Sponsor an orphan Archives

Please help the Kasonda children

please read about this family who really do need our help

Sarah’s blog 09/07/23

Sometimes when Levison sends me photos they make me happy when I see the children and young people smiling, having fun, achieving and benefiting from learning new skills to enable them to have a better future.

At the end, it’s not about what you’ve accomplished. It’s about who you’ve lifted up, who you’ve made better. It’s about what you’ve given back.
Denzil Washington

Other times, like today, when I look at photos I am sad and I am upset. I’m also angry that we don’t have a magic wand to be able to help everyone more than we are. Let me tell you about the Kasonda family.

Mum and dad are, in Levison’s words, peasant farmers. They are very poor and neither of them is in the best of health. Levison and team have been helping clothe the children and the older ones come to the feeding programme. Their home is 5km away and today Logical Kasonda (age 9) and her brother Kumbukani Kasonda (age 11) each carried their one year old twin sisters, Selida and Queen, the 5km to the Foundation, fed the twins before themselves, and carried them the 5km home again.

My heart is breaking for these children (and the many, many more like them). As you can see, Logical and Kumbukani are both in p3. This means that Kumbukani has missed 4 years of school to work to try to bring in a pittance to help his parents, and Logical has missed 2 years of school for the same reason. NO BIG CHARITIES ARE FEEDING CHILDREN IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN THE FAR NORTH OF MALAWI. We send enough money for the feeding programme to feed 500 children once a week. This is the biggest meal they have each week. Some children walk up to 20km for this food and then 20km home again.

Crops are being grown at the Foundation but it’s nowhere near enough to feed all the children. We have 80+ of the most vulnerable children matched with sponsors. This costs £25 per month. This helps pay towards school lunches for the older sponsored children at Bright Futures Secondary School and the younger sponsored children receive a food parcel at their home each month. All children receive clothes, school supplies and a meal at the weekly feeding programme.

As The Foundation that we are helping to support is in a very rural location, we are trying to do everything. We need people (and other charities to partner with us). Please help?

Why should Kumbukani and Logical each carry a one year old sibling 5km for food and 5km back again? Why should they only get one decent, nutritious meal a week? How can we expect Kumbukani and Logical to be able to learn at school with sore, empty tummies? How are the twins expected to grow properly and not be stunted and suffer from malnutrition by only having one proper meal each weekend?

These children deserve food, clean water, safety, warmth, clothing, rest, education, play etc etc just like our children. These children have names; Kumbukani, Logical, Queen and Selida. These children need sponsors. Can you please sponsor one of them for £25 p/m? you can share that cost with a friend. Or why not help us run the feeding programme more often than once a week by committing to £5 or £10 p/m? contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com Our bank account details are Bank of Scotland, Changing Lives Malawi, S/C 80-22-60, A/C 21081462. Or could you make a one off donation? Just put ‘feeding’ as your reference please.

My heart is with these vulnerable children and I know that together we CAN make a difference. Together we can give these children brighter futures. Together we CAN continue Changing Lives Malawi. Please get in touch today. Thanks for reading, Sarah x

Appeal for help to feed 500 vulnerable, malnourished children

Let’s make some bricks & build a school!

the first bricks have been made for classroom 3

Sarah’s blog 06/07/23

Brick making has started ahead of classroom three being built. An area had to be cleared, the trees will be used for wood for the kilns and new trees planted to replace them. It’s a long process to make the bricks as so many need to be made. They need to be left to dry then stacked in a kiln. The kiln is fired and takes two weeks for all the bricks to cool down again.

We don’t yet have enough money for classroom three but had to start making the bricks in the hope that we do have enough funds in place once the bricks are ready to use.

We were very thankful to receive a cheque today from The Archer Trust for £3,000 towards phase 2 of Bright Futures Secondary School. We appreciate the support they have given towards ensuring there is an extra classroom in place for the next intake of students in September.

Please could you contribute to our fundraising page? https://gofund.me/ece5753a The vulnerable students we help to support deserve a brighter future full of choices and chances. They deserve a quality education to be the best they can be. Please help us to help them. Thank you for reading and supporting, Sarah x

clearing the ground to start making bricks

these bushes will be used to fire the kilns

making the bricks by hand and then leaving them to dry

Cooking Club

The cooking club learning to cook sweet potatoes on an eco stove

Sarah’s blog 04/07/23

Levison sent these photos of The Cooking Club. They are all age 8-10 learning how to cook sweet potatoes. These sweet potatoes are the first of the crop that was planted by the students at Bright Futures Secondary School a few months ago. These children are being supported by Jean and Loveness and look so pleased with what they have achieved.

