Meet our soap makers

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From left to right Evelina, Mary and Esther.

Evelina and Mary are divorced as their husbands left them. They are single mothers of a child. Both Esther and her husband are unemployed and have to take care for 4 children.

At the moment the ladies are still being trained, but there will of course come a time when they will run our soap factory independently.

The soap has been given the name ‘Mwai’ which means possibilities in the Chichewa language. And possibilities…that’s what these girls need!

The soap is made from 100% natural ingredients with the addition of, for example, Artemesia, Moringa, Neem and Aloe Vera. It’s a great soap when people have skin problems and for that reason we also sell it in our clinic.

In addition, we also want to sell the soap to guests who come to visit Ahava.

And finally, the ladies will sell the soap in their villages. After costs are deducted, the remaining proceeds are theirs. In this way it is possible for them to earn an income.


Happy with these motivated lovely girls!

15 tonnes of food and goods for cyclone Ana victims

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Today Ahava received no less than 15 tonnes of food and goods from another organization in Malawi to benefit people affected by cyclone Ana and the flooding.

In addition to the 10 villages that Ahava is already supporting, we are now able to help another 4 villages that may have been hit even more severely.

Grateful for cooperation centered at those who need our help, encouragement and love.

In accordance with Ahava’s custom, the villagers were allowed to unload the cargo again.

Food distribution on 21 February

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We were able to give food distribution to four villages that were greatly affected by Cyclone Ana. We wanted to do this last Saturday but due to the rain we decided to postpone it until today.

Unfortunately the cooking oil and the blankets were not delivered on time to Ahava so all these people (250 households) have to come again. That’s how it often goes here.

We really wanted to provide these people with food, especially now that they have been hit by so much rain again.

These villages are located about 3 to 5 kilometres from Ahava, so people had arranged a taxi together, the maize flour and beans were taken on a motorcycle, on a bicycle or by foot.

Again it was quite an organization but again we are grateful that with financial help from many of you we were able to help these affected people.

It is a worrying thought how they will survive because it will take months before anything will start to grow on their fields.

If you want to help financially, you can still do that.
(Refer: How You Can Support Us)

Cyclone Damako

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The past few days we had to deal with the consequences of Cyclone Damako.

Again our area was hit by a lot of rain which again causes many problems for the poor people around Ahava. Today we saw many children under the age of 5 with serious diarrhoea in the clinic.

The water has risen again and so we live for the second time in 3 weeks on a lake again. Fortunately the road to Blantyre has been preserved but the road to the south has been damaged which means we have to wait for when repairs are done.

Furthermore, we have been without electricity since 7 p.m. on Saturday evening. And finally the other side of our water channel has collapsed.

And yet…..thankful that our team and I are doing well!

Ienie and Mienie birthday

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February 15, 2022

Today it’s been one year since our goat girls Ienie and Mienie were born. The next day Mama Goat passed away and what a journey it has been to raise these two ladies. But see the result!

Of course Ienie and Minie are also the sweetest goat girls in the whole world!

February 14 Pip’s Birthday

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Today is a special day because it’s my dearest furry four footed friend’s birthday.

Our boss, friend to the other animals at Ahava, the one who oversees the pack, the best guard, friend to every visitor, who is never far from me…………

Dear Pip………….8 years already today…………..hope to have you around me for many more years to come. #tothemoonandback!

Zikomo Kambiri

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Last Tuesday, the four village elders came to Ahava from the villages approximately 3 up to 4 kilometres away from Ahava who have suffered much damage from all the rain from Cyclone Ana. All their villages have suffered enormous problems as a result of the flooding. To give an impression: 150 households in the village and 80 houses have been destroyed, 98 households and 86 houses destroyed, 125 households and 98 houses destroyed and finally 98 households and 45 houses destroyed.

So hundreds of people will have to stay in the camps, but the reality is far away from that fact. A very small number reside there.

This morning I went to the 4 villages with Mister Chifundo so we could get a better picture of the situation ourselves.

It’s shocking to see how the situation looks like. There is hardly a house left standing and if anything is left, it is the walls of a small part of a house. People have built little sheds out of the metal roofing sheets from their former houses or just whatever they could find to make a shed. When we ask why they don’t want to stay in the tented camps, the answer is that they are afraid of that. The hygienic conditions are very bad (insufficient running water and toilets) with the result that there is already a cholera outbreak in some camps. In the camp where these people had to go to, 2 people have already died. For that reason, people choose to fabricate something where they can stay as a family when rains are coming and where they can sleep during the night.

Most people have lost everything to the water: pots, pans, clothes, blankets and probably most important: their food. Immediately there is hunger as the so needed help has not come to these villages. To my question how people survive, the answer is to go out every day in the hope of finding some ‘piece work’ which then gives them just enough money to buy some food for a small portion of food once a day.

Children do not go to school because all notebooks and pens have also been washed away. And without those items you can’t go to school.

Ahava hopes to provide these 4 villages with corn flour, beans, cooking oil and a blanket on Saturday 26 February.

We are very thankful for all the financial assistance we have received! In this way we are able to help those people with what we all need most: food. Do you also want to help? It is still possible and much appreciated as so much is needed to help those in need. Please have a look at www.ahava-malawi.com how you can make your financial contribution.

On behalf of then: Zikomo Kwambiri (Thank you very much!)

Aid for 10 villages, 300 families

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This afternoon was our first food distribution to families from 10 villages around Ahava, all affected by Cyclone Ana. There is so much need, but as an organization we have chosen to provide for the basic necessities of life: food, a blanket and perhaps in the future seeds so that people can start planting again. Then people go back to work in their gardens and people can look forward to food from their own garden.

But before this happens, a lot of help still needs to be given to many more people in despaired need.

This afternoon we started sharing God’s Word given by Abambo Patrick. So many people could be encouraged by what he shared with them.

Then village after village received their food and blanket. What an incredible organization to do this for 300 families. But what an immense thankfulness that we were able to do this with your financial help.

Your financial help is so much appreciated. As a result, we are able to assist, encourage and stand next to them in this difficult time. Will you still help us so we can help them?

Food and goods arrived

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Today the lorry with food would arrive at Ahava for the people who have nothing or almost nothing to eat as a result of the flooding. Between 3 and 4pm it was said.

I try to arrange it always in a way that when the villagers receive something, they will do something for it as well. The order was given to the village elders to send strong men to help unload the truck. And they were already there at 2pm…….

At 5.15pm the truck arrived and it all ran extremely smoothly. The men transported about 1500 kg of goods in less than an hour.

Monday afternoon the distribution of all this food and goods will take place. @to be continued!

To our elderly

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In the past few days we have been busy measuring and cutting plastic liners. This plastic has gone to all our elderly in the various programs that take place on Ahava.

It is used under their grass roofs to prevent rainwater from coming into their huts.

The elderly are vulnerable and often have the most needs. In many cases they are not looked after. We are grateful that with the help of many we can do the little things that makes a huge difference.