Thank you to Allander Rotary & Rotary International
Sarah’s blog 4/6/25
This blog is a big THANK YOU for the support we have received from Allander Rotary Club over the past couple of years. They have helped raise awareness of our charity as well as raising money for us and sponsoring a young person’s education.
Using some of the Sustainable Development Goals that we are working towards, they also applied for a grant from Rotary International on our behalf for which we are very grateful. This helped buy tree saplings and tools and also a solar pump is about to be purchased which will be a big help with watering the crops.
Thank you Rotarians for all the work you do in the background. It’s quite apt that it is volunteers week this week as you all give so much of your time! There are some lovely photos with signs that some of the students at Bright Futures Secondary School had made to say ‘thank you’. Enjoy the photos, Sarah x
Brighton in the brown shirt is one of our sponsored young people. Here he is with his friends eating some of the ripe guavas from trees that were part of the first lot of saplings.A lovely big smile from Brighton (brown shirt). Life has improved for him since being matched with a sponsor. Please do get in touch if you would like to sponsor a young person living in extreme poverty. The boys will enjoy these guavas.one of the guava trees that was in the first lot of saplings planted a few years agoLook how the banana plants are growing!
Extreme Poverty…what does it actually mean? What does it look like for the children we are helping to support and how we are changing lives with the help of our supporters.
Sarah’s blog 13/12/24
I had been asked to talk to Eyemouth & District Rotary Club and Allander Rotary Club about our projects and about how Allander Rotary Club have been supporting us for the last 18 months. So last night, over Zoom, thankfully all the technical things worked and I shared about the difficulties and successes in helping to support the orphans and their families/care givers in rural northern Malawi.
I keep using the phrase ‘Extreme Poverty’ but what does this mean? And what does it look like? During my talk I explained some of the information below;
Extreme poverty is the most severe type of poverty, defined by the United Nations as “a condition characterised by severe deprivation of basic human needs, including food, safe drinking water, sanitation facilities, health, shelter, education and information. It depends not only on income but also on access to services.”
Extreme poverty – what does that look like for the children and young people we are helping to support?
Extreme poverty means children not eating every day.
Extreme poverty means children not having proper clothes or shoes to wear.
Extreme poverty means not having toilet facilities at their homes and having to relieve themselves in the bushes with no dignity, at risk of attack and no sanitation. No water and soap to wash their hands.
Extreme poverty means no clean drinking water at their homes.
It means that children are sleeping fully clothed, cuddled together on the floor of their hut trying to keep warm at night as the temperatures drop because they don’t have blankets or mattresses.
Extreme poverty means living in a small mud hut with a leaking roof, no windows and an ill-fitting door. There will be bugs living in the grass roof.
Extreme poverty means they can’t sleep properly because they are hungry and malnourished, and they wake up exhausted.
Extreme poverty means that some girls, as young as 10 or 11 are at risk of being married off as it is one less mouth for the family to try to feed.
Extreme poverty means missing big chunks of school to try to earn a pittance to help your family. This happens to a lot of older siblings who miss school to work so their younger siblings can attend school.
Extreme poverty means that girls, if they have no sanitary protection, miss one week of schooling each month.
Extreme poverty means that children and their families cannot afford to buy malaria tablets if they get ill.
Extreme poverty means that even though a child passes their primary school leavers exams. If they cannot afford to pay the fees for secondary school, that is their education finished.
Extreme poverty means that families cannot afford to buy notebooks, pencils and uniform for their children’s education.
The older students are, the poorer their families are as they’ve missed so much schooling. There are students at Bright Futures Secondary School who are age 20 now as they are desperate for education.
Extreme poverty means that children regularly walk, with a bag of maize on their head, to the nearest maize mill approximately 15km away. They walk in groups to help stay safe from being attacked. They walk all day with no food or drink then walk back again. The maize isn’t even their own…it belongs to someone else who is giving them a few coins for their effort.
These are just some of the examples of what life is like for the hundreds of children and young people whom we help to support. HOWEVER, they now have HOPE. Things are getting better and they do have a brighter future.
I’m sharing last year’s Advent Calendar again as it has some great examples of how, with the help of our supporters, we are Changing Lives (in) Malawi. Thank you so much for reading and for supporting the children we are helping. We couldn’t do what we do without your help. Teamwork always. Sarah x
The Rotary Club of Allander, which is in Milngavie north of Glasgow, have been supporting us for over a year now in a variety of ways. They’ve introduced us to new people, supported us to raise awareness and some funds at Bearsden & Milngavie Highland Games and they’ve had a variety of fundraisers during the year and Changing Lives Malawi is one of their chosen beneficiaries.
