“I Am No Longer The Same” | Samson Kalagho’s Story
MALAWI – Before being introduced to a HOPE Malawi savings group, Samson Kalagho worked as a bricklayer in rural Malawi. Taking piecework when it was available, his income never seemed to be enough to cover his family’s expenses. He says, “I felt my life was just moving in a circle. Work, then make money to eat with the family, then start again. I did not like this lifestyle. I felt God created me for more than this.” Little did he know at the time, everything would change and soon he would be saying:
“I am no longer the same”
Samson, like many men and women living in poverty around the world, had dreams for himself and his children but lacked the resources to make those dreams a reality. Ranked as the fourth poorest nation on earth, life in Malawi is especially challenging. The World Bank’s Poverty & Equity report on Malawi for 2023 estimates that 72% of Malawians live on less than $2.15 per day. HOPE International and our local partners step into these difficult situations to offer business training, biblical teaching, and financial services, and – above all – hope.
As Samson met with his savings group, he received business training and found the encouragement he needed to break out of the cycle of working just to survive. He started to save just $1.24 each week and eventually took his first loan from the group to purchase some arable land for farming. With another loan, Samson paid for vocational training and bought a sewing machine for his wife, Rachael. She is now thriving personally as she uses her skills to run a tailoring business and supplement the family’s income.
Samson has since added livestock to their farm, hired 16 community members to work the land, and built a market where he sells his crops alongside rent-paying tenants selling their own wares. He says, “Poverty is a huge challenge in my community. I know I cannot manage to eliminate it myself, but I feel through assisting these 16 people with jobs, I am taking part in eliminating this poverty.”
Samson and His Family
As Samson and Rachael built their businesses, they were able to purchase building materials to build a beautiful four-bedroom house for their family and cover school fees for their children. Recently, Samson also had a well dug next to his home. Even though Samson’s home receives piped water, shut offs and shortages are a common occurrence in the village. This new fresh water supply blessed his family, for sure, but Samson chose to use it to bless his community, too. He invited his neighbors to use his well instead of carrying water from a faraway source or getting sick from more accessible but unclean water.
As Samson and Rachael’s lives have improved, they have invested in others. They adopted three children and provided income and business opportunities for their neighbors and supplied safe water to their entire village, all whose lives have also improved.
Their Well
“I made a commitment to God that if He would bless me, I would help others in every possible way that I can… I feel I am where I am today because of God. I always have a deep conviction to give back to Him. And because of this I am no longer the same.” – Samson Kalagho
