A number of years ago a representative of Bath Road Baptist Church met the EBCM Management Team and executive to discuss how best Christians in the west could help the Malawian believers. As an outcome of that discussion, a widows’ welfare goat program was established. Connected with each EBCM church in Malawi are widows’ welfare groups. These are groups of widows who meet together on a regular basis for Bible study under the leadership of the area pastor and his wife. Not all of these ladies are believers, and some are saved through the teaching received at these studies.
The ladies are taught various skills including crafts that can be sold for income (called income generating activities or IGAs). Some women make paper necklaces from discarded magazines for resale, purses and mats from plastic bags, toba–a milkshake-like beverage that is sold in recycled water bottles at the roadside. In addition to this, Bath Road has set up a goat program which has proven to be a real benefit to widows in the church centres.
The EBCM appointed one of their pastors, Abusa Stevie Kamwana, to coordinate this program. Abusa Kamwana is a personable and energetic young man who has been key in the success of this program. A centre is chosen to receive goats. Abusa Kamwana meets with the women in the centre and begins to train them on how to take care of goats. Once they have been fully trained, Abusa Kamwana purchases 10 goats and delivers them to the widows’ group. A male goat is given to the pastor, and 10 goats are given to ten ladies. It is important to note that not only Christian women are given goats; at least one goat is given to a non-Christian woman in the centre as a means of evangelism. As the goats mature, they are bred with the male goat. The first offspring that is born of every female goat is given back to the church to be used for another widows’ group. Subsequent offspring are kept by the widows for them to use as they see fit; they may use the goat for food, may sell it for school fees, may keep it for further breeding–whatever the widow desires to do with her goat is her choice.
This project has been extremely successful and we are grateful to God for this success! Soon every church in every centre will have a goat program established.
