September 13, 2023

Written by Jim Cantelon on September 15, 2023. Posted in Blog.

Kathy and I recently visited a child-headed household in a remote rural village in Malawi Africa. Our WOW ministry has taken us to hundreds of similar situations over the past 23 years yet this visit touched us deeply.

Sitting on the ground at the entrance of her one room mud-brick home was a small 16 year old girl with a 6 month old baby daughter in her lap. She was frail and all alone.

She told us her parents had abandoned her when she became pregnant. As for her boyfriend, the father of her tiny daughter, he had moved to another village. She was destitute, sad, and totally vulnerable to the ravages of poverty let alone the sexual predation of random village men.

To add to the pathos her newborn had an obvious cataract in her left eye leaving her partially blind.

By God’s grace she has been “adopted” by our partner “Somebody Cares” volunteers. Her food needs are being met and she’s being visited once a week to encourage and monitor her ongoing young mother responsibilities. She has also joined our Somebody Cares youth ministry.

So, she has hope. But what a long journey awaits. Yet she will not be alone. She is in “God’s hands extended” as the hands of our compassionate volunteers faithfully hold her close.

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