Growing their own food, learning skills for life and having choices and chances will surely lead to a brighter future for each of these vulnerable children? They are using an eco stove to cook on….it is far safer than an open fire for cooking on, it uses less wood and retains heat for longer. Welding Engineers had kindly supplied funds for several of these to be made. Thank you for reading, Sarah x

Joanne’s walk for a classroom for Bright Futures Secondary School

Joanne is taking on another challenge on behalf of the vulnerable young people we help to support http://www.changinglivesmalawi.com

Sarah’s blog 30/06/23

In November 2020 my sister, Joanne, was waiting for surgery for breast cancer. She used that time to do a walking challenge to raise money towards the shower block that was being built.

Now, as she’s waiting for reconstructive surgery and needs to lower her BMI slightly, she has said she’s going to challenge herself again. I have no doubt that she will reach her target of 200km in July. As well as being one of the bravest people I know, she is also one of the strongest.

So she has set up a fundraising page to raise money towards a new classroom for Bright Futures Secondary School. Please support her in her challenge as it will mean a great deal to her, to us and, of course, the children who need a new classroom for term starting in September. Joanne’s fundraiser is https://gofund.me/91721cad .

If anyone else wants to set themselves a challenge to fundraise for our charity we would be so grateful and would promote it on social media for you. contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com

Good luck, Joanne and thank you…we know you can do it! Thank you all for reading and your support, Sarah x

Bright Futures Secondary School – phase 2

Joanne one one of her walks in November 2020

Thank you Strathendrick RFC & Scottish Rugby Union

Thanks to Strathendrick RFC and Scottish Rugby for supporting grassroots rugby in rural northern Malawi.

Sarah’s blog 29/6/23

As well as Scottish Rugby having given us pre-loved rugby kit to send to the vulnerable young people we help to support, Scottish Rugby have given us 6 new shirts for fundraising.

We have teamed up with our fantastic local rugby club, Strathendrick RFC, who have a big rugby family. They have kindly offered to help raise the profile of the projects we support and, in particular, the two week rugby event in September that hundreds of young people will be able to take part in and learn to play rugby. Our fundraiser for that event is here https://gofund.me/46e63377 Proceeds made from the shirts will be split between our rugby event and Strathendrick RFC. Thank you everyone who is supporting us to help change the lives of some of the most vulnerable children in Malawi, giving them choices and chances and a much brighter future. Here is what they have said on their facebook page:

“We are proud to be supporting Changing Lives Malawi as we provide an exciting opportunity to enhance their ongoing valuable work.
Www.changinglivesmalawi.com is a small charity, based in Balfron, run by volunteers who are passionate about changing the lives of the most vulnerable in rural Northern Malawi.
They support several projects including a feeding programme, a nursery & are currently fundraising to build classrooms 3 & 4 of Bright Futures Secondary School. The children are also provided rugby opportunities thanks to the donations of kit, equipment and coaching.
To help raise much needed funds, the SRU have provided 2022/23 playing jerseys for us to raffle off. To be in with the chance of winning a jersey (sizes M, L, XL, 2XL) complete the Google form. £5 a number. We will draw the winners on Wednesday 5 July
To support further work in the area, on behalf of hundreds of vulnerable children, we would be very grateful https://gofund.me/46e63377
Google Form Entry Form
https://forms.gle/5EChanging Lives Malawi (google.com) “

May be an image of ‎text that says '‎SCOTLAND @ SCOTLAND macron mI-ER 1 ک= Peter Vardy‎'‎

Changing Lives Malawi (google.com)

Global Goals for Sustainable Development

please consider helping us to reach our goals

Sarah’s blog 26/6/23

All of the projects that we help to support in rural northern Malawi have these end goals in mind. It is good to remind ourselves of these goals and regularly reflect on progress and next steps to achieving these goals.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future. At its heart are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are an urgent call for action by all countries – developed and developing – in a global partnership. They recognize that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests. THE 17 GOALS | Sustainable Development (un.org)

We are working hard to help feed hundreds of orphans and other vulnerable children, yet we cannot do it alone. We can only afford to run the feeding programme once a week….can you help us feed them more often to ensure that there is zero hunger? Currently, all children are malnourished and many have stunted growth. If you can spare £5 or £10 each month to help feed vulnerable children then please email us contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com

Crops are being planted, supplementing the feeding programme but it’s not enough. Fruit tree saplings have been planted for future food and to provide a sustainable future for people and planet…. but we need to plant more. Four fruit tree saplings cost £10…will you help? contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com

Bright Futures Secondary School is providing free education for those who need it. Secondary education is normally fee paying in Malawi so, without support, none of these young people would have the chance of a secondary education.