At the end of last week, we received a generous donation of £1,410 from them. This is from all the fundraising they have been doing. We are really grateful to the Rotarians and to everyone who contributed. The money will be put towards income generating projects…we will do a separate post when planning is well underway for these.
Also, we are delighted that the Allander Rotarians have decided to support a young person’s education at Bright Futures Secondary School. Sabina, has passed her primary school leavers exams but, without help, wouldn’t be able to attend secondary school. In Malawi, it is only primary school that is free.
As well as not having to pay anything for her education at Bright Futures Secondary School, Sabina will have school uniform, stationery and free, nutritious school lunches. This is one of the big expenses – feeding all the students each day – but it is vital as, for most, it is their only meal of the day and it saves their families having to feed them. It is £25 per month to sponsor a young person so please do get in touch if you would like to help. contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com
Thanks again to the Rotarians at The Rotary Club of Allander…we are very grateful to you and delighted to be working with you to make a difference, Sarah x
What a great day we’ve had at Bearsden & Milngavie Highland Games. Thank you so much to Allander Rotary Club for inviting us and supporting us.
Sarah’s blog 8/6/24
What a great day we’ve had at Bearsden & Milngavie Highland Games. Many thanks to Allander Rotary for inviting us and for supporting Changing Lives Malawi. There were a few heavy showers but most of the day was bright sunshine and there were plenty of people about.
Allander Rotary had an old fashioned game – rolling 10p to try and get it onto a square – with all the proceeds for our charity. The children were really enjoying that and queuing up for a go. We had packs of cards for sale that lots of people were admiring and buying and we handed out lots of leaflets and stickers.
Here are some of the photos from today and, no doubt, there will be a few more to add.
We are so grateful to Allander Rotary members for inviting us along and supporting us. It was a great opportunity to meet more people. Thank you also to Jackie for all her hard work and for her endless enthusiasm. Hope you enjoy the photos, Sarah x
Teamwork! Sarah & JackieSetting up for the Bearsden & Milngavie Highland GamesAllander Rotary organised this fun fair game which was very popularIan, Stuart and Jackie with the games mascot!Ian and Jackie with Provost Gillian Renwick
Our charity and our brave firewalkers have made the local and national news!!
Sarah’s blog 4/3/24
Well, last week the story of our four amazing firewalkers appeared in our local paper, The Stirling Observer. This week it is in the national paper – The Daily Record. Thank you to both of these newspapers for running this story and raising awareness of our charity and the firewalking event organised by Allander Rotary. The firewalk is taking place in Milngavie on 24th March.
We are raising funds for a staffroom at Bright Futures Secondary School and to buy more textbooks. All of the money that my sister Joanne and her best friend Alison raise will go to our charity. Their link to donate is https://gofund.me/c127c5e9
Also, we have Mr Braid and Mr Blair, teachers from our local school – Balfron High School. Their fundraising is half for our charity and half for next year’s school trip volunteering in Zanzibar. Their fundraising link is https://gofund.me/9430b2af
Please show your support for these four brave volunteers as they raise much needed funds. Thank you for your support, Sarah x
David Braid and Alistair Blair
Alison Rennie and Joanne Byrne
Allander Rotary Club are organising this firewalk on 24th March in Milngavie
Introducing our four amazing firewalkers; Alistair Blair and David Braid – teachers at Balfron High School and Joanne Byrne and Alison Rennie. Good luck and thank you!
Sarah’s blog 27/02/24
Have you ever fancied walking across hot coals? Not me….I’m not brave enough for that! Luckily we have four (willing) volunteers who are going to do just that!
Allander Rotary Club are organising a Firewalk on Sunday 24th March in Milngavie and Changing Lives Malawi is one of their three chosen charities. We are very fortunate to have their support and it’s much appreciated.
Let me introduce our fearless firewalkers!
Team 1 – Joanne Byrne & Alison Rennie
Joanne Byrne (right) is my sister and has raised funds for us before for the shower block and a latrine block. Alison Rennie is Joanne’s best friend and didn’t even hesitate when she was asked if she wanted to take part in this challenge!
All of the money raised by Joanne & Alison will be going towards building a staffroom at Bright Futures Secondary School and buying more textbooks for the next intake of students. https://gofund.me/c127c5e9
Team 2 – Alistair Blair & David Braid
DHT Mr Braid (left) and Mr Blair (English Dept)
Mr Blair is a teacher in the English Department at Balfron High School and Mr Braid is one of the Deputy Head Teachers at BHS. We are delighted that they have agreed to do this challenge and we are very grateful for their support.
