Margaret’s story is a common one. She is the sole breadwinner for her family, and not only her children, but her late sister’s children as well. As a seamstress, she made uniforms for one school to keep food on the table and pay the rent on her small, rundown house.

Then COVID-19 hit. When schools shut down, Margaret’s only source of income evaporated. Margaret is a steadfast follower of Jesus, so she decided to fast and pray for three days, asking God to provide for her family.

At the end of the three days, Africa Field Director Dr. Beatrice Chisenga approached Margaret about sewing masks for DO’s COVID-19 prevention efforts, which have provided resources such as soap, face masks, hygiene training, and Bibles. According to Margaret, this was a “breakthrough from God.” Now, instead of having sparse work, there was more than Margaret could do alone, and Beatrice hired more seamstresses to help with the workload.

As a result of working for DO, Margaret is now able to provide for her family, and she has even been able to purchase a better house in the city. God is providing for her and her family, and Margaret is helping Design Outreach be a blessing to Malawians who otherwise could not afford masks and soap.

Margaret’s story is just one example of the ripple effect DO’s work is having in developing countries across the globe. While our mission is to alleviate global poverty through life-sustaining technology, our impact goes far beyond technology itself. Our vision is to see communities transformed physically, economically and spiritually. DO’s work is doing just that—it is directly affecting the lives of individuals like Margaret by providing hope and opportunity to those who need it most.