News: Malawi

Excited but very nervous, Taylor Breckenridge followed the interpreter down a well-worn path to Mgwayi village in Malawi, Africa. It was her first time in Africa, and she was about to meet the girl she had been writing letters to, praying for, and supporting through sponsorship for three years. As Taylor walked down the path to her home, questions flooded her mind. Would Florence recognize her? Had she gotten the letters, the pictures, or the friendship bracelet Taylor had sent her?

"Had it been that someone ten years ago told me that I would graduate from secondary school, I would not agree to such a thing, since I had no one to give me support so that I could attend school," says Jonathan of Malawi. 

On June 29, Modester will be among the first 40 students to graduate from COTN's secondary school in Malawi—an accomplishment she never thought was possible. Modester lost her father when she was very young and wouldn’t have been able to attend school without her sponsors. Thanks to people like you, she’s had the support she needs—everything from food to school supplies to spiritual guidance and encouragement—to complete school, as well as an excellent school to attend! Here are her reflections as she prepares for graduation:

It's never our plan for a child to be taken away from their family. But when the situation is as bad as it was for Sandram, there is little other choice. After Sandram's mother passed away, he and his younger sister Zione were left in the care of their paternal uncle.