By Vincent Gunde
A Relief and Development arm of the Living Waters Church, Eagles Relief and Development Programme International will implement a three-year -Dowa Child Centered -Church and Community Mobilization Process (CCMP) pilot project in the area of Senior Chief Msakambewa in Dowa district.
The project will target 20 churches, 60 church leaders, 80 children and youth and 10,000 church members trained and transformed to transform others with Eagle Relief as the implementing partner with funding from Compassion in Jesu’s name.
Compassion International is a Christian charity dedicated to releasing children in Jesus’s name through sponsorships and donations by empowering local churches to provide individualized and holistic care to children in poverty so that they are free to learn, grow, play and dream.
Introducing the project to the District executive committee at a meeting held at the Dowa Boma, the organization’s Church Mobilisation Manager Curthbert Gondwe, said the project will train pastors and church leaders through a Bible school course, online course and in their fraternal.
Gondwe said Eagles has trained church leaders through out Malawi and Dowa is the next strategic target to fulfill its mission of using a church and community mobilization and empowerment model- Church and Community Mobilization Process (CCMP) with an objective of empowering people to transform their situation using their God given resources.
He said the project has a goal of contributing towards improved living standards and holistic transformation of communities in T’A Msakambewa and their most vulnerable members especially youth and children through improved church involvement and participation in social development.
The Mobilization Manager said the project will mobilize and strengthen local churches and communities to undertake effective and sustainable social action regarding social development priorities together with their local communities and stakeholders aimed at improving people’s living standards.
He said Eagles mission is to mobilize and empower local churches and communities to work together, take responsibility for their own development and achieve holistic change saying some key activities of the project include mapping of Dowa churches, envisioning of key church leaders, quarterly review meetings with the facilitators and learning visits for facilitators.
Gondwe said the project has some key deliveries such as 20 churches mobilized, 60 pastors and church leaders trained and 10,000 community members empowered to be self-reliant and take responsibility for their own development.
In his remarks, Acting Director of Agriculture for Dowa Martin Kamlomo, welcomed the project into the district saying church members trained and transformed will transform others as a sustainability measure for the project in the district.
Kamlomo advised Eagles Relief to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with both the council and CSO Network for the district to enhance cooperation, transparency and accountability as well as providing progress reports of the project to Dec.
Eagles Relied and Development Programme International will implement Dowa Child Centered (CCMP) Pilot project with a total budget of 305,952.18 US Dollars from 2024 to 2026.
