Back in October, we had a fundraiser in Strathblane, with an exhibition and sale of the beautiful paintings by one of our trustees, Christine Cresswell. She has very generously donated all proceeds from the sale of her paintings, prints and cards to our charity. This is ongoing, not just from that day, so we are very grateful for her talents being used to help us. There is a link to her facebook page on this website and I will also do a blog highlighting her paintings soon.
The money from the fundraiser was agreed to fund the building of an extension to the existing hen house. The rainy season was obviously not the best time to start this project so the builders have been on site this last week now the rains are becoming less frequent. A few of the young people have volunteered to help with ferrying bricks for the builders and you’ll see Maria Chizumira in one of the photos. Maria was on holiday from first year at Chisenga Secondary School.
We look forward to being able to bring more photos of the finished hen house and also photos of the new residents….maybe we might even have some Easter chicks? Thanks for reading, Sarah x
It’s Mother’s Day where I live but I would like to spend a few minutes thinking about the orphans whose mothers are no longer with them. The mothers who are struggling to feed their children. The mother figures who are caring for other people’s children. Thank you to all the volunteers who help at The Foundation to help nurture the hundreds of orphans and other vulnerable children. Life is hard for these children but these strong women are an integral part of Changing Lives Malawi. Thank you for helping these children feel loved and important. Thank you for all you do.
If you would like to support the work at The Foundation contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com Thanks for reading, Sarah x
Safe, Healthy, Achieving, Nurtured, Active, Respected, Responsible, Included
These are used in Scotland as a simple way of checking on a child’s wellbeing. We are trying to ensure that the hundreds of orphans and other vulnerable children supported by The Foundation in northern Malawi are all of the above. Levison and team are doing an amazing job and by taking an holistic approach the children’s self-confidence and self-esteem is growing. There is much more to do but little by little things are changing for the better.
While you look at these photos from the rugby training, please keep in mind the above eight words. It’s a good way of measuring how change is happening for these most vulnerable children. Some in these photos have been lucky enough to be matched with a sponsor…some would love a sponsor so they have a monthly food parcel and their secondary education paid for them. If you would like to sponsor a child to help them achieve their potential email contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com it’s only £25 p/m to change a child’s life. Elizabeth, Fortune and Pemphero would love you to support them. Thanks for reading, Sarah x
The second day of rugby training for the young people. Jack has given the young people another amazing day learning new skills and putting them into practice. Thank you to everyone who has made this possible for Jack to come to spend time with the children at The Foundation. And to Jack….a huge thank you. We hope that you will be able to return to do some more coaching as you’ve been such a role model for the young people.
I love seeing the concentration on their faces, the competitiveness, and the fun they are having. They will remember this opportunity for a very long time. People are investing in them and believing in their abilities. Watch the self-confidence of these young people continue to grow. Thanks for reading, Sarah x
£10 will buy 4 fruit tree saplings planting a sustainable future for people and planet. We have already sent money and saplings have been planted but we want to provide the hundreds of orphans and other vulnerable children at The Foundation with food for their future, providing employment and an income for The Foundation. We want children to have the nutrition they need and not to be hungry. The end goal is for self-sufficiency. Planting hundreds of tree saplings will help prevent soil erosion and help with climate change.
contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com and we can send an email to you to forward or send the e-gift straight to the recipient. Thank you for helping us continue Changing Lives Malawi, Sarah x
Hope you enjoy all these videos from today’s rugby training. The children look to have had a brilliant time learning how to play the game of rugby. Thank you Jack Mphande.
First of all I’d like to thank Jack for spending time at The Foundation. Also Andy from Community Sports Leaders Africa for organising and paying for Jack to travel north to Chitipa. Thank you to Strathendrick Rugby Club for donating rugby balls and to the people who donated money to make this possible…thank you so much.
Jack Mphande who is a Malawian rugby player and coach is at The Foundation to introduce and teach some of the young people to play rugby.
Jack and Levison have been sending me photos and I’m going to share some of the things Jack has said about the children.
“There were a good number of players….very intelligent”
“We managed to introduce the game and make some basic drills and played some games”
“It amazed me because it was like they have been playing the game for some time”
“Good handling and passing”
“They really enjoyed it and everyone is looking forward to the afternoon session”
During the morning session they were able to play on a local football pitch but that was being used in the afternoon so they were at The Foundation grounds after lunch. Eventually the clouds became darker and darker and then the rain started so everyone headed inside for a talk about rugby skills.
