Fish Farm, Malawi, Africa

OMS Canada has a ministry partner in Malawi, Africa - Iris Ministries.  Hunger is a huge problem in Malawi and Iris is involved in providing food for relief.  In 2008, after much prayer, planning and fundraising in Canada for a fish farm and hydroponic vegetable growing operation, these plans began to take shape.  One of the main things that needed to happen was to find a trustworthy Malawian to train and then lead this programme.  In a society where there is plenty of lying, theft, adultery and laziness, it was a breath of fresh air to find someone whose heart is pure and from this, springs forth a lifestyle which honours our Lord.

Meet Kelvin Sitati and his little family:

Kelvin's world up to then had been a mud house with a grass roof, walking barefoot on dusty paths, subsistently farming to provide enough maize to feed his wife and child, drawing water from a village well, living without electricity.  Kelvin may be poor physically, but he is rich in his relationship with the Lord and with his family.  They are happy, filled with joy, content and satisfied with life.  They have each other and they exhibit faith in their Faithful God.

In March, 2009, Kelvin went from this life to spending three months at an aquaculture research and training centre in Florida.  Morning Star Fishermen is a non-profit organization whose mission is to help fight world hunger, especially in underdeveloped regions.  Imagine all the "firsts" for Kelvin on this trip.

A container with all construction supplies for the fish farm was loaded in early summer to arrive in early fall, 2009:

I had the privilege of going to Malawi in the fall, 2009 with the intent of helping construct the fish farm.  I did help with that but also, due to some unfortunate circumstances, David Morrision, Iris's Canadian missionary had to come back to Canada for a period of time.   This trip to Malawi ended up being a significant life changing trip for me.  To help David out, I ended up preaching and teaching far more than I expected on this trip.  I slept out in the open air and preached in the middle of nowhere in Malawi.  It touched my heart more than I could ever describe in words.

Here's a few pictures:

Open Air Preaching

Mode of transportation

My sleeping quarters

Here's some pictures of the fish farm:

Under construction

Tanks for Fish

Beginnings of Vegetables

Tilapia Fish !  Kelvin is Happy