Mtandire is a densely populated neighborhood in Lilongwe, Malawi, where several grassroots initiatives have been under way in an area of about 500 homes. A group of youth who had participated in Bahá’í educational programs began taking steps to offer spiritual education classes for children and to initiate junior youth groups around their homes. The number of participants in these activities quickly increased, as parents readily encouraged efforts to contribute to the academic and moral development of their children. Other youth also expressed interest in receiving training to be able to conduct their own voluntary classes. Over time, a pattern of community life bringing together acts of worship and service took root and expanded to include many of the families of the young people as well.
As this growing nucleus of individuals worked together and consulted about the efforts they were undertaking, the spirit of mutual support and concern for the well-being of their community naturally led to additional endeavors. A range of service projects sprang from the initiative of groups of junior youth, including visits to the sick and elderly to offer assistance and the establishment of a vegetable garden where harvested food could be shared with those in need. Members of one such group expressed:
“It is important to show love to one another, to come together and learn to live as members of one family. We should develop the habit of sharing with friends the things they might not have and are in need of; whenever we have something, we need to share with those who don’t have.”
The youth would also gather regularly to consult about their academic education, as they strove to overcome limitations they encountered in their local schools. The conversations led to several informal efforts to arrange tutorial support. They would help one another by sharing what they already knew, or request assistance from individuals with more experience in a subject matter. Such a spirit of sharing and drawing on one another’s talents also extended to the area of the arts. Some of the youth who had particular interest in music production opened up their homes to teach their skills to younger youth. In these lessons, they also strove to create songs with a positive message—ones that reflected the highest aspirations of the community. Through these efforts, this expanding group of youth has been striving to learn how the diverse talents existing in the community can find expression in initiatives that contribute to the well-being of others.
The emerging pattern of community life also included regular visits to homes and conversations with parents of children involved, both individually and in groups. In these conversations, it became clear that the mothers who were supporting the spiritual education of children were eager to enhance their own education as well. A number of young people volunteered to hold adult literacy classes for those interested. Some of the young mothers also began to work together to start small income-generating activities in order to improve their economic circumstances. Eventually, two savings groups were formed, which enabled the participants to access small loans for their business activities.
Naturally, the friends became more conscious of various professionals and organizations in the community that were working for the well-being of the population. Some of the grassroots initiatives that emerged, then, involved collaborating with these agencies to help resolve one or another challenge. In one instance, when they were consulting about how to assist a few young girls who had dropped out of school, the friends reached out to an organization in the community involved in promoting the education of girls. Through its support, they were able to assist the girls to re-enter school. As another example, when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, youth volunteered with a community group engaged in promoting health and helped raise awareness in the neighborhood around the disease and ways it can be prevented and treated.
Building on the experience that has been gained and on the culture of mutual support and consultation that has emerged, the youth and their families are also beginning to learn about managing more sustained and complex undertakings. For example, a community preschool was recently established in the neighborhood, sustained by local resources. The families and teachers envision that it will gradually grow to offer all grades of primary education with the assistance of a nearby Bahá’í-inspired organization that offers teacher training.
