Last fall, hundreds of Zoe Empowers children in Kenya donated their personal earnings to fund a new empowerment group in Malawi. Pamela and John were among those who gave to the effort. Chosen by their Zoe Empowers peers, they would travel to Malawi as the Kenyan representatives to visit their newly funded empowerment group named, Together We Can.<\/p>\n
At the same time, it was decided that I, along with the Zoe Empowers storytelling team, would join Pamela and John in Malawi when they meet their group for the first time. For more than a decade, I’ve listened to children tell stories of how they have overcome the toughest of circumstances. I honestly thought I knew what to expect. I would later discover the enormity of this particular trip to Malawi with Pamela and John. The impact was nothing that I expected.<\/p>\n
Like any other trip, the U.S. and Malawi staff began preparations for the scheduled visit. John and Pamela applied for their Kenyan passports, the hotel rooms were booked, transportation was reserved, and plane tickets were purchased. Before long, the travel day had arrived.<\/p>\n
I landed in Malawi, along with our photographer Kara, and writer Katie. The first thing on the agenda was to visit the Together We Can group supported by the children in Kenya. We pulled up in our van to a large group of smiling children who were excited to meet us. I was told Pamela and John would arrive soon. As I waited with the children, I could not help but look into the eyes of each child in this extraordinary group, and as I did, the gravity of what I was about to witness began to settle in.<\/p>\n
Only a few short years ago, Pamela and John battled to survive each day. They were isolated from their community and had lost hope in their future. They were\u00a0just like the children in the group they were minutes away from meeting. Today, they are not only Zoe Empowers graduates, but they are also Zoe Empowers donors. I tried to imagine their reactions when they are greeted by the children, given they have always been on the other side, welcoming visitors from America for the Kenya Zoe Empowers program.<\/p>\n
I watched in the background while Pamela and John, along with Kenya facilitator Mercy, arrived. They emerged from the van as dozens of children wearing Zoe Empowers t-shirts sang and danced, welcoming them to Malawi. It was an incredible moment to witness.<\/p>\n