Children's Charity Malawi Archives

Summer Camp at BFSS

Levison and team thought it would be a real treat for them to have a few days together, having fun, learning, eating together and building relationships and team spirit.

Sarah’s blog 14/9/26

Last week there was a Summer Camp at BFSS for the students to enjoy before the school year restarted. This was the first ever Summer Camp at BFSS but will now become an annual event, providing funds allow.

The young people who attend Bright Futures Secondary School are some of the most vulnerable in rural northern Malawi. Most are orphans living with extended family. All are living in extreme poverty and do not have enough to eat.

Levison and team thought it would be a real treat for students to have a few days together. Having fun, learning, eating together and building relationships and team spirit and doing things that other young people take for granted.

Bright Futures Secondary School is a small private secondary school, built especially for these vulnerable young people. It gives them opportunities that they wouldn’t otherwise have had and allows them a brighter future.

If it wasn’t for BFSS, then many of the girls would have been married off too soon to older men and already have children or even died through the complications of childbirth as happens to young girls.

We are responsible for this private school. With your help, we can continue to support the running costs including paying teachers salaries and providing students with everything they need for school. Of course, a big cost is that they receive a nutritious cooked lunch each day. For many, this is their only meal of the day. They need this food in order to be able to concentrate and learn.

This is why we need ongoing support and FRIENDS OF BRIGHT FUTURES SECONDARY SCHOOL to ensure the ongoing success of our small private school. We need to ensure a brighter future for these students and students in years to come. The young people know that education is their best way out of poverty.

So as you look at these photos and videos of some of their activities from last week, could you please spare £5 or £10 per month towards core running costs of Bright Futures Secondary School? Could you become a Friend of Bright Futures Secondary School and a friend of these students?

Or could you spare £25 per month towards core help sponsor a student? You could share this cost with friends, family, a club or your business could sponsor a young person’s education.

Amazing things are happening at Bright Futures Secondary School but we need a team to ensure this continues and all costs are covered. Would you like to give a young person a brighter future?

Summer Camp at BFSS saw the students watching a sunrise as well as exercising together. They watched a film and shared snacks. There was a health talk from a local nurse. A teacher from another local school gave them keyboard lessons. There is currently a carpenter working on campus and he supported the students to make their own stools with off cuts of wood. Sewing is always a popular activity and the sewing machines were in use again! These were just a few of the activities.

Thank you to the teachers and all the team behind the scenes who organised everything in advance of the first Summer Camp at BFSS. It’s another incentive to work hard and stay in school.

So enjoy the photos and videos and please, if you can, donate some money towards a brighter future for these amazing young people. contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com for our charity bank details and join us to continue Changing Lives (in) Malawi. Thanks for reading & supporting, Sarah x

More little piglets

More little piglets! Great news from the pig project at Bright Futures Campus.

Sarah’s blog 31/8/26

There is more good news from Bright Futures Campus. Another five more little piglets have arrived safely.

There is another pigsty being constructed and almost finished. There will soon be plenty of room for the expanding Bright Futures Pig Family.

Mr Kanyimbo, Deputy Head Teacher at Bright Futures Secondary School, is pictured caring for the five more little piglets. He has been working hard alongside a small team of other teachers and staff. They have been looking after the welfare of the adult pigs, the juvenile pigs and these new piglets.

There will be great excitement and interest amongst the students at BFSS when their agricultural lessons start again. They will be delighted to see that there are more little piglets to care for. We all love baby animals, don’t we?

This project has the potential to help the school work towards self sufficiency as more piglets are born and sold. What a great way to learn practical agricultural skills, complementing what the students are learning in the classroom in their agriculture classes. They are also learning about self sufficiency and business.

We are delighted to see that quality education is happening at Bright Futures Secondary School. Students, who are all living in extreme poverty, now have a brighter future. We need to grow our team to continue supporting the school and the young people. Will you be part of our team? Can you spare £5 or £10 per month to make a difference?

Enjoy the photos and videos. There are two videos of the other piglets, born a few weeks ago, now growing well. Thanks to everyone who supports the students. To the organisations and individuals who have believed in us and provided funding for Bright Futures Secondary School.

