Fountain of Hope

In 2006, by chance, Rose met Moses. Two years later, they, together with their spouses, opened Fountain of Hope – Malawi, a home for children and a place of great love.

So this is a love story.

Rose had travelled from Canada to Malawi on a volunteering trip, planting backyard and community gardens. At that time, Moses was working alongside the volunteers as a community liaison. He speaks multiple languages and could guide the volunteers with his knowledge of his home country. A special friendship was struck and after Rose returned home, the two stayed in touch.

A friend of Moses encouraged him to apply to the Community Leadership program at the Coady Institute in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, and, in 2007, he was accepted. While he was studying in Canada, Moses visited Rose and her husband, Albert’s home in Edmonton and was embraced by their family and their church. (New Life Community Church was so impressed they continue to generously support the feeding program to this day.) Moses returned to Malawi and his wife and two daughters without a job but with Albert’s advice: Think big.

In January 2008, Moses visited the rural community of Mitundu requesting that the chiefs donate land to establish a children’s home. Chief Patsankhondo rose to the challenge and gave him a parcel of land of approximately five acres. Moses next appealed to Rose and Albert with a proposal. And they said yes. While the vision is for an orphanage, the immediate need was for a feeding program, so that’s where it began.

With that piece of land, a cattle shelter was built and two milk cows purchased, a chicken house was built and 100 layers and 100 fryers were purchased, a well was drilled, and a garden was planted. The feeding program started out at twice a week and has grown to twice a day, Monday to Saturday.

As the children were coming for meals anyway, and many were not attending school, Moses and Rose decided to implement an education program. They hired a diploma teacher for the older children and another instructor for the preschoolers. School was held under the “big tree.” When many children did not come during the rainy season, Fountain of Hope again asked the community what was the need, and were advised that a “multi-purpose building” which would serve as sheltered classrooms, a dining hall, and worship centre would be best.

With that in mind, Rose and Albert, who own a construction business in Canada, purchased a hydraform brick- making machine, and subsequently, an amazing structure was created, complete with covered konde (veranda). Now the kids were fed physically and spiritually and were working on education, however, cleanliness was still a concern. Even though the well made it much easier to secure water, personal cleanliness was difficult without the proper facilities.

Another local fundraiser with a dinner and silent auction raised enough funds to erect a boys & girls washroom/shower facility. They are up and ready, and waiting patiently for the provision of power – a challenge in rural Malawi.

Today, Moses oversees all daily activity at Fountain of Hope, with the support of Rose and Albert, 15 full time employed staff, 10 community volunteers and seven board members. Each day, they make the lives of little people a little easier and come closer and closer to realizing the vision of a home for children. They continue to think big.