The majority of people living in the Shire River Valley in the southern
part of Malawi are peasant farmers. The crops they grow are those that
resist the hot weather condition like sorghum, millet, maize, cotton and
rice along the river bank. The only industry in the area is the Sugar
making plant owned by Illovo Sugar Ltd at Nchalo in Chikwawa district.
Many educated youths in the area work at this industry after finishing
school.
My parents are some of the inhabitants of this area; I
emigrated from Nkhate, the eastern bank of the Shire River to Nchalo in
search of employment. I got a job in the year 2002 at Illovo Sugar Mill
as a Wages Clerk in the Agriculture department. With God's Grace, I was
soon promoted to the position of Senior Projects Accounts clerk in the
Finance department in 2003, the position which I am currently holding.
Since Nchalo is just 12 kilometres from Nkhate my home area, I used
to go and cultivate crops in the family lands. It was on Sunday the 25th
of March 2012 when I sent my wife Mary and all my four kids home to
supervise the weeding of our rice field and giving chance to the
children to chat with their grandmother since it was end of term holiday
for pupils. I promised to follow her on the following week end with
monies to pay for our weeding contractors. When week-end came my journey
was postponed because I was called on duty at my workplace.
It
was on Monday the 2nd of April 2012 at 17hours just soon after knocking
off when I departed Nchalo in pursuit for Mary. We cross Shire River on
canoes along the way to Nkhate. People who peddle canoes along the Shire
River dock on the route home usually knock off at 18hours. It rained
heavily in the morning therefore riding bicycle on muddy roads delayed
the speed of my trip. I arrived at the docking area Bankamu, very late
and I found canoe peddlers who were on duty already knocked off.
I stood lonely and stranded on the western side of the Shire River with
no one to peddle me to the other side. Upon knowing that the canoe
owners live just some meters from the dock, I called with faith for
their help to have me cross the river and meet my beloved family
members. I stayed at Bankamu for almost one and half hours calling for
boats but to no one could hear and came for assistance. Being habitual
crossers by on the dock I knew names of some of the canoe owners and
peddlers. When I persistently called them by names, they recognized my
voice and sent a boy known by the name Mapekete with a boat and peddled
me along the river to the eastern side.
This experience inspired
my faith in Jesus Christ. When we call His Name persistently with faith,
He recognizes our voice and come to our rescue. Like the woman in Luke
18:17-18 persistent cry for help ignites the helper's attention which
result in prompt assistance.
Mpeusa Mphonda - Nchalo Malawi