Kondwani, our AIDS Prevention Worker, told me about the village of Thendo which was located on Malawi’s southwestern border with Mozambique. His one and only visit there had taken him two mini bus rides south from Blantyre, followed by four hours doubled on a bicycle to reach this isolated village.

“Will my car get there?” I inquired. “At this time of year, yes,” he answered, “but maybe not once the rains come.”

Our journey took two and a half hours, the last 20 kilometers along bumpy dirt roads crisscrossed by many small dry stream beds.

Upon arrival we were greeted by singing, and joined the villagers for their Sunday church service. Afterwards, Kondwani met with the young people.

They had recently started meeting together to discuss life issues in the context of HIV and AIDS, and to see what the Bible had to say. God wants us to have the “best life” and to have it in abundance (John 10:10).

One girl, Grace*, told him about the difference the group was making as boys and girls looked together at what God had to say about relationships. They were surprised to learn from Hebrews chapter 13 about God’s call to abstinence from sex outside of marriage. That meant them!

Meanwhile I spoke with church leaders and found them to be very supportive of our peer education program amongst the young people. They were encouraging their youth to talk about these issues. Not all the churches and their leaders have been so supportive of talking about sex and AIDS.

It had been a long time since someone from church headquarters had been to visit them, and the elders invited us to come again soon. We pray that the young people at Thendo will choose to live their lives God’s way.

Get Involved

You too can participate by praying for this peer education ministry. If you would like to donate to the Malawi HIV/AIDS Prevention program, please contact your nearest SIM office or give online to project 96654. Thank you and God bless!

*Not her real name.