By the time Tabia was born, the damage to her brother Kennedy’s body was permanent. At just three years old, he contracted polio and lost the use of his legs. Polio vaccines weren’t widely available in Malawi where Kennedy and Tabia were born in the 1960’s. This left children like Kennedy susceptible to the devastating neurological effects of the virus, and the social prejudices that existed against people with disabilities.
A young boy with disabilities was living nearby, and he and his family desperately needed care. When disability ministry volunteers arrived, they met little White and his mother Olivia. Olivia was stretched thin caring for her six children, and the whole family was malnourished.
White could barely sit up by himself, let alone walk. His stomach was distended and his hair was the distinctive rusty color of malnourished children. Volunteers knew they could offer physical aid but realized that a deeper level of care was also needed.
On a bright, sunny day I made my way to Mpemba. This is an area just outside of Blantyre, the city I live in and where Kingdom Workers Malawi is headquartered. Although not far from Blantyre, the area feels very rural.
We turned off the main paved road onto a bumpy dirt track winding through plots of corn interspersed with village homes. As we drove, I thought about how beautiful this country is, and I felt grateful to the people I was about to meet for being willing to share their stories.
On the day Hilda was born, life changed for the Nanseta family.
Sekanao and her husband, like most Malawians, survived on a small income. They were already working hard to provide for their three small children who were all healthy, but Hilda had been born with a disability which made things more difficult...
