Mpambira Kambewa 13 July 2021

Out of concern for the welfare of elderly people in marginalized communities in and around Zomba City, Lydia Action is leading pioneer work that has been meticulously designed to respond to the needs of vulnerable elderly men and women through its South East regional office. It all started in the year 2018 when Lydia Action engaged with its community volunteers in Zomba district and conducted a needs assessment that unearthed priority well-being problems in their respective areas, of which the plight of the elderly featured prominently as a key thematic gap yet to be addressed by community development initiatives in the district. The organization quickly responded to the call for immediate intervention and promptly organized a capacity building workshop that would organize and train the volunteers into community-based support groups with the ability to provide outreach services to needy elderly and monitor their progress in their respective communities.

The community-based support groups were trained by professional personnel in the selected subject material to offer direct services and programs to the elderly, as well as collaborating and coordinating with other stakeholders on a need basis most particularly by conducting referrals to key service providers. Ever since the successful passing out of the training’s participants and inception of the program, the support groups have provided sanitation and health services such as household chores and calling on the sick regularly to monitor their health and social well-being whilst Lydia Action has been instrumental in the provision of food supplements, clothing, blankets, soap, detergents and various material needs in dire demand by the elderly. The solid foundation of the European Baptist Mission’s financial support to Lydia Action under the auspices of the Baptist Convention of Malawi has been supplemented by the organization’s deep-rooted ties with its target areas which have culminated in the mobilization of local resources and support in ensuring the empowerment of communities to actively participate in their own development.

The response from the beneficiaries themselves has been encouraging with several transformational anecdotes being documented and best practices replicated across the organization’s spectra of operations. Take for instance the most recent outreach mission activities by members of New Hope Support group based at Chinamwali in Zomba: In collaboration with Lydia Action staff, the support group called upon Rhoda Missi, an 86-year-old widow who has five grandchildren living with her as dependents. The lady received a donation of blankets from the program on that visit but has been on the roster of Lydia Action’s continued support since 2019. Rhoda suffers from rheumatism in both her legs, which has left her unable to undertake any productive activities for her survival.

The ailment left her destitute and much of her income support has been through charitable interventions by well-wishers. Remarking after receiving the blankets she said “Now I can sleep in peace knowing that my grandchildren will be warm especially at this time of year” The visit took place within Malawi’s winter season when temperatures get very low, leaving vulnerable households exposed to the cold.