Kasupe Ministries
Leading With a Purpose
Although the women of Malawi are accustomed to doing anything and everything to support their families — from farming to running small-scale businesses — Tropical Cyclone Freddy sorely tested Tinenenji [tee-nan-an-gee] Kalamba’s resilience.
Tinenenji was already proving to be an exemplary leader in the Kasupe [kuh-soo-pay] Women’s Bakery and Value Addition Centre (a project of Kasupe Ministries in Malawi) when the devastating March 2023 cyclone washed away the lives and livelihoods of thousands across the country.
This certainly wasn’t the hopeful future that the twice-widowed 42-year-old had pictured for herself when the bakery was first started in 2022 with support from the Presbyterian Hunger Program.
The bakery was originally designed to address the shortage of nutritious and healthy foods in the Kasupe region by having women produce and sell a variety of baked goods and farm products. It not only employed local women as bakers, but — before the cyclone struck — also bolstered the production of farmers and strengthened the economy.
It is thanks to Tinenenji’s faithful leadership that the bakery operation survived the cyclone.
And it is also thanks to a grant from the Presbyterian Hunger Program, made possible by gifts to One Great Hour of Sharing, that the humanitarian outreach of Kasupe Ministries can continue uninterrupted.
For 75 years, the Offering’s purpose of helping neighbors in need around the world remains constant, giving the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and other Christian denominations a tangible way to share God’s love. One Great Hour of Sharing additionally supports the ministries of Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and the Presbyterian Committee on the Self-Development of People.
The Hunger Program’s partnership with Kasupe Ministries serves primarily to address the nutritional needs of widowed households and other vulnerable groups through livestock farming. In addition to the damage caused by the cyclone, many households have been severely impacted by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. With the epidemic creating so many widowed households, Kasupe Ministries has found that working with them helps provide support in the areas where it is difficult for them to help themselves.
Dr. Fletcher Padoko, executive director of Kasupe Ministries, says, “I encourage people to give to One Great Hour of Sharing as a way to give directly to the people. We are so thankful to the givers because we, the Malawian people, are the beneficiaries of your generous giving.” Dr. Padoko’s long-term goal is to reverse generational poverty and eradicate preventable diseases, namely HIV/AIDS, through programs and projects developed in partnership with Malawian Christian organizations.
Together, our gifts make a difference in the lives of people in Malawi in other parts of the world and right here at home. Please give generously to One Great Hour of Sharing, and don’t forget, when we all do a little, it adds up to a lot!
Let us pray~
God of compassion and grace, help us to share who we are with all those you love around the world. In special ways be with those facing economic hardship, natural disaster and health crises. May their resilience be bolstered by what we give, as a witness to your boundless grace. We pray in Christ’s name. Amen.
