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There is Hope, Malawi
A Christian ministry working in Dzaleka refugee camp
There is Hope is a Christian organisation which works with refugees in Malawi in order to bring holistic development into the lives of individuals, churches and the community as a whole, aiming to improve their living standards in the present and their opportunities for the future.
There is Hope helps refugees access tertiary education, to help them later be better able to support themselves and the generations to follow. The ministry offers vulnerable groups (widows and single mothers, the disabled, those living with HIV) opportunities to set up cooperatives through access to small loans and mentoring relationships as they develop their businesses.
There is Hope shares a common passion with many churches which are actively bringing hope within the refugee and the host community, and they want to come alongside them with training and development. The ministry also works with refugee artists to expose their talents outside the limits of the refugee camp.
Malawi’s Dzaleka Refugee Camp hosts over 11,400 refugees from Central and North-East Africa living together trying to discover what the future holds for them and their children. The Malawi Government grants residence to refugees but does not extend to them the right to seek employment outside the camp, therefore the vast majority of refugees are unemployed and struggle to survive on food rations, as well as lacking the dignity that work can help provide. Literacy levels are very low, particularly among women.
HOW WILL RIDE FUNDS HELP REFUGEES IN MALAWI?
Through the developing
Every year There is Hope interviews candidates who have fled conflict in the Great Lakes Region of Africa (Rwanda, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo) or were born and raised in a refugee camp in Africa (making them second-generation refugees) for scholarships to university.
The team chooses the strongest candidates and raises money to send them to a College or University of their choice (in Malawi). The cost depends largely on the Institution and Diploma / Degree Programme that the student enrols in, ranging from approximately 2,400 to 6,700 Aussie dollars per year, some courses go for two years and some for four.
This year funds from the RIDE for Refugees will be used to help provide the funding needed for the scholarship program.
Funds raised through the RIDE has gone towards the scholarship program in past years. Here’s what the team said about how the funds raised make a difference:“Thank you so much riders and donors for changing someone’s life 100%!”
The Refugees chosen to be part of this scholarship program have all overcome the loss of dear ones, being forcibly uprooted and living in the depressing environment of a refugee camp for years, and yet excelled in their academic achievements and developed great character through it all.
So far There is Hope has supported 9 students. Of those, 3 are going to Canada for further education, 2 have found work within the refugee camp, and 4 are still in the education cycle.
Malawi Refugee Ministry is part of the International Teams RefMin Community