School starts back very soon and we are looking for sponsors for individual students which is £25 per month and also ‘Friends of Bright Futures Secondary School’ and ‘Friends of Bright Futures Nursery’ to support these projects with a monthly or one off donation. contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com Will you help us support some of the most vulnerable children in Malawi please? Together, we can be a team that can continue Changing Lives (in) Malawi. Thank you, Sarah x

Bright Futures for S2 students

Five Little Pigs

Bright Futures for S2 students

I’m so happy to share that I’ve just heard that all the S2 students at Bright Futures Secondary School have passed their Junior Certificate of Education (JCE)

Sarah’s blog 15/8/26

I’m so happy to share that I’ve just heard that all the S2 students at Bright Futures Secondary School have passed their Junior Certificate of Education (JCE). These are national exams that are taken at the end of second year. More national exams are taken at the end of S4.

This is an amazing achievement for these young people, many of whom are orphans. They have had such difficult childhoods but there are now bright futures for the S2 students. These young people have all suffered loss and trauma and live in tiny huts. Many walk long distances to school. All are all on the Global Multidimensional Poverty Index.

Without their sponsors support they would not have been able to attend Bright Futures Secondary School. Who knows if the girls would have been married with children already? These young people have been given choices and chances that they wouldn’t otherwise have had. There are bright futures for S2 students at Bright Futures Secondary School.

I want to take this opportunity to thank those who sponsor a young person to be at Bright Futures Secondary School, those who donate stationery or preloved uniform and of course the organisations who have gifted bigger amounts of money, meaning we’ve been able to build classrooms, pay staff and supply books and equipment. It’s always about teamwork and we are very grateful for your support. We do need more people to be involved in supporting young people. Could this be something you could help with?

To the young people, we are so proud of you for everything you have achieved and will go onto achieve in future. All we can ask is that you work hard and try your best always. You are making history as, again, there has been 100% pass rate at BFSS.

School opens again next month and these students will be given a party as a reward. They are probably as excited about that as they are about passing their exams!

We are now looking for sponsors for the next intake of s1 students. If you’d like to be a sponsor then please get in touch contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com. Or would you like to become a Friend of Bright Futures Secondary School and make a regular donation each month towards the core running costs of the school.

Clearly these young people are capable and brilliant and are just needing our support to achieve their goals. They know education is their way out of poverty. Let’s give even more students that opportunity and if you can spare a few £££ every month, please do help us continue giving bright futures for S2 students and their friends. Thank you, Sarah x

ps I will add in individual photos of S2 students over the next few days.

Students from Chambo Primary School waiting for the Celebration Day to start when Liz and Sarah were in Malawi in May. Some of them will be students at Bright Futures Secondary School in years to come if we can continue to find financial support to enable them to have a brighter future.

Five Little Pigs

Great news from Bright Futures Campus….five healthy piglets have arrived!

Sarah’s blog 3/8/26

Great news from Bright Futures Campus today and great excitement. One of the pigs has given birth to five healthy piglets. Who doesn’t like to look at photos and videos of new baby animals?

These are the first Bright Futures piglets to be born on campus. They give hope for a brighter future. Students learning how to look after the pigs as part of their agriculture course. By selling some of the pigs it will bring a good source of income enabling this to become a sustainable project.

Money has been sent to start building another pigsty. Thank you to everyone who has contributed towards this project. Should anyone wish to make a donation towards the pig project then you can email for bank details contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com . Or you can donate via the donation page on the website https://changinglivesmalawi.com/donations/ . Our fundraiser to buy extra food for the hundreds of malnourished children and to buy notebooks is still open. We’d love your help to provide for those most in need. gofund.me/48b11b1a1

You’ll see below the video that Liz and Levison made while during our recent trip to Malawi. The pigs and pigsty feature in the video. Whilst Levison had said there could be up to 8 or 9 piglets, he’s absolutely delighted that these five have arrived safely and the pig project is growing. In the video, he shows the maize that is being grown. What he doesn’t say is that, because of the huge numbers of children to feed, this maize will only be enough for two weeks. Then they will have to return to sourcing and buying in maize which is a huge job and cost.