Because of the difficulties the students have faced, the poverty and lack of food, we don’t expect all of them to be able to pass their exams. However, just by being in school they will be more literate, numerate and have more opportunities than if they left school at the end of primary school. There will be less teenage pregnancies if young people are in school and less child marriages. Students at Bright Futures Secondary School receive a free lunch each day as well as uniform and school supplies.

Classrooms 1 and 2 were completed in November 2022. Now we are fundraising for classrooms 3 and 4. There will be a new intake of students in September so we certainly need one classroom, more latrines and more staff accommodation. Can you support quality education for some of the most vulnerable students in rural northern Malawi please? We would be so grateful for your help in giving these students a brighter future at Bright Futures Secondary School https://gofund.me/ece5753a

These vulnerable students deserve our help to have choices and chances to achieve for themselves and their community. Thanks for reading and supporting us, Sarah x

https://changinglivesmalawi.com/2023/04/27/bright-futures-secondary-school-phase-2/ https://changinglivesmalawi.com/2023/06/14/how-far-should-you-walk-for-lunch/

Win a Painting! Let’s build a school!

For just £5 you can be in with a chance of winning this beautiful original painting by artist Christine Cresswell of ‘The Beach at Arisaig’ http://www.changinglivesmalawi.com

Sarah’s blog 23/06/23

We are raising funds to build classroom 3 at Bright Futures Secondary School by September for the next intake of students. The link to our fundraiser is https://gofund.me/ece5753a

One of our trustees (and my mum) Christine Cresswell is a talented artist who uses her skills to help raise money for the benefit of the orphans in Malawi. She has gifted this beautiful original painting of ‘The Beach at Arisaig’ to auction to raise funds towards the new classroom at Bright Futures Secondary School. The painting is 10″ x 12″ and is in a white frame making the dimensions 12″ x 14″.

If you’d like to be the proud owner of this stunning original painting then for just £5 you can be in with a chance to win. We are limiting it to 40 entries, so you have a 1 in 40 chance of winning! The bank details are: Bank of Scotland, Changing Lives Malawi, Sort Code 80-22-60, Account Number 21081462 . Put your name as the reference please. We will put numbers against all the names and use a random generator to choose the winning number.

Thanks for supporting us to build a school for the most vulnerable young people in rural northern Malawi. They deserve an education and to have chances and choices. Thanks, Sarah x

https://changinglivesmalawi.com/2023/06/22/lets-build-a-school-3/

‘The Beach at Arisaig’ by Christine Cresswell Artist

Let’s build a school!

Sarah’s blog 22/06/22

The brick making is due to start for the next phase of Bright Futures Secondary School. There will be a team of 15; four will ferry the water, five will be digging and six will be making bricks. They will be making 60,000 bricks. Once the bricks are made they are left to dry and once dry they are stacked to make a kiln. Fires are lit under the kiln and, after firing, the bricks take two weeks to cool down. So this is a huge undertaking…we’d love your support https://gofund.me/ece5753a

At least one new classroom is needed for the new intake of students at the start of September. One classroom is costing approximately £10,000. We also need to build some extra accommodation for teachers and a new latrine block. We need your help please. We don’t yet have all the money we need for a third classroom. Will you help us please? Can you make a financial donation to our fundraiser? Or could you do a sponsored event or organise your own fundraiser eg a bake sale or an afternoon tea for your friends? here is the link for our fundraiser and we will be very grateful for any assistance you can provide https://gofund.me/ece5753a or email for our bank details contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com thanks for reading & supporting the vulnerable young people, Sarah x

https://changinglivesmalawi.com/2023/04/27/bright-futures-secondary-school-phase-2/https://changinglivesmalawi.com/2023/01/21/phase-2-0f-bright-futures-secondary-school-classrooms-3-4/

students at Bright Futures Secondary School doing exams

the signwriter putting the finishing touches on phase 1 of Bright Futures Secondary School

More Football Kit

Thank you for the donation of football kit

Sarah’s blog 22/06/23

We had been offered football strips by a club in northern England who had unfortunately had to close. The next problem was how to get the kit to us in central Scotland. Various conversations happened and arrangements were made. A man travelling north for work kindly agreed to bring the kit to meet us at the motorway services at Stirling. Another volunteer who works a few minutes from there agreed to collect the kit and bring it to us. We are so grateful for the kit and the help received.

Thanks to the kindness and thoughtfulness of several people, the kit will be on it’s way to Malawi on the next container. Levison will be able to share it with local clubs as well as keeping some for the young people whom The Foundation supports.

To those involved with Wearhead United FC, we are sorry that your club has closed. Thank you though for passing on all these kits to us to help support grassroots football in rural northern Malawi. We will get photos of the new recipients who will be delighted to receive these kits. Thanks for reading, Sarah x

Behind the Scenes

Just some of what’s happening behind the scenes at http://www.changinglivesmalawi.com

How far should you walk for lunch?