You can read more about Mr Blair and Mr Braid’s fundraising by clicking on their Go Fund Me link, but half the money they raise will come to Changing Lives Malawi towards the new staffroom and purchasing more textbooks for Bright Futures Secondary School. https://gofund.me/9430b2af
The other half of the money that the teachers will raise is going to the Zanzibar School Trip in 2025. Twenty current S4 students at Balfron High School will be going to work with three local communities supported by Mr Blair and Miss Vickers.
There will be more posts and more information but, as this event is only just over a month away, please donate, please share, please tell your friends and with teamwork we can make a difference to young people who are living in extreme poverty. Education is the way out of poverty and by donating a few £££ these children and young people will have choices, chances and opportunities that they wouldn’t previously have had. There are more photos and information on each team’s Go Fund Me link.
Thank you Joanne, Alison, Alistair and David for agreeing to this challenge and thank you to you all in advance for donating and sharing. You can keep up to date with progress by signing up for my blogs on our website or following us on social media. Thanks, Sarah x
Introducing our four amazing firewalkers; Alistair Blair and David Braid – teachers at Balfron High School and Joanne Byrne and Alison Rennie. Good luck and thank you!
Sarah’s blog 19/02/24
Have you ever fancied walking across hot coals? Not me….I’m not brave enough for that! Luckily we have four (willing) volunteers who are going to do just that!
Allander Rotary Club are organising a Firewalk on Sunday 24th March in Milngavie and Changing Lives Malawi is one of their three chosen charities. We are very fortunate to have their support and it’s much appreciated.
Let me introduce our fearless firewalkers!
Team 1 – Joanne Byrne & Alison Rennie
Joanne Byrne (right) is my sister and has raised funds for us before for the shower block and a latrine block. Alison Rennie is Joanne’s best friend and didn’t even hesitate when she was asked if she wanted to take part in this challenge!
All of the money raised by Joanne & Alison will be going towards building a staffroom at Bright Futures Secondary School and buying more textbooks for the next intake of students. https://gofund.me/c127c5e9
Team 2 – Alistair Blair & David Braid
DHT Mr Braid (left) and Mr Blair (English Dept)
Mr Blair is a teacher in the English Department at Balfron High School and Mr Braid is one of the Deputy Head Teachers at BHS. We are delighted that they have agreed to do this challenge and we are very grateful for their support.
You can read more about Mr Blair and Mr Braid’s fundraising by clicking on their Go Fund Me link, but half the money they raise will come to Changing Lives Malawi towards the new staffroom and purchasing more textbooks for Bright Futures Secondary School. https://gofund.me/9430b2af
The other half of the money that the teachers will raise is going to the Zanzibar School Trip in 2025. Twenty current S4 students at Balfron High School will be going to work with three local communities supported by Mr Blair and Miss Vickers.
There will be more posts and more information but, as this event is only just over a month away, please donate, please share, please tell your friends and with teamwork we can make a difference to young people who are living in extreme poverty. Education is the way out of poverty and by donating a few £££ these children and young people will have choices, chances and opportunities that they wouldn’t previously have had. There are more photos and information on each team’s Go Fund Me link.
Thank you Joanne, Alison, Alistair and David for agreeing to this challenge and thank you to you all in advance for donating and sharing. You can keep up to date with progress by signing up for my blogs on our website or following us on social media. Thanks, Sarah x
Thanks to Allander Rotary Club for their generous donation
Sarah’s blog 30/07/23
I was invited to speak at a meeting of The Allander Rotary Club last month and the response to the photos and videos I showed was really positive. They were really interested in the progress that is being made in Malawi through the various projects we help to support.
One way that they have been able to help us is by donating a laptop and three ipads, all of which are nearly new. These were delivered yesterday along with some football kit.
We are extremely grateful for this support and the laptop and ipads will be used to support learning at Bright Futures Secondary School.
Our fundraiser for phase 2 of Bright Futures Secondary School is https://gofund.me/ece5753a and if you can spare a few £££ towards the next classroom and toilet block to ensure the next intake of vulnerable students have a classroom we would be very appreciative. Thanks for supporting us, Sarah x
Some orphans learning how to use the computers in Emma’s Rainbow Library at The Foundation. The laptop and three ipads will be great additional resources.