But today is a celebration of five healthy piglets and the promise that hard work and some support to set up sustainable projects will enable the people of Ibuluma to have a brighter and better future. Thanks for reading and supporting, Sarah x

BFSS S4 Graduation

In today’s blog, I am sharing some amazing photos and videos from the BFSS S4 graduation ceremony and party.

Sarah’s blog 26/6/26

In Scotland, where I live, for most, today is the last day of school before the summer holidays. For the S4 students in Malawi, it is their last day of school before their final school exams start on Monday. Today, I am sharing some amazing photos and videos from the BFSS S4 graduation ceremony and party.

The BFSS S4 graduation ceremony and party happened on Sunday afternoon. The teachers did a fantastic job of giving these students a great send off. This is the first lot of students from Bright Futures Secondary School to have completed all four years of education at Bright Futures and be sitting their MSCE exams (Malawi School Certificate of Education). We wish them every success in their exams and for their futures. We are so pleased to have these photos and videos of the BFSS S4 Graduation.

We are all so proud of the young people they have become. Whilst at BFSS, as well as learning the curriculum subjects, they have better numeracy, literacy, they have learned how to grow vegetables and care of chickens, pigs and goats, they have learned how to sew and do some basic carpentry. The students have enjoyed playing football, netball and rugby with their friends.

Above all, they have had the opportunity for a brighter future. Who knows if the girls would have been married off at age 12 or 13 and have had babies by now? Who knows if the boys would have been having to steal to feed themselves? Thankfully, because of the opportunity they have been given, they now have more choices and chances for a brighter future.

Thank you to their teachers for all their hard work. Thank you to the parents and caregivers for encouraging the young people to attend school. Most of these students are either from single parent families or living with extended family. They are all living in extreme poverty and know that education will give them and their loved ones the opportunity of a brighter future.

So we thank their sponsors for supporting these young people through school. Your monthly donation of £25 has provided a nutritious school lunch each day which, for most, is the only food they eat each day. You have also helped provide the stationery that the students need. Periodically, the young people receive new clothes and shoes. As you can see in these great photos and videos, the young people have been given new clothes. The t-shirts were donated by All Saints Junior School in Maidenhead.

So as we say ‘goodbye and good luck’ to these wonderful young people, we are looking for people to sponsor and support students who are looking for a place at Bright Futures Secondary School in September. The more people who want to help, the more young people can be offered a place in S1 in September. We really do need your help to give other deserving young people the opportunity of a brighter future. Will you join us? contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com It’s only 85p per day to change a life.

Enjoy the photos and videos and do get in touch if you would like to support a young person like one of these amazing students graduating from Bright Futures Secondary School today. Thanks for reading and supporting the students, Bright Futures Secondary School and Changing Lives Malawi, Sarah x

S4 exams

7 students standing in front of a wall on graduation day at school

S4 exams

The students at Bright Futures Secondary School who are in S4 only have this week left of school before their final S4 exams start. They are all hoping to pass their MSCE (Malawi School Certificate of Education), although it will be a few months until they find out their results.

Sarah’s blog 23/6/26

It’s a huge achievement for them to get this far as they had been some of the most vulnerable students and some of them had missed periods of schooling when they were younger. We are very proud of them for persevering and wish them every success in their final S4 exams and their futures.

It’s also a big deal for Bright Futures Secondary School…these are the first students who have come all the way through the four years of school since it opened.

Students sit JCE (junior certificate of education) at the end of s2. Some students, unfortunately, are not able to get past this level or opt out of school for a variety of reasons. Life is extremely hard for the young people attending BFSS. So the fact that they are achieving, despite their other issues, is amazing.

These students will go to Chisenga School to sit exams and we have paid for transport and food for them each day.

After they have finished their exams, they will continue to receive monthly food parcels until they get their exams start results as, in the meantime they are still wanting to get some work experience helping at Bright Futures Campus.

We are hoping to have more sponsors for new s1 students who will start at Bright Futures in September. The more sponsors we have then the more students can attend secondary school and have a brighter future. It’s still only £25 to sponsor a young person so please do get in touch if you can help contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com. Without your help we cannot support the most vulnerable…and there are lots of young people asking for places at BFSS.

Being in secondary school has far more benefits than learning the curriculum. Young people are being fed every day. They are learning skills for life like agriculture, sewing and carpentry. They are playing sport. Girls are far less likely to become pregnant and also less likely to be married off too young. Boys are less likely to get into trouble with the police.

