MOM's

Living in one of the poorest countries in the world poses many challenges for children, and it’s even more challenging if you are an orphan. In Malawi, 14 percent of children under the age of 18 are classified as orphans having lost one or both parents.

At MOMs, we currently care for 20 children on a full-time basis, providing them with a safe and nurturing environment to thrive in. 

Our generous donors and sponsors ensure that every child has access to nutritious meals, a comfortable bed, and education. Most importantly they know that they are loved, and we help them understand their worth and identity in Jesus Christ. Our goal is to give them hope and the tools to build a brighter future.

History Of MOMs

In 2007, Gary Jamar, a pastor from Oklahoma, founded Malawi Orphan Ministries, which started as a feeding program in Malawi. In 2012, Gary had a dream of a young boy asking him to come and help him. The next morning, at a feeding program in the village of Chikhu, he saw the boy in his dream from the night before. The vision of building an orphanage was birthed, and in 2013, God provided 16 acres on Lake Malawi, and the work began. We were introduced to Gary in 2018, and in early 2024, we learned that Gary had become ill and had not visited the orphanage in several years. In September of 2024, we visited the orphanage for the first time and learned that MOMs was in jeopardy of closing. After numerous conversations with the US board for MOMs, Door of Hope was asked to take over running the orphanage, and legal papers were filed in Malawi and in the US. 

To see more of the history of MOMs you can visit.

https://facebook.com/OrphanMinistries

Orphanage Director

Licy Nkoloma - Biography

Born October 29, 1996, is a seasoned development practitioner, child welfare advocate, and Christian servant-leader from Malawi. As the firstborn in her family with a widowed mother and a younger brother, Licy’s personal journey has been shaped by resilience, compassion, and unwavering commitment to serving others. These foundational experiences instilled in her a deep sense of duty to uplift vulnerable populations, particularly children and families facing hardship and to lead with humility, integrity, and love.

Driven by conviction and resolve, Licy serves as the Director of Malawi Orphan Ministries, where she provides visionary and operational leadership to bring lasting change in the lives of orphaned and vulnerable children. Her work reflects a profound belief in child dignity, community partnership, and sustainable development grounded in Christian values.

Professional Journey & Leadership

Licy’s career spans over eight years of diverse and impactful experience across multiple sectors of community development, health, nutrition, water and sanitation, research, and faith-based outreach. Her unique blend of technical expertise and servant leadership has equipped her to design and implement programs that strengthen families, communities, and institutions for long-term wellbeing.

At Malawi Orphan Ministries, Licy leads all aspects of strategy, operations, and stakeholder engagement. She oversees child welfare services, safeguarding systems, finance and administration, human resource management, and community mobilization. Her leadership ensures that every child under the ministry’s care receives nurturing support, from nutrition and health access to education and psychosocial development. She is deeply committed to ensuring transparent financial management, accountable reporting to partners, and effective stewardship of donor contributions.

Licy’s leadership approach is rooted in servant leadership, putting the needs of children and communities first, fostering trust, encouraging collaboration, and empowering others to achieve shared goals. This approach has strengthened organizational culture, improved service delivery, and built lasting trust with communities, donors, and partners.

Core Competencies & Impact Areas

  • Early Childhood Development & Nutrition

Licy’s background as an Early Childhood Development (ECD) practitioner includes practical experience assessing child growth, managing malnutrition, and promoting optimal infant and young child feeding practices. As part of her early career in healthcare settings, she provided hands-on assessment and counselling for under5 children, ensuring that nutrition and developmental milestones were prioritized. Her work in this area has supported caregivers in adopting nurturing care practices and contributed to improved child health outcomes.

  • Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) & Community Health

As a community health professional, Licy has worked extensively in Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) and HIV programming. She facilitated awareness sessions on family planning, sexually transmitted infection prevention, and healthy behaviours. Her work in HIV linkages involved ethical, informed consent-based data collection and counselling, ensuring that individuals accessed services with dignity and respect.

  • Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH)

During her tenure as Business Development Officer at Beyond Water, Licy played a key role in expanding access to safe water in rural districts of Mchinji and Kasungu. She was responsible for professionalizing borehole repair and maintenance systems, ensuring communities had reliable access to clean water. Her efforts strengthened local water governance, improved public health outcomes, and reduced barriers to safe water access, a foundational element of community wellbeing.

  • Faith-Based Programming & Community Engagement

Licy has deep roots in faith-based community initiatives, having coordinated church led outreach programs that empower women, youth, and families. She integrates Christian values into community development work, fostering environments where spiritual growth and social wellbeing go hand in hand. Her ability to engage church volunteers and local partners has amplified community ownership and collective action, bridging faith and practical service.

  • Leadership & Human Resource Management

In every role, Licy has demonstrated capacity to supervise and mentor staff, build functional teams, and strengthen organizational systems. She leads with empathy, clarity, and purpose, fostering collaboration, promoting accountability, and nurturing professional growth among colleagues and volunteers alike.

  • Basic Accounting & Financial Governance

Licy brings practical knowledge in financial planning and basic accounting to the organizations she leads. She prepares and manages budgets, oversees procurement, ensures internal controls, and upholds transparent financial reporting practices that meet the expectations of donors, partners, and regulatory bodies.

  • Education & Child Safeguarding

With a Diploma in Food, Nutrition and Livelihood Security from LUANAR’s Natural Resources College, Licy combines technical training with hands on experience to advocate for educational support and safeguarding mechanisms that protect children from harm. Her work in ECD and child protection has shaped policies and program approaches that foster safe learning environments and sustained child development.

  • Values, Motivation & Vision

At the heart of Licy’s work is her Christian faith and a commitment to servant leadership an approach that places God First, others second, embraces humility, and seeks the common good above personal gain. She views each child and family she serves as inherently valuable, deserving of respect, opportunity, and care. Her personal story of family responsibility and perseverance inspires her dedication to community transformation through compassionate service.

Licy’s professional story is not merely about roles held or tasks accomplished but about impactful human connection, sustainable community empowerment, and transformative social change. She believes that meaningful development is anchored in compassionate leadership, accountable resource use, and collaborative partnerships that honour both people and purpose. She serves as the Director at MOMs will humility and responsibility knowing that 20 and 60+ (for feeding program) Children depend on her for their day-to-day needs. Her role is a privilege which she values dearly. Her devotion to Christianity gives her the strength she needs to prevail in her role. 

  • Looking Ahead

Licy continues to build strategic partnerships with local stakeholders, international development partners, faith communities, and funders who share her vision for a future where every child thrives. Her leadership at Malawi Orphan Ministries, marked by integrity, passion, and demonstrated impact positions her as a trusted steward of community wellbeing and a compelling partner for funders seeking high impact, value driven programs in Malawi.