Dear Friend,

Thank you for your support and prayers for our newest program, in Malawi’s Upper Shire region. We are excited to share updates on the progress you’ve made possible since the program’s official launch in March.

The Upper Shire program team conducted church and community meetings through which they identified 20 facilitators who will form Savings Groups. In May, Five Talents provided training for the program team and community facilitators on Savings Group formation and management.

In addition to the 20 Savings Groups that are now forming in Upper Shire, community facilitators have been identified to form 10 Literacy Groups to provide adult literacy sessions within the diocese. Illiteracy is recognized as a barrier to community engagement, including equal participation in Savings Groups, and these sessions will help to close the gap to ensure equal participation for community members.

This month, the Upper Shire program team and community facilitators completed training on teaching adult literacy and numeracy, equipping them with the tools and skills to provide adult literacy sessions within their communities. They are now well-versed in Five Talents’ participatory learning-based training methodology, which incorporates examples from the Bible and participants’ lives to facilitate learning of reading and writing in the community’s local language.

This is an exciting time for the program in Upper Shire. We thank you for your continued support and invite you to join us in praying for the entire program team as they initiate this important work and begin transforming lives in their communities.