Our Malawi Journal: Family Planning in Kainga

We are traveling to Kainga about every two weeks to work with the women and children. On our first visit after their well was repaired, one of the women said, "We are a muslim village, and this is the way we greet one another." Then she lowered her hand over her face, symbolically pulling down a veil.

Today, the women of Kainga filtered in as they completed chores, starting around 9:30 am. By 9:50 twenty four women were seated on the burlap bags on the floor of the mosque, some with nursing newborns and others with toddlers napping on their backs.

At our last visit two weeks ago, the women requested that I teach about family planning. I do not consider myself an expert on the subject, but I knew how important the topic is to the women. Many of them are in their 20s and already have large families.

And it was only last week, one of the young women died in child birth. In describing what happened to her, I was told that at the clinic she was bleeding, but the bleeding did not stop. She became unconscious, then the clinic sent her to the hospital, where she died from a loss of blood. Usually, there is no doctor at the clinics in this area, only a medical technician and sometimes a midwife.Knowing what service to ask for, how to advocate for themselves for good medical care is important, and what alternatives they have for family planning is very important. That is what today's class was to be about.

So, I studied and prepared visual lessons of different types of family planning. We discussed each one's effectiveness in preventing pregnancy and protection from STIs, like HIV/AIDS. They also evaluated each one on the cooperation it takes from their husbands. I would have thought the women would have been shy, but they were very open in their comments and asked interesting questions.

They are really a delight to teach because they are so eager to learn. I asked, "Can you tell me reasons a woman might be interested in family planning?" One of the women answered, "Because her womb could wear out before she is old." By the way, the life expectancy in Malawi is 48 years old.

While Helen and I were instructing the women, George and Samuel, a young Mennonite man, were working with the children. Samuel and the children kicked around a homemade soccer ball. Then when they were all ready to rest a bit, they sat down on the mosque steps, and George told them the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abedengo. George said they really enjoyed the story, so every time we visit in the villages while Helen and I are teaching the women, George and his interpreter, Samuel, will tell the children "hero stories."

This was definitely a women only class, but as we were packing our visuals at the conclusion of our class, George asked permission to come in and say a few words to the women. He quoted Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the plans that I have for you, says the Lord. Plans to do you good and not evil all the days of your life, to give you a future and a hope." I told the women that in the past when I have gone through very difficult times, God, the one who made heaven and earth is the one who gave me hope.