It was whilst at the Deanery Synod Meeting on 13-06-2012 that I met Canon Paul Wilson who is the retired accountant for the Birmingham Diocese Malawi Fund. Edwina introduced him to me as someone who knows Father Joel Malanda personally. Straightaway Paul said that St. Chad’s was sending a lot of money to Malawi just to buy food. I corrected him saying that we were paying the secondary school fees of many of the children, and were funding skills training for secondary aged pupils not in school.
To this he brightened up and said that this was very worthwhile.
He had heard of the proposed Maize Mill Project proposed by Father Joel and said that great care was needed as 85% of such businesses fail to make a profit in Malawi. This is because of a cultural weakness on the part of the maize mill managers to waive payment for friends and family when milling their maize. Done for one there is pressure to do it for many more; if not, the manager can be ostrasized by the village if he is one of them.
Also the maize mills are rarely maintained with grease and oil so they breakdown.
Asked if we should continue to support Father Joel in getting a maize mill, Paul said ‘yes definitely we should’, but be fully aware of all the problems. He said that Grafiud Tione MACS’s man on the ground in Malawi is very competent and so is Eileen Eggington the Project Coordinator of MACS (Malawi Association for Christian Support www.malawimacs.org).
Indicating that Father Joel’s current problem is to produce a business plan, Paul said that Grafiud could help him with that. It looks as though whoever manages the mill needs to be someone not from the villages but someone with authority. Those who work the mill need to be trained in maintaining it, the mechanics of collecting the fees from clients, banking the takings, book-keeping etc.; in fact knowledge of how to run a profitable business.
In one mill the machinery was not fitted until the people involved were trained.
Father Joel needs to be in communication with the nearest profit-making well managed maize mill, in order to see a good model of practice.
Coming to Father Joel, Paul said that he had known him a long time; that he had a very good command of English, that he had been relocated to a poor parish because he had spoken out about corruption by the bishops. Prior to that he was destined for a successful future. The same thing happened to Estone; someone Mary Ash used to know well, through the earlier Malawi projects.
Paul couldn’t speak highly enough of Father Joel. Paul praised our close relationship with Father Joel and hoped it would continue. A current problem in Malawi is one bishop who has sacked everyone with ability in his parish in order to avoid a comparison with his own inadequacies; often called ‘like appoints like’.
Paul has a great knowledge and love of Malawi visiting 2 or 3 times a year. He has photos and video and would be very pleased to do a presentation at St.Chad’s for the congregation.
About the diocese Malawi Fund, Paul said that it can be £60,000 – £70,000 being sent to the Malawi bishops annually largely to pay for the salaries of the clergy and other staff. Accounts are kept.
Paul Gregory.