There are some great action shots in the photos, especially of a girl called Mphatso. Just look at the joy and concentration on her face. She’s having such a good time and it’s wonderful that the children, who until a few years ago have been used to being excluded and forgotten, are now having amazing opportunities to learn new skills. I’m so pleased it’s been a successful day and that it’s been such an enjoyable time for the children. Enjoy these photos …I’m sure they won’t be the last! Thanks for reading, Sarah x
There are a few small charities, supporting the most vulnerable in Northern Malawi, who work together when we can and also learn from each other as some are more experienced in certain areas than others.
We helped Andrew Bottomer, of Community Sports Leaders Africa, to get boxes of sports equipment to the people he works with in Malawi, not far from The Foundation. Andrew lives in the north of England so we met him in Edinburgh and took his boxes with ours to The Bananabox Trust in Dundee to await the container. Then Levison collected and delivered Andrew’s boxes to where they needed to be. Amongst those boxes were lots of rugby balls.
Community Sports Leaders Africa has paid Jack Mphande’s expenses to Chitipa for him to be able to teach rugby there for the first time. He’s been busy teaching adult coaches who have loved learning about and playing rugby and Jack’s enthusiasm for the game has been infectious. Jack plays rugby at international level so we are delighted that he is going to spend time with 25 young people teaching them basic rugby training which they can then teach their peers and younger children.
You’ll notice from the ages of the young people that they are all older than you’d expect for the class that they are in. All of these vulnerable young people have missed school, some more than others, to try to work for a pittance to make enough money to buy some food. One boy, who is thankfully now sponsored and doing well, worked for a farmer with his cattle for the equivalent of £1.50 per month…which hardly buys anything. Thankfully, more children are attending school now that they are fed by the weekly feeding programme. Unfortunately, young people in their last year at primary school are busy studying…hopefully they will be able to attend a future course.
The young people who have been picked to attend this first rugby coaching course are; Brian Sichamba, 16 (S1), Chancy Chisale, (S1), Moses Ng’ambi, (S1), Titus Ng’ambi, 14 (S1), Makayiko Simkonda, 13 (p5), Chimango Nyondo, 13 (p6), Chigomezyo Nyondo, 12 (p5), Hopeson Nyondo, 14 (p7), Fumbani Sichamba, 15 (S1), Elisha Sichamba, 15 (S1), Walusungu Nyondo, 12 (p5), Lameck Kanyika, 16 ( ), Manase Nyirenda, ( ), Chancy Kaonga, ( ), Chickumbutso Mtambo, 14 (p6), Pemphero Mbyghi, 13 (p7), Victoria Kayange, 16 (S1), Maria Chizumila, 16 (S1), Elizabeth Nyondo, 13 (p6), Tyness Sichamba, 15 (p6), Mitren Nyondo, 12 (p6), Tryness Sichamba, 16 (S1), Esther Nyondo, 16 (F1), Tamandan Nyondo, 15 ( ), Granda Nyondo, 13 (p7). (Lameck, Manase & Chancy K are the team making the eco stoves so not at school). We are very glad that 14 out of the 25 young people have been matched with sponsors…. if anyone would like to sponsor one of the other 11 taking part in the rugby, or any of the other children you’ve seen on our posts, then please do get in touch. It’s only £25 p/m to change a child’s life.
We are looking forward to bringing you lots of photos and we want to thank Jack for his time and sharing his talents with the children at The Foundation. To meet someone famous will be a new experience for them… someone they might be able to watch on tv. Opportunities like this to learn new sports and have organised events during the school holidays is still very new and exciting for them. They are orphans and very vulnerable children… why should people do things for them? Thankfully they are starting to realise that each of them is important to us. Thankfully they are starting to realise that people do care about them and are trying to improve their lives little by little. With your help we continue to be able to support The Foundation by Changing Lives Malawi. Thanks for reading, Sarah x
On this day every year the focus is on how many people around the world do not have access to clean drinking water. It also highlights how people in the poorest countries of the world are the most affected by too little water or too much.
