Ruth’s Shawl teaches and trains Malawians to share the Gospel with their neighbors. Our educational ministries include Gospel-centered literacy programs and Bible studies in the Lilongwe and Ntchisi Districts.
Adult Literacy Program
During their first visit to Malawi in 2007, two Ruth’s Shawl board members heard women describe their hopes and dreams – including a desire to establish a business to support themselves and their families. The voice of one widow cut above the rest as she proclaimed, “How can we do anything, how can we compete in business, when we cannot even read and write?” In response, Ruth’s Shawl began its work to establish adult literacy programs across the Lilongwe and Ntchisi Districts in Malawi.
The adult literacy program first used Malawi’s Ministry of Education-approved teaching materials, in both Chichewa and English, to teach reading, writing, and mathematics. However, in 2017, Ruth’s Shawl adopted an adult literacy curriculum that is centred on the Bible. The goal with the new curriculum is to teach people to read and write while also learning the Gospel. Once the learners demonstrate a commitment to the literacy course and the ability to read and write, they receive the gift of a Bible to keep as their own. Ruth’s Shawl prays that as the people learn to read and write, they will share that knowledge with their families and others in the village and start Bible studies to share the good news of Christ. Currently, Ruth’s Shawl is working with 13 villages around the Ntchisi District to provide adult literacy classes throughout the year.
Pastor and Leadership Training
Ruth’s Shawl was led by the Lord to start a School of Ministry in 2012, because there is very little biblical training in the villages of Malawi. The Schools of Ministry present curriculum and materials for teaching inductive bible study, pastoral training, biblical instruction, and biblical foundations for leaders in the villages. The Ruth’s Shawl staff and interns not only teach the current curriculum, but also facilitate examinations with follow-up. They also mentor the learners so that they are encouraged and strengthened to pass on what they have learned with confidence to others in their villages. The goal is that the learners go out to their villages to share the Word of God with knowledge and integrity. In addition, Ruth’s Shawl regularly hosts seminars on Marriage, Women’s Conferences, and Men’s Conferences as invited by the villages.