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World Vision Online

17 January 2003

Chata, Malawi

No kidding

What connection does a young boy in a rural Malawian village have with the hit TV series 'Xena, Warrior Princess'?

Jailos Batuwell is a sponsored child in the Chata Area Development Programme (ADP). His sponsors are Xena's star, Lucy Lawless and her husband, Rob Tapert, the show's co-creator and executive producer.

"As a family we are very grateful for what my grandson's sponsor is doing for us," says Choma, Jailos's grandfather. "We have a good house, goats, Jailos has plenty of school supplies and above all we have plenty of food in spite of the hunger that has hit our nation."

When World Vision New Zealand's Executive Director, Helen Green, visited Chata ADP midway through 2002, she brought a special gift from the Taperts - sports balls. Soccer and netball are the most popular school sports in Malawi, but as factory-made balls are too expensive, games are normally played using balls improvised from scrap plastic and paper. Ten schools in Chata benefited from the Tapert's generosity.

Jailoss' family took advantage of Helen Green's visit to present their own gift as a token of thanks to his sponsors. Choma explained that for a villager in Malawi, livestock such as goats are prized as a sign of wealth, so the family decided to give Lucy, through Helen, the best billy goat from among their herd.

"We bought these goats from the money Lucy, my sponsor, sent to me and the community," Jailos told Helen. "We bought three goats and they have multiplied to twelve."

Knowing that she could not bring the young goat back to New Zealand with her, Helen made arrangements with Jailos and ADP staff for it to be given to a needy family in another village in Chata ADP. This way, the Tapert's original gift just keeps on giving.