We are trying to combat flooding in the far north of Malawi, where The Foundation is, by raising money for trees to be planted. This will help with protecting the crops from being washed away by heavy rains. By buying fruit tree saplings it is creating a future, sustainable food source as well as employment and a source of income for The Foundation and villagers. Eco stoves are being made for the villagers. These use far less wood than an open fire and retain more heat so less trees will be cut down for fuel. They are also much safer for the villagers to cook on, especially if young children are around. If you would like to buy 4 fruit tree saplings for £10 then email contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com to plant a sustainable future for people and planet.
I thought today was the perfect opportunity to reflect on how fortunate those of us are who have clean drinking water on tap, which we take for granted. Also it’s an opportunity to show people who have started following us recently some photos of the changes that have happened in Ibuluma thanks to lots of generous people and fundraising. Hope you enjoy looking at the photos and thank you again for supporting us to continue Changing Lives Malawi, Sarah x
There are so many volunteers behind the scenes that help us and other charities who are supporting people in Malawi. The charity that I’d like to thank in this post is The Bananabox Trust in Dundee and all the people who volunteer their time and energy. Thank you.
It all starts with a donation. Then another and another. It might be a pair of shoes, some clothes or stationery or some books. The donations are packed into boxes and labelled and put on our inventory. When there is a car load, one of our volunteers drives the boxes to Dundee to the Bananabox Trust warehouse. There their volunteers process and label the boxes and all the other donations that people send. There are dentist chairs from the charity Smileawi, hospital equipment, knitting for babies, sports equipment, tables and chairs, and walking sticks to name just a few things!
Most of our boxes have a truck printed on the side…so you’ll be able to see them in the photos. Once the warehouse is almost full, and everyone has paid their £15 per box to cover the cost of the container, The Bananabox Trust organises a container and then volunteers pack all the boxes and other donations onto the container. It’s a very skilled job fitting everything in correctly!
A container was packed at the weekend and has left Dundee today for the docks at Grangemouth. From there it is going to Antwerp. From there it continues it’s long journey to Mozambique and up through Malawi. Once it has cleared customs, it is released to travel to Ekwendeni near Mzuzu. This journey should take about 3 months.
People who are expecting donations all travel to The Mission Hospital at Ekwendeni to collect their boxes and parcels. It’s approximately a 5 hour trip for Levison to collect the boxes from Ekwendeni, but this has been made easier now he has a truck rather than having to hire a truck and driver. There are always a good team of people helping to unload the container and distribute the boxes. Then it’s a 5 hour trip back north to the Foundation.
There is great excitement from the children when they see the boxes coming but it’s quite a challenge to organise and unpack them so it’s done a few at a time. We try to organise things as much as possible here to group them together in age groups for example but sometimes things will be across different boxes depending when they’ve been donated.
I hope you enjoy the photos and learning a bit more about the journey of a box from here to Malawi. Thanks to all who help and make this possible. It costs £15 to transport one box on the container so if you’d like to sponsor a box then please get in touch contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com thanks for reading, Sarah x
Each week approximately 500 orphans and other vulnerable children come to The Foundation for a substantial, nutritious meal. Some children walk up to 20km for their meal….there are no big agencies feeding children in the far north of Malawi….this is probably the only proper meal these malnourished children get each week. Some days, some children might go without any food.
It requires a big team around these children and we are very grateful for all who are part of that team. However, we need more people in our team to continue to be able to change these children’s lives using an holistic approach. They now have better clothes, they have clean water to drink and showers to wash themselves instead of drinking and washing in the river. They can concentrate better at school because of the food they are receiving. Their self-esteem is better as they feel better about themselves and how they look. The children are enjoying team sports and are learning life skills. They have books and now computers in the library. All of these things are thanks to the team we have supporting these children. Thank you.
To help support the children email contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com . Can you see the difference in the third and fourth photos compared to the first two? The children all have clothes donated by our generous supporters. They are clean, their clothes are clean. Their drinking water is clean. They have been fed. They have opportunities. They know people care. Please help us continue Changing Lives Malawi. Thanks for reading, Sarah x
Here are couple of short videos of the children using the computers for the first time and also photos of them looking at the new text books that have been bought for The Library to help the children’s learning. New opportunities for these young people to be the best they can be. Thank you, Sarah x
