Eric's sponsorship story: The life-changing power of opportunity

Eric’s story reminds us of God’s faithfulness and the life-changing power of opportunity. From praying for a place at secondary school to graduating from university, Eric shares how God worked through Hope4Malawi to guide his journey.

Here is Eric’s story, in his own words:

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When I was in primary school, I wanted to go to one school, St. Patrick’s Secondary School. This is one of the national secondary schools in Malawi, and it caught my attention when one of the brilliant students from my primary school had been selected there. I prayed to God for the same, and miraculously God did that.

But how could I possibly get through my dream secondary school when my parents' income was clearly going to fail to fund my stay there? My parents only managed to get me through the first term, from savings that they had been making for over six months. We prayed for God’s provision for a bursary.

We applied for several bursary opportunities, and they all didn’t come through. Finally, through divine providence, Josh Goodman, through Hope4Malawi, offered me a bursary opportunity for my secondary school from the second term of my Form 1. This was another answered prayer.

For the next four years, Hope4Malawi provided more financial support. We (fellow sponsored students and I) were nurtured in professional and character development through holiday internships that involved work ranging from Library support to Teaching Assistantship at Mpemba Primary School.

Hope4Malawi was planting seeds of kindness and a heart of giving. This sponsorship outdid all the bursary opportunities that I had been denied.

In Form 1, I had researched careers, and I decided that I would pursue economics in college. I wanted to understand what makes some countries or communities more developed than others, and possibly be part of the change. Fast forward to my Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE). I performed well and got admission into the University of Malawi (UNIMA) to pursue my dream career, Economics.

Hope4Malawi, through Josh and Natalie, his wife, continued to support my education, providing full tuition and a monthly stipend covering accommodation and food. During holidays, they continued to build us holistically.

We were given opportunities to work in administrative support at Hope Skills Centre and as Teaching Assistants at Hope Secondary School. There are many moments I will always cherish, and among them is the morning devotions before starting work. The rich discussions we had around scriptures and the sense of community these moments gave us are priceless.

In May 2026, I finished my Economics degree, and in August, I will be graduating with a 3.71 out of 4.00 GPA, thanks to the support and prayers of many, including the team at Hope4Malawi.

To achieve my Form 1 dream of understanding key issues around development, I want to pursue a Research career, an avenue through which I will be able to contribute to discovering cures for the state of development in Malawi and the rest of the developing community. I am currently doing a 3-month Research apprenticeship under one of my former Lecturers, and Hope4Malawi is sponsoring that too. Imagine!

Not only did Hope4Malawi affirm my dreams, but it also made it possible for me to achieve them by providing resources and a community that offered moral support, prayed for me, and kept me grounded and accountable. I am highly indebted!!

Thank you, Josh and Natalie! Thank you, Hope4Malawi!

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Can you help a child in Malawi?

Thanks to the support of our partners, sponsors, fundraisers and volunteers, Hope4Malawi's Youth Development programmes, building projects, resourcing initiatives, and student sponsorships continue to provide life-changing opportunities for children in rural Blantyre.

Contact us for further information on how to get involved.