In Luke 18:15-16, Jesus rebuked His disciples for preventing children from coming to Him. Today, barriers still stand in the way of many children experiencing Christ’s love. One of the greatest of these barriers is neglect and abuse. For CFCM, protecting vulnerable children is an essential part of the ministry.
Malawi is home to many vulnerable children. Extreme poverty forces many parents to travel in search of work, often leaving children to fend for themselves. In many communities, there is little awareness of children’s rights or the dangers they face when left unsupervised, wandering the streets, or staying in other people’s homes. As a result, neglect and abuse frequently go unnoticed or unchallenged.
CFCM has been helping to change this reality. Since 2019, safeguarding has been a core part of the training provided to all teachers attending CFCM seminars. These sessions raise awareness about child protection and emphasise both the legal and Christian responsibility to defend and care for children.
Additionally, CFCM has a team of eleven dedicated Safeguarding Case Managers, trained by Malawi’s Ministry of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare, who have been putting their training into action in a variety of situations this year. Many cases involve neglect or children being unable to attend school because of poverty. Sadly, others involve deliberate physical or sexual abuse. The training has given Case Managers the confidence and skills to intervene when necessary, engage with families and community leaders, offer practical support, report concerns to the police and Social Welfare offices, and help vulnerable children gain access to effective protection services.
The impact of safeguarding is best seen in the lives of individual children. Ellness, a Case Manager in Mzimba, explains: “Case management has assisted much to the vulnerable girls and boys.” At one Bible Club, Elevate and Joseph encountered a young girl whose grandmother had deliberately scalded her hand. Because of their safeguarding training, they were able to intervene and advocate for the child.
In another case, Esther discovered a family where a mother regularly travelled to Mozambique for weeks at a time, leaving her children to survive on their own. The children had to find work in order to buy food, making them vulnerable to exploitation. Despite the seriousness of the situation, the local church showed little interest because the children were Muslim, and the village chief was considering expelling them so they would become someone else’s responsibility.
Another vulnerable family CFCM has helped is a family of 5 children, whose mother struggles to provide for since their father’s death. Elevate and Joseph first met Esnart through the Chitakale Bible Club. Because of a physical disability affecting her mobility, her older sister Jessica carried Esnart to school on her back. Through God’s provision and the support of a partner organisation, Esnart received a wheelchair, bringing significant improvement not only to her life but to the wellbeing of the whole family. Today, Esnart attends school, but not consistently, because sometimes her mother is away doing piecework, and there is no one available to help her get to school.
Jessica has also received support through CFCM-funded school fees, enabling her to attend secondary school. However, her education has not been easy. This year she is having to repeat Form One after failing her examinations. When asked why she struggled, Jessica explained that she was often unable to concentrate in class because she had no food at lunchtime. She also missed many days of school because her mother needed her to care for her younger siblings while she went out to find work.
Through CFCM’s safeguarding work, children in situations like these are no longer invisible. Someone is standing beside them and speaking on their behalf. Every intervention, whether large or small, is an opportunity to demonstrate God’s love in practical ways. Whether providing a wheelchair, providing a school uniform so a child can return to school, or protecting a child from abuse, the goal is always the same: to show children that they are valued, loved, and created in God’s image.
As we look back on the past year, CFCM gives thanks to God for every child who has been helped, protected, and encouraged. Each safeguarding intervention represents more than a problem solved. It is an opportunity to reflect God’s care, transform lives, and build trust within families and communities. We pray that through these acts of love and protection, many children and their families will come to know Christ for themselves.
When barriers are removed, children are free to come to Jesus. That remains at the heart of CFCM’s safeguarding ministry.
