bright futures secondary school Archives

Easter Study School

The first day of Easter Study School – some of the students are enjoying a break to have their lunch and chat with their friends.

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Sarah’s blog 02/04/24

Schools in Malawi have two weeks of Easter holidays like they do here in Scotland. However, as some of the teachers at Bright Futures Secondary School were staying on campus rather than travelling home for the holidays, they were happy to run a holiday study school for four days this week and four days next week.

We enabled this to happen last year too and it was a great success and we provided a cooked lunch for the students and teachers from p8 at Chambo primary too. Primary 8 students have national exams to take on leaving primary school. If they don’t pass then they don’t get chance to go to secondary school. Even if they do pass, unless they have a sponsor to pay for their secondary education then they still don’t get to have a secondary education. Sponsoring a young person only costs £25 per month and they get a cooked lunch each day at school, uniform and the stationery they need. If you could make a difference to a young person and become a sponsor then please email contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com

S2 students also have national exams and this study school will really help them. S3 students asked if they could take part too. So a full timetable has been worked out to accommodate S2 and S3 students to ensure they make best use of time and teachers available. We are really grateful to the teachers for their enthusiasm and hard work and dedication to the young people.

There are no big charities feeding children in primary schools in the far north. Most are malnourished and all are hungry. Most don’t get a proper meal each day. So we are ensuring all the Chambo p8 students (approx 70 of them) and the Bright Futures Secondary School students all get a cooked school lunch each lunchtime during these two weeks. All students and BFSS get a cooked school lunch every day. How can we expect young people to study when they are hungry, tired and unable to concentrate?

So, as you can see from these photos, some of the students were happily chatting with their friends at lunchtime and enjoying their lunch. It’s small things like this that make a big difference to them. Whilst BFSS students all have the exercise books and stationery they need, the last time we gave the students at Chambo Primary exercise books and pencils was in January….they need more otherwise they are just listening to their teachers and not able to write anything down.

Can you help us provide lunch, exercise books and pencils for 70 students in p8 at Chambo Primary please? contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com Thanks for reading and supporting us to support the students, Sarah x

Firewalk Fundraiser – Mr Blair & Mr Braid, Balfron High School

Have a look at these great photos and videos of two teachers at Balfron High School who completed a firewalk to raise much needed funds.

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Sarah’s blog 28/3/24

Our four firewalkers were fantastic! Thank you so much if you have already donated…if you haven’t please can you fire in a few £££ as it all makes a big difference and will show how much we value our four amazing volunteers who really challenged themselves.

I shared Joanne and Alison’s firewalk photos and videos earlier in the week. Their fundraising link is https://gofund.me/c127c5e9 They are raising funds for textbooks and a staffroom at Bright Futures Secondary School in Malawi.

The teachers wanted to share their photos and videos with students at Balfron High School before putting them on social media. That happened yesterday and they made approximately £130 in donations yesterday lunchtime. Thanks to everyone who gave some money to watch the videos at school! Their fundraising link is https://gofund.me/9430b2af . The teachers are donating half of their funds to Changing Lives Malawi and half is going to next year’s volunteering school trip to Zanzibar. So here are some photos and videos of Alistair Blair & David Braid from Sunday’s firewalk.

Thank you again to Allander Rotary for organising the firewalk and to Milngavie Guides for hosting the event. It was a brilliant evening. To see Joanne and Alison’s photos and videos again here is their link Joanne & Alison’s Fantastic Firewalk

Thank you everyone and please do put a few £££ in the pot if you haven’t already done so, Sarah x

A great photo of David Braid (left) and Alistair Blair, teachers at Balfron High, big smiles after their firewalk challenge

Joanne & Alison’s Fantastic Firewalk

https://gofund.me/c127c5e9 to show your support for Joanne & Alison, two of our fantastic firewalkers http://www.changinglivesmalawi.com

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Sarah’s blog 25/03/24

What an amazing evening it was last night for our four firewalkers taking part in the charity firewalk event in Milngavie, organised by Allander Rotary Club.

We are going to share Joanne and Alison’s photos and videos first of all. David Braid and Alistair Blair, who are teachers at Balfron High School, want to do a presentation to students at school on Wednesday. We have said we will share their photos and videos after Wednesday. So here goes for Joanne & Alison – thankfully their feet have survived ok…Joanne got a blister and they both had very dirty feet that needed a good wash before bedtime!

