Sarah’s blog 22/5/22
I had a nose bleed in bed last night…didn’t last long….and another one this morning….again not for long….but what’s all that about? I’m feeling tired and I am so glad that I only have 9 days left of this challenge. I thought it would just be difficult for me to go without certain foods and that I’d be constantly hungry. After the first couple of days, I’ve not been overly hungry thankfully. I’ve also rarely been picking at food….especially in an evening…which is great if I can break that habit. I’ve lost 13lb in weight so far….another good outcome.
I have thought about food that I can’t have a few times but not all day every day. I didn’t bargain for how hard physically this would be. The tiredness is overwhelming now. This was my choice. I can’t imagine not having that choice. How can a child perform to the best of their ability if they are tired, hungry and malnourished? The younger children are walking 5km to school and 5km back home….with no food in their tummies….tired, hungry and malnourished. That’s why I have been cycling on my exercise bike…to raise awareness of their plight. https://gofund.me/ca9c1629
We can only afford to send money for 500 orphans and other very vulnerable to be fed at The Feeding Programme once a week. There are no big agencies in that part of Malawi feeding children in schools. These children are dependent on us sending money for The Feeding Programme. Because there are no other agencies feeding children, this is why some of the children are walking from up to 20km away to have their one nutritious and substantial meal from The Feeding Programme. It’s not enough. It’s not good enough. But it’s better than what they had. We need more people to help us continue helping these children. We need you.
Education is the way out of poverty for these children. There are not enough school places. If you do not get picked for secondary school, despite passing your primary school leavers exams, then you don’t go to secondary school. An awful situation for these children who are desperate for an education as they know it’s their one chance for a better future, for themselves and their families. We need to build a school in the village so there is education for all. Every child deserves an education. Every child matters.
Here are ways you can help us:
- Sponsor a child – this provides a monthly food parcel and pays for their education.
- Contribute a monthly amount (£5 or £10) to the feeding programme. If enough people do this then we can feed the children more often.
- Fundraise for us. Can you organise a coffee morning? I could come and show photos and tell people about what we do and what happens at The Foundation. Or can you do a sponsored event for us? There are so many ways you could help raise funds for us. We would love to hear from you.
- Are you experienced (and successful) at writing grant applications? That’s another area that would be a big help to us…. there’s so much to do and spreading the load a bit more would be a fantastic support.
- Can you share our social media posts to help us reach a new audience?
- We would love to be invited to your club, church or school to show photos and tell people about the lives of the children in Ibuluma.
- Can you shake a collection tin and give out leaflets for us at an event?
- Get in touch if you would like to help us in any of the above or if you can think of other ways you can help. It’s always about teamwork. We need you on our team. We need to grow our team in order to help more vulnerable children. You might even enjoy helping out and meeting new people. We are a friendly bunch! contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com
- https://gofund.me/ca9c1629 donate to help us build a school and give the gift of education. All children deserve a place at school. All children deserve someone to believe in them and give them a chance. Thanks for reading, Sarah x
