Help Marcel Build a Home and More Stable Future

Daddy J from HXP Malawi Refuge group #5 (but honestly, is there really any other Malawi group?). While working side-by-side with the refugees, we learned that "together we are ONE." They gave us their love and their hearts and helped us open up our own hearts.

This is a 12'+ deep hole we dug into the baked red African clay. Why? I'm not entirely sure. Septic tank? Anyhow, we all rotated through the work (for the most part ;) with the constant being Marcel. He was always there tirelessly chipping away, digging, doing whatever had to be done to make us successful. After 3-4 hours of morning work, us builders would all go away to feast upon one of Christopher's gourmet meals. Marcel, on the other hand, would chew on some sugarcane to extract the sugary calories needed to fuel an afternoon's work. When we got back, the Pitmaster Marcel was always there, his pleasant smile in place, ready to start again. Actually, more often with some freshly broken soil ready to be hoisted out of the pit.

I took some time to talk to Marcel. He did not reveal to me his personal story of the violence that drove him from his family and homeland in Congo, but did tell me that he had managed to find his way to Dzaleka Refugee camp with his brother 9 years ago. Nine years later, he still does not have a house. He depends on the good graces of the church and is allowed to sleep on their floor. His place there is uncertain though, with more refugees arriving daily, many of which are women and children with no resources as well.

What are Marcel's dreams? His face lights up when he talks about his desire to study Geology. Although an outcast from his homeland, he carries with him an interest in the rich mineral resources of the Congo. His other dream is to be a preacher. He loves God, the Bible, and his fellow man. He desires to share his love for God with others. Honestly, after what he has been through, it's remarkable that he maintains his trust in God and cares for humanity at all.

My heart goes out to Marcel and the others like him. The government does not allow refugees to participate in the economy and any opportunity to make money is scant—at best. It is hard to get by day-to-day, let alone save for the materials needed to build a house. The United Nations provides refugees with $5 a month and the job with Ubuntu that he is one of the fortunate few to have another $50 a month. This job is a yearly contract though, and any other job on the refugee camp is virtually non-existent. When I asked him about how much it would cost for materials to build a house, he told me 5,000,000 Mk ($3,000).

(I'm assuming it would look similar to Wabangelu's house that he is constructing)

I told my brother Marcel that I would do my best to get funds for the materials needed for him to construct his house. I'm sure that this would bless him and his brother, as well as the many others that he will reach out to in the coming years. I hope that you will join me in helping Marcel. Any amount would be much appreciated.