Written by: FEBA Radio SA
Article source: JOY! Magazine
A FEBA worker is walking down the street of a Malawian village when a young boy runs to her, waving his notebook. “Look, Aunt Gladys, the teacher started marking me right!” Gladys Mthunya Chitengu is the woman in charge of FEBA Malawi’s children’s programmes. Not too long ago, this boy told her he did not like school anymore, because he did not do well and his friends laughed at him for it. “I told him we have a Father in heaven who hears us when we call on Him … I told him to call on his Father in class to help him remember whatever the teacher was teaching.” After sharing this story, Gladys adds, “I am very happy knowing that he will grow up knowing there is Someone who hears each and every prayer.”
A nation in need
Prayer is sorely needed in Malawi. It is one of the poorest countries in the world, plagued by a debilitating cycle of droughts and floods that have led to food shortages in many parts. An estimated 11% of children under the age of five are underweight. Malawi is also a remarkably youthful country, with more than 37% of its population aged 14 and younger. Primary education, starting at the age of six and continuing for eight years, is compulsory, and learners need to both pass the Primary School Leaving Certificate examination and be selected to attend a public secondary school. The quality of education varies and more than 30% of people aged 15 and over are illiterate.
Children’s Time
Gladys joined FEBA as a broadcaster and producer in 2020 and currently produces the popular Nthawi Ya Ana or Children’s Time programme. The programme is divided into segments to keep things exciting. In the first segment, Gladys introduces the programme and in the second, she reads a Bible verse and delivers a brief, simple message. The third segment features poems, songs, and other activities that Gladys records during visits to her listeners’ schools. In the last segment, children can phone in and ask questions about the Bible message or greet their friends on live radio.
Learning new things
As a teacher, Gladys loves working with children and feels comfortable with them. “Children understand things easily and are open to learning new things,” she says. “I use different ways to share the Gospel. When I meet them in their villages, I make sure to involve games, songs, and sometimes snacks. I don’t preach the message directly, but often use folktales – we call them nthano – or make a song about the lesson I want to pass on to them, which I then teach to them along with an explanation of what the song means.”
Seeking advice
While the children learn well through group activities, some of them occasionally share personal problems with Gladys and seek advice. One of her listeners, a young girl named Mercy, came from a home of unbelievers. She accompanied a friend to one of FEBA Malawi’s children’s meetings and decided she wanted to start attending church, but no one from her family went. Gladys encouraged her to go to church with one of her friends the following Sunday. Since then, Mercy has been attending church every week. What is more, she invited her mother along, and now her mother and siblings regularly attend church as well! Mercy’s father has not shown any interest so far, but Gladys still has hope. “I believe God will help him to know who He is.”
New plans
Many village children do not attend school because of distance or just a lack of motivation. Gladys is praying for the opportunity to open early childhood centres where children between the ages of three and ten can receive schooling in their village, without the need to travel long distances twice a day. These centres would employ volunteers to educate the children and teach them about the Gospel.
Agriculturally dependent
With the economy being so heavily dependent on agriculture, children are often made to work on farms. In fact, a recent report by the International Labour Organization indicates that roughly 2,1 million Malawian children are engaged in child labour, while FairPlanet reports that children are regularly being trafficked to work in Tanzania. Child marriage is also not uncommon. Some 7,5% of women are married by the age of 15 and 37,7% by the age of 18.
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This article is featured in the December issue of JOY! Magazine, which is now on sale nationwide! Pick up your copy from any leading supermarket, or read a digital version of this issue here: https://joygifts.co.za/product/joy-magazine-december-issue-2024/
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Date published: 06/12/2024
Feature image: Image for illustrative purposes only.
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