Joanne Byrne is my younger (and much braver than me) sister. She owns Killearn Driving School. Joanne has had a rough few years as she was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a mastectomy, several other operations due to infections and is now waiting for reconstructive surgery. She is such an amazingly strong person and I am so proud that she challenged herself to do this firewalk. She was amazing! It’s not the first time she has raised money for Changing Lives Malawi so we are very grateful.

Alison Rennie is Joanne’s best friend and such a lovely person. She is a friend to everyone and always has a big smile. She has issues with her joints and can be very tired due to having lupus. Despite this, Alison was up for a challenge and did brilliantly last night. She had a minor mishap prior to the firewalk….she nearly got stuck in the toilet! She assured us she wasn’t trying to get out of the firewalk but was genuinely worried she would miss it! Thankfully, she made it out on time!

Thank you to everyone who has donated already. If you haven’t then we would be very grateful if you could give a few £££. Their link is https://gofund.me/c127c5e9 Enjoy the photos and videos!

All money will be going towards building a staffroom at Bright Futures Secondary School and buying textbooks. Currently, the teachers are using classroom 4 as their staffroom. However, in September, there will be another intake of students and all four classrooms will be in use for teaching. Also more teachers will need to be employed by September so a staffroom is a necessity for them. As there is no S4 yet, we have no textbooks for next year’s S4 students yet, so this is another essential resource we are fundraising for.

Many thanks to Allander Rotary for organising the event and to Milngavie Guides for hosting. Thank you again to all our supporters and to Joanne & Alison and David & Alistair for being such good sports and taking part to help give vulnerable students a brighter future in rural northern Malawi. Thanks, Sarah x

NB Apologies for the poor quality of some of the photos – smoke from the fire was to blame rather than my bad photography lol.

Alison, Alistair, David and Joanne…. our four fantastic firewalkers!

https://videopress.com/v/0XY2EF68?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&preloadContent=metadata&useAverageColor=true

Brilliant! Well done Alison!

Brilliant Joanne! The smile says it all!

CLM t-shirts for the firewalkers

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Sarah’s blog 22/03/24

It’s getting very exciting now! Only two days to go until our four fearless firewalkers get to do their fundraising firewalk on Sunday evening.

If anyone wanted to attend in person, it’s at 7pm at the Guide Hall in Milngavie on Sunday Evening. But don’t worry if you can’t…there will be photos and videos that we will share!

T-shirts with the Changing Lives Malawi logo have arrived and we are looking forward to Sunday evening. Thanks to Allander Rotary Club for organising this event and being so supportive of our charity.

My sister, Joanne Byrne (Killearn Driving School) , and her friend, Alison Rennie, are fundraising for Bright Futures Secondary School to have a staffroom and new textbooks. Their fundraising link is https://gofund.me/c127c5e9

Mr Blair and Mr Braid, teachers from Balfron High School, are giving half of their money to Changing Lives Malawi towards the staffroom and new textbooks, and half of their money raised is going towards next year’s school trip to Zanzibar where 20 students will be doing voluntary work within local communities. To donate to them it’s https://gofund.me/9430b2af

Thank you to everyone who has donated so far….we really appreciate all the help we receive whilst we try to support vulnerable children and young people to be the best they can be and have opportunities they wouldn’t usually have had. Thank you, Sarah x

Our Firewalkers are in the news again!

link to previous article about the firewalk

Mr Braid & Mr Blair, teachers at Balfron High School

BFSS Essay Competition S3 – March

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Sarah’s blog 13/3/24

Please could you help us this month? If you’d like to, you could get in touch to say which essay you like best this month. We will decide the winner on Monday 18th March so please do get in touch before then with your favourite and why you like it. contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com or you can contact us via social media.

As you can read from the students’ essays, there have been challenges this term. One of the challenges being the rainy season and rivers being too big and fast to cross so students cannot come to school if it isn’t safe to cross the rivers. Hopefully, we will be able to build bridges to make it safe for all children, young people and adults in the community. Another challenge remains the distance that some of the young people have to walk to school. They are tired and have hardly any time to study.

One thing that has also been an upheaval for the students is that three of their teachers left. The government created many new teaching jobs and three of our teachers were successful in getting new positions. We wish them well and thank them for their hard work.

Thankfully, there were many applicants for the advertisements that Levison placed and three new teachers have started and are settling in nicely. It sounds, from the students’ essays that they are happy with their new teachers and are enjoying their learning experience at Bright Futures Secondary School.

