I had a few surprises in the past week or so. A man I know very well, came to my house asking me to visit a prayer cell (fellowship) he attends on the outskirts of Blantyre. Now this chap was rubbishing praying, fasting or gifts/manifestation of the Holy Spirit as recent as April this year!! What more, I thought he would beat up after making serious but baseless accusations against me. So, when the guy came home one evening it was a sweet shock to learn that he had turned to Jesus Christ and was even urging me to go with him some day to a prayer meeting!
The other surprise was a 'missed' call I got on my phone the other day. I called back. The voice at the other end said she was Jacqueline and correctly identified me as 'Joe'. I was astonished when the woman claimed we met in Lilongwe at Cresta Crossroad Hotel and I had given her my number. After a few more questions I saw the light! It was either a prostitute or a con-woman who got my number from a newspaper advert announcing an event I helped organise in September at Cresta Crossroads Hotel!! I have heard some call-girls or female thieves get numbers from newspapers and 'flash' the mobile to lure men. I cut the line. When she beeped me hours later, I just ignored it.
The last surprise I want to mention is the issue of child labour in Malawi. Several months ago Plan International issued damning statistics about child labour in the country, and the report was met by condemnation and dismissal from Malawi government. In effect the organisation was called all sorts of names. Some days ago, I was flabbergasted to hear a minister who was at the forefront of trashing Plan International, speaking at a function launching a strategic plan against CHILD LABOUR IN MALAWI. Wow!! From proncouncements made at the conference, I think I heard something like one million children in Malawi are working in tobacco or tea estates! What a turn-around for the minister as he said government will work hard to curb the situation.
posted by Joe Mlenga @ 1:26 pm
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