Chilumba area, Karonga, Northern Malawi. My mother was the third wife of my father who was polygamous with four wives. I am the fourth born child to my mother. I have three sisters.
One of my best memories as a child was when I was selected to go to secondary school. Out of many students who sat for the Primary School Leaving Certificate Exams, I was among the few who qualified to go to secondary school. That, is my fondest memory!
Being the only boy in the family and being the first born, I used to help my mother with kitchen chores such us fetching firewood, sweeping the compound and drawing water from the well. This strengthened my bond with my mother. I occasionally spent time with my father. Most of our time spent together was when he visited my mother’s house, then we would eat together. I also used to herd cattle with him.
My saddest moments were when I lost my dear mother and when I was told by my polygamous father that I could not continue with my education because of lack of money for my school fees. That affected me psychologically and I ended up messing up in my life. I lost my sense of direction and I felt unworthy and I thought that life was very unfair!
I met my wife during the time of frustration! I eloped with her and felt that was one way of burying my grievances. She is a very wonderful, hardworking and patient woman. God has blessed us with ten children of which, three are no more. We have five grandchildren.
I first came to our present village of Kajalajata because of my father. He had a plot of land here and we Ives on his piece of land until 2011 when my wife and I acquired our own piece of land where we have built our own house and we have some land for cultivation of corn and cassava.
My best friend has been my half brother, the son of my father’s second wife. He has been a very wonderful confidant and a source of my encouragement.
When I look back to my past, I feel so much grateful to God for His grace. Despite my past mistakes and frustrations, he has given me hope by first of all forgiving my sins and allow me to become his child. He has also blessed me with a good wife and wonderful family! Again I thank God for choosing me to be one of the beneficiaries of the CROP Project.
Because of what God is doing in my life, my family and I are seeing a brighter future. Through some of the skills I am acquiring from the meetings I have with my fellow beneficiaries and through my contact with Bishop Gondwe and Andy Nyirenda, I am able to see a better future for me and my children and even their children! I now have a generational vision.
When I will see Jesus one day I will say; thank you Jesus for changing my life and enabling me to live a productive life. And I will ask him to do that to others so that they can experience what I am experiencing.
To those reading my story I say, God is awesome and gracious. He is able to transform broken lives and bring restoration. I am that person who has experienced that Love of God. Do not focus on your present situation but rather fix your eyes on God. He will give you the desires of your heart according to his will and abundant grace!
Thank you all for the wonderful support that you have been giving us through CROP. Your love which has been demonstrated through action has lifted my spirit and I am not the same. May the Lord continue to richly bless you. Thank you for praying with / and for us.
Age: 47 years, # of children: 11.
My name is Donald Msiska. I was born on 6 th June,1972 at Chauteka village in Karonga district in Malawi. I am the 5th born child in a family of 12 children. Six male and six female.
In 1979, my father together with his family left Chauteka village and moved to Kajalajata village as a farmer. This is how I am found in Kajalajata village.
My best childhood memories are when I was saved from drowning by older herds boys when we were playing in the nearby river.
When I got home, my father instead of sympathizing with me, he beat me up until when he made sure I have learnt my lesson not to play in the river again. From that moment, I stopped following older boys to the river. I was afraid of my father’s beatings.
I spent very few moments with my father and mother because most of my time I used to spend walking to and from School because it was very far from our village. But during the weekend, and other mornings I would be with my dad milking the cows. I cherished this time with my father.
My best friend when growing up was my father. Whenever I needed help of any kind, he provided for me and my siblings. He was our protector and provider.
My saddest moment when I was growing up was when my father died. I felt very saddened because I lost my friend and confidant. I missed our time together, milking the cows.
I met my wife, Julian Mkandawire in 1988 during the traditional dance called malipenga. I got interested in her because of her good behavior and beauty. One day, after observing her and researching on her, I gathered my courage and proposed my love to her. She accepted my proposal and I introduced her to my parents. In 1989 we got married.
We have 7 biological children and we keep 4 orphaned children. My wife comes from the village of Kajalajata I am in Kajalajata because of my father and I have been in this village since 1979. I have never lived in any other village since then.
