Roderick was born in the southern Malawi village of Thanhanyika with his future ahead of him. When he was three, that quickly changed. His parents died, leaving him in the care of elderly grandparents that could not afford to feed him. Roderick did not attend school because he was either too sick or working for food. In March 2019, his village encountered cyclone Idai, the worst tropical cyclone on record. Roderick’s family lost their home … twice.
A promising future was hard for Roderick to see.
In 2013, Roderick joined Ambuya Development Centre (ADC), a local Thriving Kids Africa partner. Rooted in Christianity, ADC’s mission is to empower vulnerable women and children of rural Malawi through formal education, workshops and training.
Today, Roderick is 10, and because of the love and support of generous Cross International givers like you, he is in grade four, receives food six days a week, lives in a safe, warm home, and has a thriving future ahead of him.
A village of opportunity.
Thanganyika Village is home to more than 5,300 people, many of them women and children. 85% of villagers are living on less than $1 a day. As a result of this severe poverty, the village struggles with drug and alcohol abuse, an HIV/AIDS pandemic, overcrowded homes due to the influx of orphaned children, drought and lack of access to education, food, clean water and safe homes.
When basic needs are met, children can thrive.
Together with ADC, we have built a holistic, integrated, multisectoral approach to helping the children of Malawi thrive. Our approach brings together clean water, education, a feeding program, safe housing and community centers and microloans.
Since its inception, ADC has been able to provide Thanganyika with life-changing resources like a solar-powered water system, organic vegetable gardens and the sharing of Christ’s love. Your continued support provides ongoing nourishment for the children in Roderick’s village, which supports overall health, improved school attendance and learning.
Our goals are big. Our God is bigger.
Today, our vision is to continue feeding 300 children six days a week, rebuild 335 homes and build a fellowship hall that includes a cafeteria, community event space and evacuation center. And because there are more female-led households in Africa today than ever before, we hope to offer microloans to 200 women so more mothers can feed, take care of, and send their children to school.
Through the power of Jesus, we know it’s possible!
As we look to the future in Thanganyika, southern Malawi and for all Thriving Kids Africa, we are prayerful that we can continuously grow programming year over year. Please consider monthly support to give families like Roderick’s hope for a future of possibility.
