Did you know that people with disabilities make up 16% of the world’s population? That’s 1 in 6 people. Yet in communities around the world, people with disabilities are often marginalized. They face significant barriers to participating in their communities and receiving vital care, and are at increased risk of violence, exploitation, poor health and poverty.
Thankfully, God wrote a different story for Boniface of Malawi.
Born blind and disabled, Boniface found solace in singing. He had big dreams and aspired to get married and have a family, but his disability cast a dark shadow over his life. He was forced to drop out of school in the fifth grade due to lack of funds, which denied him a quality education. As an adult, his farm was taken over by people who did not understand his disability.
But that all changed when Boniface’s church attended a disability inclusion training session with World Relief.
After receiving training, church leaders invited Boniface and others like him to participate in church activities, giving them leadership roles in preaching, prayer, and, most important to Boniface, singing. Additionally, church leaders formed support groups for people with disabilities and began to change the way community members viewed people living with disabilities.
“World Relief came and opened our eyes to the most vulnerable people – people with disabilities… We are truly grateful for [Jesus’] It is a call to care for people with disabilities in our communities.”
– Church Leader, Malawi
Today, Boniface is a leader in her community, runs support groups and leads worship at her church, and is married with children of her own.
At World Relief, we believe that all people, including people with disabilities, are created in the image of God and have inherent worth. We envision a world where people like Boniface are recognized and valued, where the Church is committed not only to serving people with disabilities, but also to building communities where people with disabilities can unleash their God-given talents to serve others.
In FY23, thanks to support from people like you, we were able to expand our disability-inclusive programming and empower more churches and communities to reach people like Boniface. Together, we mobilized 548 churches, trained 1,879 volunteers and church leaders, and reached 8,449 people in Malawi, Burundi, and Rwanda.
World Relief ensures immigrants with disabilities have the support they need as they resettle in the U.S. In FY23, we assisted 147 people with disabilities and chronic illnesses through our Priority Communities program.
For us, disability inclusion is not just a program: it is a way of living and working that permeates every aspect of our work.
Our transformative approach starts with training our staff. It then extends to the heart of each community, equipping church and community leaders with the knowledge and tools they need to engage with people with disabilities through community dialogue forums and address the biases that exist. Church leaders also mobilize their congregations to help people with disabilities with things like home modifications and access to necessities like food and clothing. They also form support groups where people like Boniface can safely connect and address issues that affect them.
Together, we are paving the way for the church to go further in its call to love those on the margins of society. Working through local churches transforms entire communities because everyone’s talents are recognized and given a space to shine.
Rachel Clare is a Content Writer for World Relief. With over 10 years of experience creating content and leading creative teams in churches and nonprofits, she is passionate about connecting people with creative talent and developing content that helps people see the world in a new light. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Stephens College and currently attends a Spiritual Formation group at the Transforming Center in Wheaton, IL.