We are hoping that the new teachers will take on responsibility for essay competitions with the other year groups at Bright Futures Secondary School so we hear and see more from the S1 and S2 students. Enjoy reading the essays and let us know which is your favourite. Thanks, Sarah x

International Women’s Day

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Sarah’s blog 8/3/24

The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day is ‘Invest In Women: Accelerate Progress’.

‘There is no limit to what we, as women, can accomplish.’
Michelle Obama

Thanks to our wonderful supporters, Changing Lives Malawi is making a difference to hundreds of orphans and other young people each day.

Because we believe in equality and inclusion, girls and women have needed more help and support due to the dire poverty they live in. The women and girls are strong; grandmothers caring for grandchildren, widows bringing up six children alone, mother’s caring for disabled children whilst being judged by society as it must be their fault that their child is disabled. When things are so bad, these brave women, who have been strong for so long, need a helping hand to get back on their feet. We try to get their children matched with sponsors so that their is some food going into that home to supplement the meagre amount they have.

The end goal is that all families will have enough to eat, all children will be thriving and in education and the community will be self-sufficient through employment and sustainable projects.

One of the first things that happened is that we sent hand turn sewing machines and fabric to Malawi. A group of girls were shown how to make reusable sanitary towels for all who needed them. This is an ongoing project. Hundreds of girls have and will continue to attend school ALL MONTH the same as the boys. Previously they had to stay at home for one week each month so missed out on a quarter of their education. So equal access to education is improving for girls.

Another way that girls are being helped is that, although illegal, some girls are still at risk of being married off too young, whilst still children, as their families cannot afford to feed them. By matching them with a sponsor, they have food coming into their home and have welfare checks and, of course, access to quality education.

All the young people are desperate for education. They know that this is their way out of poverty. We are ensuring that girls, as well as boys, who wouldn’t normally be able to go to secondary school, receive a quality secondary school education and a cooked school lunch each day. This is free of charge as we match them with sponsors whose monthly contribution of £25 helps pay for their place at Bright Futures Secondary School.

In September, there will be the next intake of S1 students to Bright Futures Secondary School from pupils who are in p8 at Chambo Primary. Very few families can afford to pay for their child’s secondary education at one of the state secondary schools, which is why it was so important that Bright Futures Secondary School was built. However, each of these young people will need to be matched with a sponsor to enable them to attend Bright Futures Secondary School.

If you would like to help a young girl, in her last year of primary school, have the opportunity to be the best she can possibly be by sponsoring her through secondary education then please do get in touch. It’s only £25 per month and the cost can also be split between two friends or a group. contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com On International Women’s Day 2024, this might be the most important thing you ever do for one of these girls.

We have good, strong role models in female teachers and staff and, of course, this offers employment and makes women independent in their own right. Also, there are wonderful women who volunteer their time to support the work in Malawi and of course here in Scotland and internationally. I personally want to thank them. I have strong women supporting me everyday and I am grateful and want them to know how much I appreciate them.

So on this International Women’s Day, will you invest in a young woman and accelerate progress? Will you stand up for girls’ education?

‘Each time a woman stands up for herself, she stands up for all women.’
Maya Angelou

Thank you for your support and hope you enjoy the photos from Bright Futures Secondary School and nursery this morning. Happy International Women’s Day, Sarah x

Miss Chisenga is the humanities teacher at Bright Futures Secondary School.

Miss Mkumbwa, Head Teacher and English Teacher.

Group discussions outside. It’s good to see some sunshine after the heavy rains.

Miss Chisenga, humanities teacher, Miss Mkumbwa, Head Teacher & English Teacher and Miss Siyame, nursery teacher. All are good role models for the vulnerable girls we help to support.

The preschoolers (4-6) enjoy coming to nursery and are fed at each session.

Introducing Our x 4 Charity Firewalkers – please show your support!

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!

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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

https://changinglivesmalawi.com/blog/

Introducing Our x 4 Charity Firewalkers – please show your support!

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!

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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!

Let me introduce our fearless firewalkers!

