“If one member [of the body] suffers, all suffer together with it… ”
 -Corinthians 12:26, NRS

On Tuesday, November 29th, 2005 the Virginia Theological Seminary (VTS) Community engaged in a “Day of Solidarity” with the people of Malawi who, after four straight seasons of inclimate weather and poor crop output, have little or nothing to eat. The “Day of Solidarity”, a community-wide effort, was chaired by Seminarians Seth Dietrich (Diocese of Milwaukee) and Meaghan Kelley (Diocese of Rhode Island), and included educational programs, sharing a simple meal, and a community worship service where a collection in the amount of $5,750 was gathered to send to famine relief programs that will be administered through the diocese of Southern Malawi.

The noonday meal in the refectory was simplified to include a broth-based soup and bread only.  A 650-foot orange silk rope, designed by Meaghan Kelley, lined the campus quad to visually represent a typical food distribution line in which a person from Malawi would have to wait – behind approximately 500 other people – in order to possibly obtain 5kg of maize meal (often the food supply runs out and people who have waited hours in line are turned away and redirected to distribution depots miles away).
 
Located in southwest Africa, Malawi is considered one of the poorest and least developed countries in the world, heavily dependent on inflows of economic assistance. With 65% of its population under the poverty line and 46% of its population 14 and under, Malawi faces strong challenges including a very weak market economy, environmental problems, and the rapidly growing problem of HIV/AIDS and TB.
In February of 1992, Malawi's then President, Bakili Muluzi, declared a state of emergency, reporting that 70% of the country’s population faced starvation due to poor crop production. Today, Malawi is facing its lowest maize harvest since 1992 and, according to CNN, “nearly half the population of 12 million faces starvation in coming months if help doesn't arrive soon.”  
While famine is pervasive in much of Southern Africa and in other parts of the world, VTS students focused their attention on Malawi in support of their fellow classmate, the Rev. Martin Kalimbe’s family, recent graduates, and all the citizens there who are living with the famine every day. 

“Hunger in Malawi is not an abstract thing,” said student Seth Dietrich, forum coordinator, and one of the chairs of the Day of Solidarity, “those who suffer from famine and drought are not simply statistics ‘over there.’  We have someone right in our midst who is affected by this, who thinks about and prays for his family there, and wonders each day if they are getting enough to eat.”

The Rev. Dr. Marge McNaughton-Ayers, associate dean for Admissions and Community Life at VTS, concurred adding, “Taking a simplified meal, a form of fasting, is one of many ways that we can express our solidarity with those who at the very same time are suffering, though we cannot see them.  Physical expression of solidarity in community – sharing a simplified meal – can raise a profound sense of awareness of our oneness in Christ with those in need. For a moment in time we are invited corporately to share a suffering love with Christ for those who are in pain for those whose struggle is desperate in Malawi. If Martin Kalimbe and his family, and those we do and do not know are suffering, then we as brothers and sisters in the body of Christ are suffering too.”

Lunch was followed by presentations from 5 international students from Africa who shared personal stories of hunger and survival in their respective countries. Master in Theological Studies student, Bol Deng, from the Diocese of Bor and Kongoor in Sudan said, “When famine strikes a certain group, all members of that group/community are affected regardless of their age or gender. It is not like a sickness where a healthy person can take care of the sick. It is a communal disease. It shakes the foundation of your survival.” 

Theological Studies student, the Rev. Nicholas Sichangi, from the Diocese of Kitale, Kenya, explained, “In Africa the food crisis is always as a result of unreliable weather conditions, namely flooding and extended drought. In most areas the crop harvested cannot carry to the next harvest and, given our poor storage facilities, the grains remaining in the stores will in most cases be weevil infested. Furthermore, because of financial difficulties, many farmers will trade in their crop to raise school fees or to raise funds to purchase other food items and other household requirements. This is indeed a true picture of a hand to mouth economy system.”

Another Theological Studies student, the Rev. Samuel Sudhe, from the Diocese of Bondo, Kenya, while working
in Bondo, often served as an agent of the government or the Church in distributing relief food. “Nothing is more difficult than this,” said Sudhe, “when I very well know the whole village is suffering and here I have been given, for example, 40 bags of Maize to be distributed to the neediest of the needy. How do I go about being fair? I can still remember the faces of those who left with nothing after waiting a whole day and I can recall the cries of those families who were not included in the list. I recall going home every time disappointed.”

Sudhe concluded his remarks by stating, “Solidarity with Malawi is solidarity with those children who can not go to school because of hunger; solidarity with Malawi is solidarity with mothers who have to move long distances and stand for long hours in food queues; solidarity with Malawi is solidarity with hungry infants on their mother’s dry breasts; solidarity with Malawi is solidarity with the old that no longer have strength to fend for themselves; solidarity with Malawi is fulfillment of Gods love.”

Master in Divinity student Peter Kanyi, currently from the Diocese of East Tennessee, but originally from Kenya, the Rev. Given Gaula from Tanzania, and the Rev. Paul Akomea-Marfo from the Diocese of Koforidua, Ghana, also gave remarks during the “Day of Solidarity” presentations.   Martin Kalimbe, who is studying for his Masters of Theological Studies degree, was clearly moved by the day’s events. "I am completely overwhelmed,” he said, “by the VTS community's compassion and love towards my brothers and sisters in Malawi.”