17/08/2026
Malawi and Zambia :
– A Journey of Empowerment, Faith and Hope
I have taken quite some time to report back on my recent visit to Malawi and Zambia, but the journey was not without its challenges.
Two days before leaving for the outreach (23 June) I developed quite a severe cold. Although I took medication and tried to recover, I struggled with it and only began feeling better once I was in Zambia.
On the day I left Zambia, I flew to New York City via Nairobi. The two weeks I spent there were very relaxing, but unfortunately, I became ill again on my journey home. It took another two weeks before I had fully recovered.
Despite these challenges, the outreach was deeply meaningful and rewarding.
This outreach was specifically focused on reaching the Deaf communities of Malawi and Zambia. It is a heartbreaking reality that approximately 3–4% of the population in these countries is deaf, and that the majority face significant challenges in finding permanent employment and earning a sustainable income.
Reaching Deaf Women Through Skills and Opportunity
One of the main objectives of my visit was to teach Deaf women how to make reusable sanitary towels.
In some ways, teaching was challenging because communication with Deaf communities requires a different approach. However, being hearing impaired myself, and having had a deaf brother, gave me a unique understanding of how to communicate with these women. I could relate to many of their experiences, and this helped me build a meaningful connection with them.
The gratitude these women expressed towards us was both heartwarming and heartbreaking.
Many of them are already trying to earn an income by making juices and soap, sewing, and producing other handmade products. Because of this experience, they were able to understand the fundamentals of the training relatively easily.
In some cases, they made the sanitary towels entirely by hand. Seeing their faces when they completed their first products and seeing how proud they were of what they had achieved was incredibly special.
These experiences once again reminded me that true empowerment is not simply about giving someone a product. It is about giving them a skill, an opportunity and the confidence to create something for themselves.
A New Direction for Project Lilly
Last week, the manufacturing plant closed down. Any unfinished products, will be finished by myself, over time.
Going forward, when manufacturing is required, we will outsource the production to women who have been trained to make the sanitary towels. They will be paid for each approved finished product they manufacture.
This marks a new chapter for Project Lilly.
From now on, I will concentrate more strongly on training and empowerment, while becoming increasingly involved in uplifting Deaf communities and helping women develop opportunities to generate sustainable incomes.
For this reason, I would like to encourage communities, organisations and individuals who want to support this work to consider a different approach.
Instead of asking for donations of finished products, please consider hosting training sessions where women can learn how to make the products themselves.
By doing this, we are not simply providing a product that meets an immediate need. We are investing in a skill that can potentially provide an income, restore dignity and create opportunities within an entire community.
We are not merely giving someone a fish. We are teaching them how to fish.
More Than Hearing – Understanding the Deaf Community
My work with Deaf communities has also made me reflect deeply on the history of Deaf people and the Church.
There have been periods in history when Scripture was misunderstood and, sadly, used in ways that contributed to the exclusion and marginalisation of Deaf people.
Romans 10:17 says:
“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
For centuries, this verse was sometimes interpreted too literally, as though physical hearing were a requirement for faith.
This led to deeply troubling beliefs about Deaf people. In certain historical contexts, Deaf people were regarded as incapable of understanding faith because they could not hear the spoken Gospel. They were sometimes denied opportunities and privileges that hearing people took for granted. In some societies, Deaf people were even regarded as unworthy or incapable of participating fully in religious life.
The problem was not Scripture itself, but the way Scripture was interpreted.
The Gospel is not limited to the physical ability to hear.
Faith can reach a person's heart and mind through many forms of communication — through reading, teaching, preaching, visual communication and, importantly, through sign language.
The development of education and communication for Deaf people helped demonstrate something that should never have been doubted: Deaf people are fully capable of learning, understanding, believing and contributing.
One of the important pioneers in this area was Pedro Ponce de León, a Spanish monk who, in the 16th century, worked with Deaf children and demonstrated that Deaf people could be educated. His work contributed to the development of early methods of communication and education for Deaf people.
As Deaf people learned to read, communicate and understand Scripture, it became increasingly clear that physical hearing was never a prerequisite for understanding God's Word or receiving God's grace.
Today, Deaf ministries and churches around the world communicate the Gospel through sign language and other accessible forms of communication.
One such organisation is Deaf Friendly, based in South Africa, whose powerful slogan is:
“Let the Deaf SEE the Gospel.”
I am privileged to serve as a director of this organisation.
For me, this is about much more than teaching a skill or distributing a product. It is about recognising the value, dignity and potential of every person.
The Deaf women I met in Malawi and Zambia reminded me that people do not necessarily need someone to do things for them. Often, what they need is someone to believe in them, teach them, open a door and give them the opportunity to walk through it.
That is the direction I want to take going forward.
Less dependence. More empowerment.
Less giving. More teaching.
Less exclusion. More opportunity.
And above all, dignity for every person — whether they hear the message with their ears or see it with their eyes.
