Page 5 - The Light Easter 2020

prison chaplain in Inverness combining it with Malawi Fruits £200 and Boys Brigade £200;
his parish ministry. also the Association for the Blind £50,
Borderline £50 and the Church £250. This all
• March: Margaret Clarke from Dundee told us
about one of the Guild projects, Malawi Fruits. comes from the Coffee Morning in Guild week
and the Sale of Work.
• At this meeting members agreed to allocate Margaret Ross, Convener
funds as follows: Our two Guild projects

World Mission - Malawi Crèche
This past year, a few congregation members have wandering in the village. After members of the
been interested in a small pre-primary crèche congregation at Appin Church sent a gift at
near Blantyre in Malawi, which we became Christmas, Fatima wrote to us to say, “We are all
involved with in about the year 2000. Fatima happy indeed for this fund and be informed that
Mauluka, the director of the crèche, is a personal it has come at the right time as there was no food
friend of ours, as we met with her several times remaining in our store. …Your generous support
during visits to Malawi up until the year 2004, makes it possible for GEMO Day care to exist.”
when I held several meetings with her based on
(GEMO (Genesis Manja Othandiza) means
educational methods for young children. (In the Genesis “Helping Hands” in Chichewa, the
photo – February 2004 - Fatima is beside me on
language of Malawi.)
the left, and I am holding up the letter of the
alphabet, with instruction in phonetics to the dear Fatima and the crèche are closely aligned to the
ladies in the classroom.) Mount Olive Church of Central Africa Presbytery
Although the number of children varies, their (C.C.A.P), which is the Presbyterian equivalent
enrolment has been about 90. They are one of there in Malawi. Of course, Malawi, and especially
the 5 best established childcare centres in the Blantyre, has strong connections to this side of
Blantyre area, and have been struggling to keep Scotland, being David Livingstone country.
going, to care for the local orphaned and Fatima usually tries to buy bags of maize flour and
vulnerable children. AIDS has had a long-term maize meal to keep the children fed. A bag is about
effect on areas such as theirs, with loss of parents £15 - £20, we aim to send her four gifts in the
leaving pre-primary children in the care of the course of the year: at Christmas, March (Easter),
elderly or older brothers and sisters, even June and September. This allows her to keep her
stocks supplied with
basics over the course
of the year. A total gift
of £150 each time
would generously cover
several bags of maize,
some firewood to keep
them warm (it gets cold
in the winter in Malawi)
and perhaps some meat
or chicken for an Easter
celebration for the
children.

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