I am a farmer like my father. Farming helps me to raise some funds to feed my family and buy our family necessities. I have lived half of my life without really committing myself to God. This was so because of the environment I was brought up. But in 2019 things turned around when God began working in my life.
Through my exposure to the teachings and fellowship of Bishop Gondwe and Andy Nyirenda, I am beginning to see God’s plan for my life. I am therefore grateful to God for beginning to work in my life.
I used to get drunk and abuse my wife and children. But now I am feeling ashamed for what I have been doing to my family. I have asked God, and my wife for forgiveness and now I am beginning to experience inner peace that I have never felt before.
Because of the work that God has begun doing in me of transforming my life, I have a lot of hope that now, I will be able to live a more productive and responsible life. I see myself becoming a blessing to others in my village.
When I will see Jesus one day, I will say; Thank you Lord, Jesus for your work on the cross which has brought me back to the right path. To the people reading my story, I say: God’s working in our lives lead us to our intimate relationship with Him and restores us back to God’s original intent for our lives. Thank you very much for your unconditional love and for your continued support.
I am today experiencing God’s love because of your love. God bless you all!
LINA CHIHANA’S STORY
My name is Linah Chihana, I was born at Mlare village in Karonga district. I am the 4th born child in the family of 8 children. Three females and five males.
I was married in 1959 to my late husband at Chauteka village and in 1979 we moved together to Kajalajata village where I live up to now. My husband died in 1992. I am a widow who keeps 4 orphans, the children of my two sons.
Life has been hard as a widow in terms of raising these children. I have been struggling especially in providing for them their school items such as uniforms, books. Feeding them has not been easy either. Since I am old now, it has been hard to find food for my grandchildren and myself. Sometimes, we have been forced to sleep on empty stomachs. The gardens have not been producing enough to sustain us all the year round due to poor soils. Because of lack of fertilizers, we have been producing very low yields from my small gardens.
I was brought up by my father because my mother died when I was only four years old. This made my relationship with my father to be very strong. He was both my mother and father. He made sure I am happy. But when he died, all my happiness was gone. I had no one to take care of me and pay for my school fees. This is the reason I got married at a very young age. I felt by so doing, I might be able to find happiness again. My husband was very wonderful, loving and caring husband. He respected me and taught me a lot of things. He made me find a father in him. But that happiness came to an end in 1992 when he died. Since that time, I have been living alone as a widow and now I am keeping my orphaned grandchildren.
I have lived a life as a nominal Christian. I did not have any relationship with Christ or God. I went to church as a routine. I never knew that God desires be closer to us and I never knew that I can make Him my Lord and Savior until 2020 on 25th November when Andy Nyirenda helped me to understand what was missing in my life all this time and how God loves me and His plan for my life. He witnessed to me about the unconditional love of God that He would like to forgive me all my sins and make me His child. I felt this is my opportunity to begin a new life. I confessed my sins and I prayed a prayer of commitment inviting Christ to be the Lord of my life. I am now happy and thankful to God for such an opportunity. My desire now is to grow in my relationship with God so that I can help others know Him intimately.
Since Bishop Gondwe and Andy Nyirenda have been coming to our village, I have seen the love of God in them and my life has been challenged. I thank God for giving us such opportunity. Our village is being transformed because of the skills that we are being exposed to and the word of God that is challenging our life. I am now able to feed my children because I am able to take care of the little food I find. Before that, I was unable to plan properly. I was very careless with the little farm produces I had. This made us to starve. That is the past! I am now very hopeful that my life is in the right track.
To the people reading my story I say; Thank you very much for helping my family and I. Your love for us even though we have not met face to face, portrays the unconditional love of God. Thank you for being part of our lives. Your help to us is a testimony that God values us despite our conditions. You have enabled us to be empowered with skills. You have helped us with the water filters, food stuff during the hard months when we needed food, you have provided us with resources to be able to cultivate rice, you have provided goats and chicken and now my family and I will have a decent eco-san toilet which will help us to have manure for our gardens. God bless you all.
