wherewework malawi
A green, open field with trees under a cloudy sky with Malawi written on it

We have been working in Malawi since 2019, educating and mobilizing pastors to reduce harmful beliefs about disability and improve support for families impacted by disability

PROJECTS IN MALAWI

Equipping Pastors to Support People with Disabilities


World Relief Kenya partners with local churches and communities to develop sustainable, locally driven solutions to Malawi’s most urgent problems. Kupenda’s technical support, trainings, and materials help to ensure that these activities include people with disabilities and improve their lives.

Despite the existence of supportive national policies and laws on disability, most people with disabilities in Malawi remain disempowered and discriminated against in terms of access to various basic services, such as health care, education, and employment.

We are working to change this.

In the past five years…

6,904 People with disabilities' lives improved
469 Staff, volunteers, and church leaders trained
274 Support groups and church ministries formed.

What we have accomplished

For the past five years, Kupenda has partnered with World Relief to help make their programs more inclusive of people with disabilities. Initially, this involved hosting their Malawi staff at our Innovation Center in Kenya, where they learned about our disability advocacy approaches and reviewed our related training programs and tools.

World Relief Malawi then contracted our technical team to conduct a gap analysis of their Church Empowerment Zone (CEZ) program, which strengthens the capacity of local churches to bring about community transformation. Our team visited their Malawi office, completed the CEZ assessment, and then supported them in conducting disability advocacy trainings for their staff, volunteers, and church leaders. We also equipped their staff to conduct these trainings on their own. As a result, they have been able to continue running these trainings throughout their eight Church Empowerment Zones in Dedza and Salima in central Malawi and Mzimba in northern Malawi.

The Malawi team then adapted Kupenda’s Disability Advocacy Training and facilitated this workshop for World Relief staff in 10 other countries. They later contracted Kupenda to conduct these trainings for their teams in Burundi and the DRC as well.

CASE STUDY

Boniface’s Story


Boniface was born with a disability that caused him to go blind. He was unable to afford an education and neighbors stole crops from his farm, forcing him into poverty. Fortunately, after World Relief facilitated one of Kupenda’s Disability Trainings in his community, things began to change for Boniface.

READ MORE

TOGETHER, we can reduce harmful beliefs about disability and improve the lives of our world’s most vulnerable children. JOIN US!

A woman in a colorful headscarf and dress smiling with a child in front of her, both looking happy. Kenya written on the screen
A young man with a buzz cut and a bright smile sits among others in a supportive learning environment.
A smiling young girl with short hair wearing a white tank top, standing in front of an orange mud wall writing Tanzania on the image
A man in a green patterned shirt holds a large piece of paper, while others look on in a learning environment.
A boy sitting in a wheelchair wearing a pink and white shirt, looking directly at the camera.
A woman wearing a blue and white patterned headscarf holding a child wrapped in a blue blanket, labeled "Global."