Working Hand-In-Hand with God's People

“So that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part  suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.”
1 Corinthians 12:25-26

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Richard Gideon Kumwenda

MMM Field Officer
Chipita, Malawi

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"My ambition is to contribute positively
as much as possible to the welfare of
the less privileged communities."

 Biography:

Mr. Kumwenda was born on November 1st, 1980 in Rumphi Disctrict, Northern Malawi. He is the third born of seven His father is a retired Game ranger and his mother is a house wife. Mr. Kumwenda is married to Mwabi (Chance) Mazunda and they are expecting their first child in May of this year. Chance is working towards her Certificate in Financial Accounting. Mr. Kumwenda is paying school fees for his sister, brothers and cousin, who is an orphan. In addition, his youngest brother and his cousin’s son are living with them.

He completed his secondary education at St. Patrick’s minor Seminary (a Catholic Seminary) and went on to University of Malawi in 1998, graduating with a BSC in Environmental Health (Public Health). After graduation, he held a temporary teacher position with a privately owned secondary school in Northern Malawi before joining MMM on June 9th, 2003. He is the Field Officer in Chitipa, Northern Malawi.

The job market in Malawi is becoming more competitive with regards to professional qualifications. Mr. Kumwenda cherishes the idea of post-graduate studies and eventually obtaining a PhD. “My ambition is to contribute positively as much as possible to the welfare of the less privileged communities.”

Statement of Faith:

“I am a Catholic baptized and confirmed. While in the minor seminary, I had a strong passion for the Catholic Priesthood, but it did not materialize. All of us in our family are Catholic except my father who is a Presbyterian. Though I am Catholic, I am an open person to members of other Religions.”
Why I work with MMM:
MMM services are pro-poor.
MMM has served, and continues to serve in places considered unreachable by most organizations.
MMM’s approach is to support the village people to the point where they can maintain the wells without outside assistance in order to achieve long-term sustainability.
Community Involvement & Personal Achievements as a Field Officer:

Since 2003 I have seen:

The establishment of more Zones Management Teams (the village community-based organizations responsible for maintaining the wells) - from 4 to 8. Thus there has been an increase in the number of wells installed per year.”
A huge success in terms of zone management, they are able to operate more effectively. A case in point is Kapenda Zone which has been able to purchase a push bicycle for maintenance with maintenance fees collected from wells.”

Mr. Kumwenda has helped to motivate a large number of zone members to be committed and cooperative and he has improved understanding between zone members, local leaders as well as the community at large.
What is the impact of the Shallow Well Program?
Provided thousands of protected shallow wells giving clean and safe drinking water thereby reducing water borne disease to thousands of rural people.
Reduced distances to protected water points making access to spare parts much easier through the establishment of spare parts distributions across the program’s coverage area.
Pioneered the maintenance fee payment approach by well users.
What is the Future of the Shallow Well Program and why is your support so important?

“The future of MMM program is bright, but more room for expansion could be provided if there is opportunity to diversify program activities. The focus should not only be on shallow wells with mark IV pump but also on gravity fed piped water schemes, boreholes, and other health related programs.”

Future needs include:
Yearly courses for village team members to ensure they efficiently carry out their activities, such as repairing and maintaining the wells in their area..
Yearly surveys to verify the functionality of the wells.
Refresher courses for FOs in community development.
Continue raising funds for new wells and capacity building.

How you can help:

Adopt a Field Officer: $10,000/year (this includes salary, fuel, food & lodging while working in the rural areas)
Pray for the Field Officers and the Shallow Well Program.
Tell others about MMM and its programs.

Mr. Kumwenda is still available for 'adoption'.

Send any donations for support and/or correspondence to Mr. Kumwenda to:

Marion Medical Mission
1412 Shawnee Drive
Marion, IL 62959
618-997-5365
tommylogan@aol.com
http://marionmedical.org

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