All this requires team work and we thank the teachers and the sponsors for supporting these young people.

I also want to tell you about Emily, another young person. Emily was sponsored and won a place at Wenya Secondary School. She passed her MSCE last year. However, she wanted to sit them again and try for better grades. She has been working on campus, and being paid, while she also studies. We have paid for her to sit her exams again this year and wish her the best of luck.

So this small group of young people have now got choices and chances for a brighter future that they would not otherwise have had. They have better literacy and numeracy than if they’d not had the chance of going to secondary school. They’ve learned practical skills. They’ve been able to spend time with their friends instead of working for a pittance. Thank you for helping us continue Changing Lives (in) Malawi. Please do continue to support the next young people who want the opportunity to attend Bright Futures Secondary School. Get in touch and make a difference. contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com Thanks so much, Sarah x

The Day of the African Child

This photo is from when Bright Futures Secondary School first opened a few years ago.

Second update re Malawi trip

Well I had very good intentions of blogging regularly whilst in Malawi… unfortunately every day was too busy! So now I am reunited with my laptop, I am restarting my blogs.

Sarah’s blog 10/6/26

(update – I have been made aware that sometimes the videos aren’t appearing in the blogs…they will all be uploaded onto our website individually)

Well I had very good intentions of blogging regularly whilst in Malawi… unfortunately every day was too busy!

We did manage to update the Facebook page regularly but writing a blog takes me more time and I didn’t take my laptop with me so everything was done on our phones. Changing Lives Malawi | Facebook

So here are some more of the short films that Liz made. I hope you can see from them how we were welcomed, and how we enjoyed every single minute of our stay at Bright Futures Campus and our trip to Malawi. Everyone was so friendly and we loved spending time with the children, young people and adults.

We are keeping our fundraiser open because of the great need of hundreds of orphaned and other vulnerable children who are malnourished and living in extreme poverty. We will also be looking at the sustainable projects that are working well and fundraising to expand those further. Thank you so much to everyone who has made a donation so far.

If you can spare a small amount to purchase more notebooks, food and soap. There are families who just cannot afford to feed their children every day. So they have no money for clothes, shoes, soap and notebooks. https://gofund.me/9e0a76511 or you can make a one off donation or a regular monthly donation by emailing for our bank details contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com

We visited Chambo Health Centre where there were three newborn babies. Their mums were given bags containing knitted blankets, hats and baby clothes as well as two bars of soap. The staff at the health centre were given more of these bags for future babies and were also told that there are still some further supplies on campus for when they run out. Many thanks for all the beautiful knitting for this project.

Now I am back with my laptop, and going through all the photos and videos, I will be sharing regularly with you about our amazing trip. Many thanks for all the love and support, Sarah x

Students at Chambo Primary School were delighted to receive notebooks and pencils

The children at Bright Futures Nursery are fed at every session

The Day we arrived at Bright Futures Campus

The children love the books we sent for the library and primary schools

First update from Malawi

A very, very long journey but we are here and happy. We slept well last night!

Sarah’s blog 22/5/26

A very, very long journey but we are here and happy. We slept well last night!

Absolutely delighted and overwhelmed to finally meet Levison… that was a very special moment.

We met up with three friends last night for dinner and are very grateful that they came to see us and spend time with us. Jack, Kondwani & Blessings were great fun and also care deeply about the projects they run so we had lots of good conversations.

We were so delighted when we opened gifts from Jack… wrappers that the ladies wear! Such a thoughtful gift, thanks again Jack!

Would you like to help us buy more food, soap & notebooks for children living in extreme poverty?

This is such a tranquil place to relax and eat breakfast before heading to our next destination.

Will write more later but on our travels to our next destination!

Thanks for supporting us to help the children, Sarah & Liz x

Ps if you’d like to make a donation to help us buy food, soap and notebooks for vulnerable children… here is the link. https://gofund.me/cd4ba0558 thank you!

