My Nonprofit Reviews

I thank God for the Malawi Project often. It has meant so much for us to ship our Mobility Carts manufactured in Wheatfield, Indiana, to Lilongwi by 40 foot Shipping Containers for several years, and now they go directly to the new Distribution Center, just dedicated. We have shipped 6 full containers to Malawi in the last 3 years with 1164 Carts to be distributed. The Distribution Center is locally owned by Action for Progress and operated by a Malawian Board of Directors who partner with the Malawi Project to bring many humanitarian goods to assist those in need and to assist in the long range development of the country. Malawians must be in the forefront of relief and development efforts in the country if these efforts are to be successful--and, developing right before our eyes, we witness a model that stresses the necessary leadership of administering assistance by Malawians. The Malawi Project honors and fosters that, hoping to help replace the archaic and paternalistic 'colonial intervention method' of imposing ourselves on the African cultures. True partners work to compliment each other as equals.

When we load a Shipping Container a seal is affixed on the doors by us in Wheatfield, Indiana, and it is not opened until it arrives in the hands of Action for Progress in their Distribution facility. The Malawi Project passed along its trust of the local leadership in Malawi to us; we know firsthand of the capabilities of the staff of AfP because we spent 2 weeks traveling all parts of Malawi with the AfP staff in late 2018 to see firsthand how our Mobility Carts are distributed to the leg-challenged men, women and children that mostly crawl on the ground. And of course we also then witnessed so many other ways the Malawi Project and AfP were working hand in hand to spread the love of God to those so desperately in need of such love.

Any organization that works in a developing country needs to learn the very hard lesson of transferring leadership and responsibility to the local cultural leaders in such country--that is something the Malawi Project continues to foster--that's what makes a Great NonProfit!

Bob Gabrielse
with Mobility Ministries, Inc., Wheatfield, Indiana
--working hand-in-hand with the Malawi Project
--working hand in hand with Action for Progress

Our story with the Malawi Project began about 1 year ago. Our totally volunteer driven ministry manufactures 3-wheel 'off-road' Mobility vehicles for the leg-disabled in developing countries. We send these Carts in Shipping Containers loaded at our facility in DeMotte, Indiana. We were looking for another Distribution Partner with the skills and experience to receive these donated Carts and make sure they were properly distributed to those persons who were mobility challenged. We got this in the Malawi Project, and we got so much more! We were privileged to get a partner that is clearly faith-based, is focused on compassion, is meticulous about screening recipients, and carefully keeps their ministry to Malawi separate from government entanglement--which so often could be the ultimate downfall of effective aid from an NGO. And then we were blessed with an organization that already has a network of connections to 20 some hospitals, many clinics, and disability service providers all through Malawi, having developed this network for more than 20 years; we knew the Lord had a very direct hand in forging this link between our two ministries.
The Malawi Project will be using its network in Malawi to directly supervise the distribution of the Mobility Carts as an alternative to wheelchairs; these Carts go where wheelchairs usually cannot go--on rough unpaved ground--giving the gift of mobility, independence and dignity to so many that have had to crawl or be carried by others!
We are blessed by the Malawi Project; and now the Mobility Carts can be a blessing to hundreds and thousands in Malawi. The Malawi Project recognizes that the Cart changes the life of a recipient immediately, but also the lives of the recipient's family and friends, and then often the entire community. With our next container shipment set for May, the Malawi Project will have more than 400 Carts to meet the unique needs of more than 400 people.
We are so thankful for the Malawi Project and that they have expanded the branch of their ministry that meets disability needs--competently, efficiently, and compassionately!
mobilityministries.org