Team 1 – Joanne Byrne & Alison Rennie

Team 2 – Alistair Blair & David Braid

https://changinglivesmalawi.com/blog/

Int. Day of Women & Girls in Science

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Sarah’s blog 11/2/24

On 11th February, it is a day to celebrate the contribution women have made to science and also to celebrate the fact that girls have far more opportunities now to study and have science related careers than previously. I’d like to take this opportunity to talk about girls’ education in Malawi and what we are trying to do to support them to succeed. Education is the way out of poverty and brings choices and chances that they wouldn’t otherwise have had. So before we even address what they are learning in school, here are some of the challenges they face;

Reusable Sanitary Towels – did you know that girls weren’t welcome at school whilst they were menstruating? They used to have to stay at home for one week every month. How is that fair? Just because they are female they miss out on a quarter of their education. We sent hand turn sewing machines and a group of girls have been learning how to use these. They have been making reusable sanitary towels for all who need them. No longer do teenage girls have to miss school because of their periods.
Extreme Poverty – there is so much food insecurity in the rural far north, most children and young people are suffering from malnutrition. Many do not eat a proper meal every day. There are no big charities feeding children in schools that far north. We can only afford to feed 500 a proper meal once a week and some are walking 15km – 20km each day to receive this. It’s not enough but all we can do whilst we try to work with the community towards self-sufficiency and sustainability. contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com if you’d like to help.
Child Marriage – did you know that many families think they have no choice but to give away their daughter/niece/grandaughter to be married at a young age if it will be one less mouth to feed? Many of the young people we help to support are orphans living with extended family or they are in an extremely poor one parent family. By sponsoring a girl, you will have ensured that this does not happen to her. She will be safe from being married as a teenager or even younger. Many of these child brides die in childbirth. Could you sponsor a girl please? It might be the most important thing anyone ever does for her. It’s less than £1 per day.
Risk of Attack – Girls try to stay in groups when they are walking long distances to and from school for their safety. It is a real risk that they might be attacked and raped. Many of the students are older than they should be as they have missed a great deal of school to be working for a pittance. Groups of girls can be seen walking to the maize mill a few kilometres away – not with their own maize, but they are earning a few coins by carrying someone else’s maize to be milled. It’s a long, hard journey with hazards, which is why they walk in groups for protection. No water to drink and no food to eat and missing education.
No Money for School Fees – secondary education must be paid for in Malawi. None of the young people we support could afford to attend secondary school. Our supporters helped fund the building of Bright Futures Secondary School which is for these vulnerable teenagers who wouldn’t otherwise have had a secondary education. However, Bright Futures Secondary School is only half full at the moment…we need more sponsors to match with more teenagers to give them the chance of a brighter future. Could you sponsor a teenager today please? It’s only £25 per month and you could always split that cost with a friend! Sponsor money covers the young people having a nutritious cooked lunch each day….their only proper meal each day.
Long Walk to School – Whilst we have built Bright Futures Secondary School, there is no funding yet for dormitories. Girls (and boys) are having to walk a long way to school and home again. Some are walking for a couple of hours each way. As mentioned, safety is always a worry but also the four hours spent walking to and from school could be spent studying and either doing chores or relaxing. These young people are exhausted. Life is not easy. In the rainy season, the shallow rivers flood and it isn’t safe for some of the students to cross the rivers. Bridges are another thing on our list of jobs needing to be done when the money is available.
Education – so once all these challenges have been faced, education at Bright Futures Secondary School provides equal opportunities for girls as well as boys. They all do all subjects including sport, agriculture and, of course, science. There are only three years of students currently as Bright Futures Secondary School was only built recently. In September 2024, there will be four years of students and more teachers will need to be employed. The school is now a registered exam centre. Students take national exams in p8, S2 and S4. Last year, the school made national news in Malawi as there was 100% pass rate in these national exams! A great achievement for these young people who have had every challenge and obstacle thrown at them.
Photos – I hope you enjoy the photos of girls (and boys) enjoying science at Bright Futures Secondary School and also the other photos showing just how challenging life is for these young people. If you have it in your heart to help a young person, please do get in touch and you will be making a huge difference in their life. Together we can lift these children and young people out of extreme poverty and give them opportunities for a brighter future. Thank you, Sarah x contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com

We were really worried about Maria but thankfully we managed to find a sponsor for her and life is much better for her now.

A lovely smile from Maria when she collected her monthly food parcel. All sponsored students who are still at primary school get a food parcel, clothes, stationery, welfare checks etc. Young people at Bright Futures Secondary get a cooked school lunch every day, uniform, stationery and of course their education for free. Can you make a difference to a vulnerable young person please?

Granda is happy and healthier and enjoying opportunities she wouldn’t previously have had.

Monica is one of the lucky ones as we were able to match her with a sponsor to support her education.

