Delegates from the Canadian Team arrive in Malawi! It is a very Merry Christmas!

Kuwala students welcomed us with smiles, singing and laughter! The Campus shows school pride and expresses that everyone cares about the place they work and learn every day.

A warm welcome.

*Memory Mdyetseni-Malawi board member holding the Canadian welcome flag with student. Kuwala_2022.*

It is the summer season in Malawi and temperatures soared in the 30s. Malawi eagerly awaits the rainy season in January, and villagers and crew on Campus are preparing the field and gardens and planting in the Greenhouse. Outside the Campus, fields upon fields of corn, tobacco and crops of vegetables are slowly sprouting, looking for the moisture about to come. December is a very lean month; people are hungry, and food stores are low or non-existent. Families may go days without food, and rationing is standard. Our students at Kuwala are thankful and appreciative of the opportunity to go to school and be safe and healthy. They are working very hard to show us they do not take this opportunity for granted.

Kuwala students with balls of yarn and colouring books with the soccer field in the background. — Students are opening gifts from Canada. Kuwala_2022

Staff and students opened suitcases of supplies on the soccer field. And happy and surprised students eagerly unpacked games, activity and colouring books, skipping ropes, school supplies, Lego®, knitting needles and yarn, frisbees, basketball and volleyball nets! Essential teaching supplies, including chalk and motivational stickers, put smiles on teachers’ faces.

Tools for learning.

The Construction Team was also very excited to open an entire set of DeWalt® power tools, complete with battery packs! Drills and bits, levels, measuring tapes, sander, planer, jigsaw, circular saw, and so much more! Working with power tools will be incredible, and Henry Mdyetseni, Kuwala’s Chief Engineer consultant and Malawi board member confirmed that projects would become easier to complete. Teaching will begin with all the crew, and we are excited to see the enhancements this will have on the school projects and buildings.

A bunch of Dewalt tools and a copy of the Stories from the Field Kuwala magazine in the background. — A suitcase of Dewalt® tools were shipped with the luggage on the trip to Malawi. Kuwala_2022

Henry Mdyetseni trying on a t-shirt for size at Kuwala. — Henry Mdyetseni-Malawi board member sizing up the DeWalt® Tough in the North T-shirt. Kuwala_2022.

Dedication Day.

Kuwala celebrated a campus Dedication Day which community and education leaders, surrounding school head teachers and pastors attended. A presentation by the Malawian Board, with students singing and leading the way to each campus building, could be heard from afar. The Pastor provided a blessing and a dedication of the plaques displaying the name on each building.

Building construction showing open windows and brick walls — *Commercial grade construction quality showing the staff duplex No.2 under construction with the interior and exterior walls up to the roof level. Kuwala_2022.*

Mark Kinzel shaking hands with trees surrounding the image and the Kuwala students in the background. — *Mark Kinzel shaking hands with PTA Chair (Parent Teacher Association). Kuwala_2022.*

*Mr. James Manyetera, Director at the Ministry of Defence,*
*Lilongwe, Central Region, Malawi, left standing in readiness with Leslie Kinzel to Officially open Kuwala). Kuwala_2022.*

*Members of the local clergy dedicated the buildings to the kingdom of God during the official opening ceremony. Kuwala_2022.*

*Dedication prayer for the new hostel buildings; Mark + Leslie Kinzel, Jerry Roehr and Memory Mdyetseni. Kuwala_2022.*

No visit would be complete without a trip to the local village to experience where our students live.

Mark and Leslie Kinzel with local villagers offering a warm welcome. Kuwala_2022

The Canadian delegation visited the village and home of Alice, a student at Kuwala. We met her family and relatives; she showed us her home, a dirt hut with drapes hung in the openings to three small rooms; a kitchen with a small pot on rocks for cooking, a storage space, a small sleeping space with a mat on the floor and the main room exposing a thatched roof that needed repair. The village welcomed us with open arms; we danced and exchanged blessings with each other. Kuwala supports the villages around the Campus with small care packages at Christmas to get them through the lean month.

Malawian family outside their thatched grass roof — *Alice’s (featured centre-above) parents at their village. Kuwala_2022.*

Silent Night.

The visit concluded with a Christmas celebration at St. Peter’s Assembly Hall. Everyone opened their gifts to reveal a candle. Memory Mdyetseni’s story continued with everyone lighting their candle, one by one, to show that everyone provides light to make the school shine. We ended with the singing of “Silent Night,” surrounded by the glow of candlelight; it was beautiful! A fabulous dinner and singing topped off the perfect ending to a wonderful visit.

Thank you from the Canadian and Malawian board members.

Mark Kinzel shaking hands with a crowd of Kuwala Students. — *Mark Kinzel, one of the founding members of Kuwala greets the students at the Campus, Kuwala_2022.*

Giving the gift of education is an enriching and fulfilling experience, both for the person giving it and for the person receiving it. Giving can bring joy and happiness to others and an opportunity to show appreciation, love, and support. There are many different ways to offer, including providing gifts, money, or time, and each person has their unique style of giving and contributing to the success of Kuwala. Some of our donors prefer to provide monthly, while others prefer to make more significant contributions once or twice a year. Ultimately, giving is about finding a way to positively impact someone else’s life, especially around Christmas Time. Blessings.
Our building continues; thank you for continuing to help us grow. Many projects are still looking for support, and more staff housing is on the horizon in the New Year.

Merry Christmas.

Christmas is a popular holiday in Malawi, and people of many different religions, including Christians, Muslims, and those who follow traditional African religions. The holiday is often marked by decorating homes and public spaces with colourful lights and other decorations and exchanging gifts between friends and family members.

Despite the challenges many people in Malawi face, the holiday is often a time for joy and celebration. Many people in Malawi attend church services on Christmas Day and may participate in traditional Christmas carols and hymns. Christmas is also a time for people in Malawi to come together with their communities and celebrate with festive meals and gatherings.

Look for your posts on social media and give what you can. Visit Kuwala and click on the donate button or go directly to CanadaHelps to donate.

https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/41042?v1=true

New and on-going projects for 2023

Many projects are still looking for support, and more staff housing is on the horizon in the New Year; this includes:

Second water well for farm irrigation.
Solar panel project to enhance the power on Campus.
Solar hot water equipment for location housing.
Science lab equipment.
Library – well stocked.
Computer lab and equipment.
Medical clinic with equipment.
More staff duplexes to keep our teachers on Campus.

Henry Mdyetseni standing inside the incomplete Maize grinding building. — *Henry Mdyetseni at the construction site of the new Maize milling house. Kuwala_2022.*

Be sure to visit the Kuwala website for more stories about what’s happening. A print version of this newsletter can be found on our website under Stories/newsletters. Or download the PDF with the link provided below the image.

https://www.kuwala.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Kuwala_Newsletter_DEC_22.pdf