Wah-kay: It Is Theirs

Kevin Campbell | July 13, 2016

Our team is just back from a wonderful time serving with our partners from Habitat for Humanity Malawi in southern Africa—one of the most materially poor countries in the world and where 80% of the population lives in substandard housing.   We were welcomed in song in the village and by having two home sites ready for us to start laying bricks.  12,000 of them on each house!   And that we did….all the bricks laid on two homes for two extended families incorporating orphans due to HIV.

Our partners at Habitat for Humanity Malawi pronounce our name as Habitat for Humanity Wah-Kay County.  The word “Wake” is pronounced Wah-Kay.  We attended worship at the Capital City Baptist Church in Lilongwe at the beginning of our trip and I noticed in the native Chichewa language lyrics of one of the praise songs, the word “wake.”  I inquired what it meant and the translation is:  “it is theirs.”

We constantly strive in our work at Habitat Wake to offer a true partnership experience for our homebuyer families.  A true partnership is one where the beneficiaries and the supporters feel that the ministry is theirs.  And one where it is hard to tell who is the giver and who is the receiver because both are intertwined.  Hopefully we can aspire to our new beloved name, Habitat Wah-Kay County!