Monica is working hard and enjoying her first year at Bright Futures Secondary School thanks to her sponsor. There are many other girls in their last year of primary school who will need a sponsor in order to continue their education to secondary school. Can you help?

Maria (right) in a science lesson at Bright Futures Secondary School

Girls (nearest) have the same opportunities as boys at Bright Futures Secondary School

BFSS – S1 & S2 Students

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Sarah’s blog 08/02/24

Photos have been taken of the S1 and S2 students at Bright Futures Secondary School. However, there are some students who are struggling to attend just now.

It’s currently the rainy season and when it rains it really rains. Streams or small rivers that the students cross to get to school are swollen and too dangerous to cross. Some of the young people (as in the recent S3 essays) walk for a couple of hours to get to school and some up to 20km. They are that desperate for an education. They are desperate to climb out of the extreme poverty they live in. If you don’t see your sponsored young person then they must be one of the ones who lives a bit further away and we will try to get a photo of them soon. Getting funding to build bridges is on our list of things to do…but, unfortunately, we can’t do it all at once.

There are some students in these photos (names in black writing) who do not yet have sponsors. All of the students have missed out on education to work for a pittance to try to get some food for themselves and their families. The older they are the worse their home situation is. Bright Futures Secondary School is their last hope for a better and brighter future. They really need someone to sponsor their education. Please could you help? It’s only £25 per month to sponsor a young person…that’s less than £1 per day. Will you help? contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com Thank you for the continued support we receive to help these vulnerable teenagers. Sarah x

BFSS Essay Competition S3 – January

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Sarah’s blog 1/2/24

The S3 class at Bright Futures Secondary School were asked to write about ‘my journey to school’ and the content of some of these essays was really difficult to read.

Some students are walking a huge distance to get to Bright Futures Secondary School, others cannot get to school when it has been raining as it isn’t safe to cross the swollen rivers. Risk of girls being attacked and also being bitten by snakes are some of the difficulties these young people face. Even having no raincoat to wear is just something we cannot comprehend when it is the rainy season. Yet they are desperate for a good education. They are desperate to have the chance to have a better life.

Obviously the answer to a lot of the issues that have been mentioned is to build dormitories at Bright Futures Secondary School. These are already on the list for future projects as we knew about the difficulties the young people were facing. However, reading their essays makes their struggles more real. How we wish we had the money to build dormitories immediately, but we have to be realistic. Unfortunately, we cannot do everything at once. Things are improving for these young people but it makes me sad that they still have huge challenges and struggles. Nothing is straightforward or easy for them. Dormitories will be built but not this year (unless someone wins the lottery or has a magic wand!!).

Mathius Nyondo was the winner of January’s essay competition. I hope you enjoy reading his, and the other S3 students’ essays. Thanks, Sarah x

Fundraising Firewalk!

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Sarah’s blog 31/01/24

Introducing our first team of Firewalkers!

Joanne Byrne, my sister (on right of photo) and her best friend, Alison Rennie, decided in a moment of madness that they were up for the challenge of firewalking!! Thank you so much to both of them for being brilliant sports.

Alison Rennie (left) and Joanne Byrne are our first team of firewalkers!

Allander Rotary Club in Milngavie is hosting this Firewalk event on Sunday 24th March. Alison and Joanne will be doing the firewalk on behalf of Changing Lives Malawi. We are raising money for a teachers’ staffroom at Bright Futures Secondary School – teachers are currently using classroom four as we only have students in years 1-3. However, in September, with the next intake of students, all four classrooms will be needed. More teachers will be employed, hence the need for a dedicated staffroom. We are also needing S4 textbooks as we don’t have any of these yet.

So here is the link to Joanne and Alison’s fundraiser. We will be sharing more information about them and our goals over the next few weeks. https://gofund.me/c127c5e9

We are very fortunate to have two teams of firewalkers…the second team will be introduced next week.

We know we ask a lot of our supporters and we are extremely grateful for all the help we get…it is a real team effort and we appreciate each and every one of you. However, if you can share posts so we can reach a wider audience that would be really helpful and if you are able to make a donation to support the girls, that would be amazing. Thanks everyone, Sarah x

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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!

Let me introduce our fearless firewalkers!

Team 1 – Joanne Byrne & Alison Rennie

Team 2 – Alistair Blair & David Braid

Share this:

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!

Let me introduce our fearless firewalkers!

Team 1 – Joanne Byrne & Alison Rennie

Team 2 – Alistair Blair & David Braid

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