Lackson Jackson in Malawi from Renatta and Jef Walton

You don't always know what will happen when you say yes, when you are all in, when you give up yourself, your stuff, your agenda. This is the story of a boy who came to Village of Hope Malawi in 2009 at one-month-old.

His mother died soon after giving birth and he was left to be cared for by his grandparents. They tried so hard, giving him cow's milk, sugar water, anything to keep him alive. They lost their daughter and were slowly losing her last-born child. The case was referred to Social Welfare who then referred the child to Villages of Hope - Africa.

Lackson Jackson when he first arrived at Village of Hope in Malawi 

Lackson Jackson arrived at VOH and had milk/formula for the first time, at one-month-old. He gained strength and against all odds, survived and thrived. It came time to reunite Lacky with his family earlier this year. He went for a week to visit his relatives and his grandparents proudly paraded him around to friends and neighbours, declaring that this was the baby they thought they had lost.

He went again, for another visit, and at that time I met the very same social worker who referred the child to VOH. His words: Village of Hope saved this child's life, he was days, maybe hours away from death, and he's alive because of Village of Hope. Please, he pleaded with me, keep doing these things. We continued working with the family and this Christmas they received the very best gift: Lackson was able to go home permanently to live with his family while still remaining in all VOH programs to ensure that his future is bright and he's healthy and educated.

Lackson Jackson today

Village of Hope will keep doing these things, rescuing, reaching, serving, saving. It's the whole reason we are here.

- Renatta and Jef Walton, global workers in Malawi