The start of our long journey

And we’ve finally arrived… safe, happy but exhausted

A lovely evening with friends; Kondwani, Sarah, Levison, Jack and Blessings

Kondwani, Jack, Sarah, Blessings, Levison & Liz

Loving our new wrappers

Only 3 sleeps to go…

Join us for an incredible journey to Malawi! Packing for this adventure has been a challenge in itself, but we’re almost ready to make a difference. Thank you for your incredible support! #MalawiJourney #GivingBack #kindnessmatters

Sarah’s blog 17/5/26

We can’t believe how quickly the last part of the countdown to our first visit to Malawi is going! Only 3 sleeps to go….

The bags have been packed, unpacked, repacked, things set aside to go on the next container as there’s not enough room…. This is certainly the most complicated packing for a trip I’ve ever done!

It’s going to be very surreal as we’ve been looking forward to this trip for so long… but it’s finally here.

Like the famous film title ‘planes, trains & automobiles’, our trip is going to be ‘automobile, train, plane, plane, automobile, plane, plane, train, automobile.’

That is a lot of travelling! We will hopefully be able to post updates on Facebook, instagram and do some blogs too. Please do join us in following our journey as we meet the people whom we have been supporting and working in partnership with for the past few years.

Thank you to everyone who has supported us with words of encouragement and kindness. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to our fundraising. Our aim is to be able to provide more food to malnourished children while we are in Malawi, buy at least 1.000 bars of soap and buy notebooks for students. The more donations we receive, the more we can do to help.

When people cannot even afford to feed their families every day, they certainly don’t have money for soap and notebooks. Will you help us please? Together we can make a difference!

You can contribute through our GoFundMe page https://gofund.me/70a4091dc or through our website, or you can email contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com for bank details.

Lots of photos and videos will be taken and posted and hopefully some good insights into what is working well and what we can do to improve other projects.

Many thanks again for your support for the hundreds of children who live in extreme poverty, Sarah x

Bunches of Bananas

Students at Bright Futures Secondary School are reaping the rewards of their hard work.

Sarah’s blog 2/5/26

Last week Levison had the devastating news that lots of maize had been stolen from one of the fields. All their hard work gone. Future food for the children gone. Can you imagine how heart breaking this would be?

But here is some wonderful good news to share. The banana tubers that the students at Bright Futures Secondary School worked hard to plant, now have some bunches of bananas! Hard work is reaping rewards for the students in this project. This is a fantastic boost for them. Remember most of these students are orphans, living in extreme poverty with extended family. Their only food is the free lunch they are given at school each day. So this is a big deal for them.

Also banana tubers were shared with Chambo Primary School and they too have bananas… hopefully we will get an update from Chambo Primary next week.

The students at Bright Futures Secondary School are going to keep some bananas to eat but are going to sell the majority. They have been asked to think about what they should purchase with the funds from the sale of their bananas. And we look forward to hearing some of their ideas. I wonder what they will suggest?

This practical agriculture lesson has taught the students how to grow bananas should they wish to become farmers after they leave school. However, their learning is being extended by teaching them business skills and how to become self-sufficient. They will only be able to spend what someone is prepared to pay for their bananas.

Here are some quotes from students at BFSS.

Lloyd told Levison, ‘I am happy to see the saplings we planted a few months ago giving us fruits. I will make sure I plant some bananas for my family.’

A quote from Hilda, ‘I am just happy to be part of this gardening team.’

Saviour added, ‘Thanks to our supporters for giving us this opportunity to learn how to grow bananas. The skills will help me to earn money when I finish school.’

Will they choose to buy more banana tubers? Or some seeds or fertiliser? Or something they need for their classroom? A vote will be taken so that the students know their voices are being heard and that they are involved in shaping their own education and brighter future. Hope you enjoy these photos. Thanks again for supporting us to continue Changing Lives (in) Malawi, Sarah x

PS it’s only just over two weeks until Liz and I head off to Malawi for a fortnight. We are so looking forward to meeting everyone there and seeing projects like this. Will you support us to help vulnerable children while we are in Malawi? You can click on the link here and read about our trip and make a donation https://gofund.me/5d34c8533 . Alternatively, send an email to contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com for bank details or make a donation through our website. Every little helps as the saying goes! And we are very grateful to all of our supporters. Thanks again, Sarah

Bananas – a sustainable project

Stolen Maize

Growing maize is a lot of hard, back breaking work. How would you feel if your crop was stolen?

