It all started with a dream

It all started with a dream. Once in my life, I wanted to visit Africa. Once in my life, I wanted to see the African life. There are many stories about organisations in Africa, about poverty and disasters, about doubts and questions about giving your money (and the question if it is good to give money in the first place). So many questions that I could not answer. And because I wanted that answer, it was my wish to go myself and discover Africa. I received this chance!

For my Social Work education, I had to follow a minor. There were many different ways to do this minor. One of the options was doing research in a foreign country. The idea was to do a 12-week long internship with an organisation. During this time, we had to do research about a self-chosen topic. For me, this was the perfect chance to go to a part of the world I was dreaming about for years, a discovery journey to Africa!

But Africa is a large place, and where to go to? Fortunately, I knew somebody who had an organisation in Malawi. I had never heard about the country, and I did not know what the organisation was doing. But there was no reason why I could not find it out. So after a lot of conversations, doing research about the organisation and the country, I was ready to go. Together with a classmate/friend I packed my bags and we headed off to Malawi!

This was my first meeting with the For a Change Foundation in Malawi. The 12 weeks were over before I knew it, and I learned a lot about the country, the people, the culture, the povery, and taking care after each other. But I especially learned that God has His people also in Malawi and He gives us the job of taking care after each other. I have learned that we are very blessed in the rich Western part of the world, but on the other hand, we are so poor because we usually forget to be thankful for all the gifts. The gift of sharing is so important. And I found out that the Malawian people were much better in sharing than I was. It showed me that I was too much focused on earthly things. That I thought it was normal to have everything I wanted. That I thought it was normal to go to school, that I even grumbled about going to school because I wanted to do something else. That I thought it was normal that my parents payed for good food and a roof above our heads. That I thought it was normal to have a job.

But none of this is normal! And it took me this journey to find this out.

The research that we did, was about unemployment among young people. A large percentage of the Malawian youth is unemployed. Also for the future, the chance of finding a job is small. There are a couple of causes. An important part is education. Most children do not receive any education, or education of poor quality. This way, they cannot develop themselves properly and it also makes it harder to find a way to earn money in a fair way. The chance to stay in povery is large. Besides this, the development of the children is also influenced by the lack of good food. This makes it also harder for them to concentrate on their school, if they are lucky enough to go to school. Because this happens in the same way generation after generation, and there is not enough knowledge to do something about it, there are organisations that are willing to help the people. The For a Change Foundation is one of them. The work that the Foundation does, is very necessary. When I heard that sponsors were needed for the children, I knew it was my responsibility to do whatever I could to make this happen. By giving the children the proper attention, food and education, you can see them develop step by step, and they love every step they can make. They know that they receive this possiblity by means of sponsors in The Netherlands. Sometimes, we do not realise what this means to the children. I can tell you: it means a lot to them. It means a bigger chance on a better future. We are grateful that we are able to help those children. We do not decide where we are born: in The Netherlands, or in Africa. The knowledge that God looks after all of us and He gives us all the same command (love your neighbour), makes us equal, and makes that we all deserve the same chances.

Because I learned all of this, I am grateful for spending some time in Malawi and getting to know the For a Change organisation better and better. Above all, I am grateful that I found answers to my questions and I have a better view of a developing country. Every one can do something for his neighbour, in a lot of different ways. The For a Change Foundation gives us the opportunity to help the Malawia children and the people of Kwanjana, by means of a gift or sponsoring a child. I can tell you from my own experience: it is definitely  not a waste of money: your money is spend in a responsible way. The Malawian people deserve it!