Julie Seath
In many ways, Love a Village began in my heart when I was a young girl as I followed my dad around, while he shared about the work of World Vision. I helped him with the movie reels - feeding the tape through the projector. I remember being captivated by the images of children like me, yet so different from me. I was shocked and saddened by their frail limbs, distended bellies, and the flies that swarmed around their faces. My heart was broken as I looked into the eyes of those children and imagined their lives. Those pictures impacted my heart towards loving people who suffer on the margins.
As an adult, my childhood faith is what has personally led me to where I am in Malawi. I feel called to care for the poor of our world, by helping them voice their needs. Each time I visit Africa, my heart soars and I feel as high as the plane that carries me there! Living with and loving the desperately poor of Africa, while heartbreaking at times, has been an incredible learning journey for me of community and love.
Through a stirring of my heart, combined with life's wild ride of experiences, I have ended up with a deep desire to love those who are hurting. I thrive when I'm advocating on their behalf, seeking ways to help and empower them. As I work with others, I can see how we can combine the gifts and resources given to us to help change lives.
From the time I saw the children in the films my father showed, I longed to go and meet them. In 2011, I finally got to fulfill that lifelong dream and set foot on African soil. I was bursting with joy and expectation. By the end of that visit, I knew my life could never be the same.
Since 2012 I have led teams comprised of family and friends to participate with community leaders in northern Malawi. Through 2013 and 2014 a number of people began to encourage me to consider starting my own charity. In 2015, Love a Village was established and credited with charitable status with the Canadian Revenue Agency.
From the start, I have known that this is something I’ve been prepared for since my childhood. It's been exhilarating to stand back and watch as everything unfolds.
Julie Seath