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Meal Ten - Malawi

Spotlight on Malawi

Region: Africa
Life expectancy: total population: 51.7 years
HIV/AIDS: 11% (2009 estimate)
Literacy: total population: 62.7%
Urban Population: 20% of total population (2010)

Printable Table Tent

Download and print this table tent, designed for the Malawi meal. This table tent includes conversation starters and information about your gifts to ELCA World Hunger in action.
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Placemats

Download, print and use different placemats during your Lenten meals to raise awareness about hunger, poverty and related issues.

Note: When hosting the Malawi meal, consider an additional offering to support the ELCA Malaria Campaign.

Program

This 30-minute program, specifically designed for the Malawi meal, contains a reading, litany, monologue, prayers and discussion questions.

Table Prayer

Our heavenly Father, bless our meal, and give to those who are in need your spirit and your body.

(Prayer from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Malawi.)

Story: Agogo Maria

Agogo Maria — that’s "grandma Maria" in the Chichewa language of Malawi — used to lie awake at night listening for the tell-tale whine of a mosquito and worrying about her little granddaughter, Chikondi. Just one bite from an infected mosquito could transmit malaria — which is especially dangerous for young children.

Read the full story.

Download and share this bulletin insert.

Local Recipes

Popular foods in Malawi include sweet potato soup, mango chicken, and nthochi (banana) bread. Find more recipes at http://recipes.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Malawian_Recipes.

Skip the Coffee. Feed the Hungry.

Many are familiar with the tradition of giving something up during Lent. Last year, Pastor Steve Biegner of Zion Lutheran Church in Clarence Center, N.Y., decided to add something to his Lenten tradition. For 40 days, he stopped drinking coffee. And in its place, he gave whatever money he normally spent to support ELCA World Hunger.

“What does giving up coffee have to do with my relationship with God?” Pastor Steve asked. “Nothing. But focusing on the problem of hunger does. It helps ‘enlighten my eye’ to the ongoing problem.”

He placed a large, empty pickle jar outside the sanctuary of his church and asked others to join him. Each day, members of the congregation would sacrifice their favorite morning beverage and save the money they would have spent. By Easter Sunday, the pickle jar was full of donations to help end hunger and poverty.