These children are desperate for help. How can they thrive without food?

Sarah’s blog 14/6/23

How far do you think is an acceptable distance for a child to walk to get some food? How far would you let your child or grandchild walk to have a meal? What if you had absolutely nothing to feed your family?

We help to support a feeding programme that runs once a week. We wish we could afford for it to operate more often. 500 orphans and vulnerable children are fed a substantial and nutritious meal each weekend at the feeding programme. This is their biggest meal of the week. Some days these children do not eat at home and are left to fend for themselves, to forage for food or beg for scraps. All of these children are malnourished. THERE ARE NO CHARITIES FEEDING CHILDREN IN SCHOOLS IN THIS AREA OF RURAL NORTHERN MALAWI. We need your help. We cannot do this alone. It is too big a job for us to ensure that 500 children have enough food every day of the week.

Crops are being planted to supplement the feeding programme. Vegetables that the children have helped to grow are being served at the feeding programme. Fruit tree saplings have been planted for future food and for future income as the surplus fruit can be sold at market.

The sweet potato crop is doing well and will be ready in another 6 weeks. But how many sweet potatoes will a field produce? How long will this crop last divided by 500 children and young people? A few days maybe…..

We need people to partner with us. We need people to invest in the future of these very vulnerable children who don’t eat every day. To start a pig project at Bright Futures Secondary School, as part of their agricultural classes, to breed pigs to sell (and also pass on to the community) will only take £300 to set up. This will bring in money to help pay for school lunches for the students at Bright Futures Secondary School, helping them become more self-sufficient and giving the students skills for life.

They need to plant more fruit tree saplings in the orchard. Each sapling costs approximately £2.50. Banana tubers cost approximately £2 each. We could pay for these project start ups but we cannot continue paying to feed the children at the feeding programme each week AND invest in these projects….unfortunately it is either one or the other and we are not going to stop the feeding programme as it is the only one proper meal that these children receive each week. How can these vulnerable children and young people be expected to thrive on one decent meal a week? It is heart-breaking. They deserve far more and they deserve our help and support. Please help us? contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com

I have said several times that some children walk up to 20km for this one proper meal of the week at the feeding programme. I can’t comprehend what that must be like. Energy levels must be at a minimum already as the children haven’t eaten, then to have to walk up to 20km for a meal and 20km home again…they must be absolutely exhausted and any calories they have from their lunch will be used up on the long walk home. Can you help us help them please?

Levison sent me photos of 6 children who each walked approximately 18km to be fed on Sunday….so a total of 36km for their one proper meal of the week. Levison wanted me to show you these children. They, and others like them, are really struggling and we cannot expect them to thrive unless we give them a helping hand. Will you help us help them? Tasiyana, Praise, Atusaye, Kalebu, Esther and Nema all are hungry and malnourished.

All of them would benefit from having a sponsor. It costs £25 per month to sponsor a child and they will receive clothes, extra food and welfare visits. Two friends could share the cost of sponsoring a child. Or you could commit £5 or £10 per month to help support the feeding programme and help us to make it more sustainable by being able to plant more crops and fruit tree saplings. What will you do to help today? contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com

Thank you for reading and for your support, Sarah x

https://changinglivesmalawi.com/2023/06/12/the-sweet-potato-crop/ https://changinglivesmalawi.com/2023/06/11/activities-for-the-kids/

Praise looks so tired and is suffering from malnutrition

Atusaya is wearing one of the navy cord pinafores donated by Sinclair House Prepatory School in London

you can see by Esther’s tummy that she is malnourished

The Sweet Potato Crop

The sweet potato crop is growing well.

Sarah’s blog 12/06/23

Food is scarce and more expensive. The maize crop hasn’t done well because at the Foundation they couldn’t afford to buy fertilizer. The Foundation is feeding 500+ vulnerable children once a week but obviously this isn’t enough. All are hungry. All are malnourished. No big charities are feeding children in primary schools in the far north of Malawi.

A donation bought sweet potato vines which students at Bright Futures Secondary School helped to plant at the start of April. Levison has sent me photos today and the crop is looking very healthy. The sweet potatoes will be ready at the end of July and will be used to feed the children. The fact that there are so many hungry children, even if this is a great harvest, it won’t last long.

We must find more people who are willing to make a monthly donation to support the feeding programme so that these vulnerable children can keep being fed. Ideally, we would like to feed them more often and we would also like to supply every family with sweet potato vines and other vegetables so that they can grow their own crops. Please email me if you would like to make a regular donation to the feeding programme or if you would like to contribute to buying sweet potato vines that can be shared with vulnerable families to help them become more self sufficient. contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Subscribe to continue reading

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this: