Kanyama Parish

Fr. Alfred Kalumbi (Parish Priest)

Women Empowerment Project – September 2025

Ref: Report On Women Empowerment Project

It’s our pleasure to report that the project has been well implemented. It has been an easy and fascinating task as the training of the new beneficiaries was conducted by the old beneficiaries undertaking the same business.  We are happy to report that the women who are already in snack-baking business are making tangible profits. Their families are singing a joyful song as they are benefiting a lot from the enterprise. We are double sure that the new beneficiaries will soon sing the similar joyful song out of this business. Would you please relay our words of gratitude to the team for the support. We request for more possible support from the team when the chances arise.

You may appreciate from the attached photos below.

With so much gratitude, Fr. Alfred

Women Empowerment Project – August 2025

Report On Women Empowerment Project

It’s our pleasure to report that the project has been well implemented. It has been an easy and fascinating task as the training of the new beneficiaries was conducted by the old beneficiaries undertaking the same business.

We are happy to report that the women who are already in snack-baking business are making tangible profits. Their families are singing a joyful song as they are benefiting a lot from the enterprise. We are double sure that the new beneficiaries will soon sing the similar joyful song out of this business. Would you please relay our words of gratitude to the team for the support. We request for more possible support from the team when the chances arise.

You may appreciate from the attached photos below.

With so much gratitude,
Fr. Alfred

Project plans – June 2025

It’s our desire to expand a snack baking project for women empowerment with the sole aim of helping them to be self-reliant in their families and personal lives. Snack baking and vegetable selling projects have so far proved to be one of the marketable projects in the area which have made a lasting impact on the women (who were considered in the first phase).

We intend to involve twenty (20) women, 5 from each centre. Each woman will be offered a loan of MK80, 000.00. At the end of a specified period, the loan will be paid back. Then the funds will be loaned out to the second line of beneficiaries.

The items required for the project:

  • Baking Flour
  • Baking Trays
  • Small & big Plastic Pales
  • Winnowers, Plastic Basins
  • Sugar, Cooking oil, Milk, yeast, powder, salt, eggs, Margarine,
  • cups, spoons, folks
  • Funds to be given out to twenty (20) trainees as loan

The new hall is full of prayer and praise – December 2024

PMS group in the Advent Retreat in the newly renovated Parish Hall

Thank you for the Solar Lights – December 2024

Installation of the new pump – September 2024

The main Kanyama parish underground water pump was stolen. Police were informed. The loss was very serious as they could lose the health centre if there isn’t any water. With help from funds raised by Malawi-Twin the pump has been replaced!!

Report On Women Empowerment and School Block Renovation Projects – June 2024

We are glad to report that the implementation of both captioned projects has been smoothly completed. It was easy and quick to complete the implementation of women Projects since the identification of the beneficiaries was already done sometime back. The stakeholders involved in identifying beneficiaries were both catechists and the chairpersons of different churches. The beneficiaries have been given a period of four (4) months to repay the loan, and the returned money will be loaned out to the second line of beneficiaries and the process will carry on until we reach out a good number of women in the Churches.  See the attached photos for your appreciation.

Fish, Vegetable and Tomato Business: In this business, women had been served with cash as their starter pack. Like in Snack Baking enterprise, the beneficiaries will repay their loan after a period of four (months) and the repaid funds will be loaned out to the beneficiaries of the second line, and the process will carry on until we reach out a good number of women. See some of the attached photos below:

Magunditsa School Block Renovation: The renovation of the block has created a conducive environment for learning at school, and this has consequently increased the learners’ attendance in class. Fortunately, the school already had the local materials (sand and bricks) which has fastened the renovation process. Attached are some photos of the activity:

Solar lights – December 2023

Fr Alfred has organised woman’s business groups and is awaiting funding. He has given out solar lights to four of his churches

Kanyama Parish Office & Double School Block – February 2023

We really thank the M-T for supporting both Parish Office & a double school block repair projects. Kanyama Parishioners are extremely grateful for the support. God bless you & the entire donor community.

This is a two class-roomed school block whose roof was badly affected. The damage forced children to start learning under trees and in thatched structures, which were not conducive for learning. In poor weather, classes were cancelled. Many children stopped going to school altogether due to the disruption and discomfort. But we are so glad to report that the roof has finally been renovated. The block is currently in use. A good number of children who stopped / defected to nearby primary schools are back
to Mkomeko for lessons. The renovated school block will create suitable environment for learning, will motivate children’s attitude toward education, will reduce children’s dropout rates in the area and promote children’s active learning in class. See the attached photos below:
With so much gratitude & prayers,
Fr. Alfred
(Parish Priest)

Photos of work in progress of the Kanyama parish office – January 2023

Lovely greetings from Kanyama Catholic Parish.

I am pleased to give a final report of the parish office project. The funds for the project were received in good order & we had managed to procure all the neccessary building materials for the project such as iron sheets, nails, door flames, window flames, doors, room rocks, etc.

The project implementation has been much swifter than expected. This has been possible because of your timely financial support, without which the project could not have been finished by now. We, therefore, appreciate for your helping hand.

The offices are in use except one apartment designated for the Parish youths / computer lessons as we are awaiting the power / electricity connection to the entire office block.

The establishment of the parish offices will help us quite a lot as it will serve as a storage site for parish files, a site for min-conferences & as a site for reception for visitors.

See the attached photographic evidence for the work:

Fr Alfred of Kanyama – Distributing Solar Lights for Christmas 2022

KANYAMA PARISH PROJECTS – October 2022

Warm and tender greetings from St. John the Baptist (Kanyama) Catholic Parish. I hope this write up finds you in good health.

I am pleased to share with the M-T group about the parish projects which we would love to start with. Find the shortlisted projects:

A). Construction of the Parish Offices: The parish has no offices even of the parish priest. An established entity like Kanyama cannot effectively work without an office. Hence, the need for a swift action. Our plan is to construct an office block with four (4) apartments (parish priest’s office, curate’s office, Parish Clerk’s office and a computer room for the parish youths).

Necessity of Parish Offices:

  • The will be a general reception site for visitors
  • They will be a place for managing / archiving parish information
  • They will be a storage place for files, stationery and other administrative and religious supplies
  • They will also help as a conference room for min-meetings
  • They will serve the parish youths for computer lessons

Malawi Twin is supporting this project

B). Construction of Chikuse Out church: Christians of Chikuse out Church have no Church building. Christians pray in a grass-shelter, which is unsafe and unhealthy. See the condition of their prayer-shelter:

Chikuse church is composed of 5 (five) Small Christian Communities (SCCs) and is 28 kilometres away from the Parish Church.

Necessity of Chikuse Church Construction:

  • Increasing Christians’ attendance during Liturgical celebrations/prayer services
  • Encouraging Christians’ active participation at both Church and Parish level
  • Provision of good and conducive environment for prayers
  • Protection from bad weather conditions such as sun, dust / cyclones, etc.
  • It’s also an indirect way of evangelisation to the Parishioners

C). Renovation of a Double Classroom Block at Mkomeko Catholic Primary School: Mkomeko Primary School had its roof blown-off, and its wall dented. See the said condition of the block:

Malawi Twin is supporting this project

D). Renovation of Magunditsa Catholic Primary School: One of its blocks is in a dilapidated condition. Students learn in a poor condition, which compromises learners’ education.

E). Construction of the New School Block at Kambwiri: Kambwiri is in a remotest area and is 66 Kilometres away from the Parish. It marks the boundary of Dedza and Salima districts. The nearest school to Kambwiri is Madzumbi Primary Catholic School which is 28 kilometres away from Kambwiri. Kambwiri area has neither primary nor secondary school, forcing primary school learners to walk on foot a distance of 28Km in order to reach Madzumbi primary school for lessons. Consequently, a lot of children in Kambwiri area do not go to school due to the long distance they cover to reach Madzumbi School. This contributes to the increase of high illiteracy rate, early marriage cases, thievery cases and other immoral acts in the area. We, therefore, wish to build a simple double school block for the juniors in the area. The double school block is intended to contain standard 1 and standard 2 learners, who are 7-10 years old.

Necessity of Renovating and Constructing School Blocks:

  • It will create suitable environment for learning
  • It will motivate pupils’ attitude toward education
  • It will reduce percentage of pupils’ dropouts in the area
  • It will promote pupils’ active learning 

All the under-mentioned projects are necessary, but construction of the parish offices is our priority. We understand that the M-T may not have enough funds to support all the shortlisted projects, but any assistance you will offer us will be highly appreciated and will bring a huge positive change in our area.

With every good wish, I beg to remain: Fr. Alfred (Parish Priest)