Sarah’s blog 25/4/26

Life seems to be getting harder for the most vulnerable people. Levison messaged me this morning to tell me about stolen maize from one of the fields.

Levison himself plants maize, along with students at Bright Futures Secondary School who are all living in extreme poverty. Also, the four agribusiness groups that were supported to grow their own crops have been growing maize and other crops. It is a hard existence growing crops and doing everything by hard… but people want to feed themselves and their families.

I don’t think we can imagine how heart breaking it must be to find out that your crop of maize has been stolen. It’s backbreaking work and a hand to mouth existence. This stolen maize would have helped to feed hungry children who are malnourished and suffering. The stolen maize is a big loss.

Thinking about it from the point of view of the people who stole the maize. Were they just opportunistic? Lazy? Selfish? Or were they struggling to feed their families? No one should be stealing from anyone else, however this is the reality of life in rural Northern Malawi currently. What would we do if we had nothing to feed our children? Would we cross that line?

It’s only three and a half weeks until Liz and myself head off to Malawi for two weeks. It’s going to be a wonderful experience to be able to meet and spend time with everyone. Also, to be able to see the projects, see what is working well and assess the reasons other projects aren’t working as well as we might have expected. We will be taking lots of photos and videos to share with you.

However, I think we are going to struggle seeing the level of poverty for the first time. It is going to be hard to see little ones who clearly do not have enough food in their tummies.

That is why we are asking for your help please. If people are struggling to feed themselves and their families, they do not have enough money to buy soap. We want to be able to purchase soap in Malawi, enough for all the children and young people and all the new mums at the local health centre. The more money we raise, the more soap we can buy.

We are also going to be giving notebooks to the oldest children at the two nearest primary schools to Bright Futures Campus. Writing materials are another thing we take for granted.

It would be great if you could help us please to buy food for the children to have an extra meal whilst we are there. Your support will make a difference to hundreds of children who are living in extreme poverty beyond our comprehension.

Thank you so much to everyone who has already made a donation. If you haven’t, please will you make a small contribution? Will you also share our fundraiser with your friends? The link to our fundraiser is here https://gofund.me/536aba9a5 or you can make a donation via the website. Alternatively, you could email us for the charity bank details contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com .

We appreciate the support we’ve had and continue to receive, it is always about teamwork and we couldn’t do what we do without your help. I’ve attached a report from an online news agency from this week, a video that Levison took of the field that the maize was stolen from and our fundraiser. Thank you again, Sarah x

Thank you Edinburgh South Community Football Club

There will be lots of happy children in Malawi when these wonderful preloved kits arrive and are shared.

Sarah’s blog 17/4/26

It’s been another busy day at CLM HQ. Stuart headed over to Edinburgh this morning to collect an amazing donation of kids football kit. Thank you Edinburgh South Community Football Club for supporting us again.

There will be a lot of happy and excited children when these lovely football kits are distributed to primary schools which don’t have matching sports kit.

As well as helping to reuse and recycle preloved kit, these children, living in extreme poverty, will feel wonderful. This football kit will boost their mental health and self-esteem as they dream of being great footballers in their new (to them) kit. Kit which fits. Kit which matches the rest of their friends. Kits which aren’t ripped and full of holes. These kits help foster their sense of identity and sense of belonging. Thank you for making a difference.

So despite the fact that they don’t know any of the people at Edinburgh South Community Football Club, they know that they are there are people who think about them and care about them. That is so important to the wellbeing of children who are mostly orphans and all have suffered trauma. They are no longer forgotten.

Here are a few photos of the kit that has been boxed up. Thank you to JP for arranging the collection of kit and sorting it into the various teams. Thank you to Edinburgh South Community Football Club for sharing their preloved kit. Also, thank you to Stuart for, once again, being our Lifter and Shifter (his words) and driving to Edinburgh and back this morning.

We will share more photos and videos when the kit eventually arrives in Malawi. I am going to visit our projects next month, along with Liz, another trustee and there are sports matches organised for during that time. There will be lots of photos and videos to share.

Thanks again for supporting us and sharing with the children we help in rural Northern Malawi. Sarah x

p.s. We love this little video that was made of the football kit being collected. https://fb.watch/Gy6C1rsvUP