Tag: changing lives malawi

Vets with Horsepower Charity

Vets with Horsepower have given us an amazing opportunity and we are very excited about this partnership.

Sarah’s blog 26/5/24

We are over the moon and so grateful to be one of the chosen charities for the Vets with Horsepower trip this year. https://www.vetswithhorsepower.com/

We will be posting more about this exciting opportunity over the next few days and weeks. Please have a look at the short animation that will introduce what Vets with Horsepower is all about.

Wishing the Vets on Horsepower a safe journey and a successful trip. We will be following your progress. Thank you again, Sarah x

https://fb.watch/siVz5MLZO5 – a short animation about Vets with Horsepower

This is what they have posted on their facebook page today: Many of us live in societies in which having the latest mobile phone is considered to be an important ambition… a recent appeal by Changing Lives Malawi was either heartwarming or heartbreaking- depending on your view point. Their appeal was simply for pencils and paper for their school. That was it. Pencils and paper. Because they didn’t have enough for the students, so the students could learn.

CHANGING LIVES MALAWI is a new charity for Vets with Horsepower and we are delighted to be involved.

Changing Lives Malawi was started in 2019 to support the people who live in Ibuluma which is a village in an impoverished rural area of Northern Malawi.

The aim of the charity is to help this community improve their lives by working towards self-sufficiency mainly through education.

Initially they started with a variety of projects:-

1 – A Feeding Programme for over 500 children (they could not learn if they have nothing to eat)

2 – A Literacy Programme (they could not learn if they have nothing to read)

3 – A Preloved Uniform Programme (they would not attend school in just rags)

4 – A Period Poverty Programme (providing reusable sanitary products so girls did not miss a week of schooling each month)

5 – A Sponsored Children Programme (ensuring monthly food parcels a given to the most desperate children so they can attend school and not have to work to get food for the family)

These projects have all made a difference to the community, but it became clear that a big issue was secondary education.

In Malawi, Primary School education is paid for by the Government. However Secondary School must be paid for. Their nearest secondary school is in Chisenga 20km away. Due to lack of quality roads/public transport pupils who are successful in getting a place (there are not enough places available) need to board adding extra costs that most families cannot afford.

In the summer of 2022, 8 of the sponsored children passed their leaving certificates for Primary School but were unsuccessful in obtaining a place at Chisenga Secondary School.

They decided that to ensure that these children did not miss out on their next stage of education, a Secondary School should be build at The Foundation. It was a huge undertaking for the charity, but they understood the difference it would make to the community. It would also compliment the nursery that had already been set up and be a bonus to the local Primary School in Chambo, 1km away.

After a massive fundraising campaign on 7th November 2022, The Bright Futures Secondary School opened its door to its first pupils. The school is funded through the sponsorship of students.

For the 22/23 Academic year the school had 2 Classrooms and an S1 and S2 pupils. During this year they raised more funds to build 2 more classrooms so for the 23/24 Academic year they could have S1, S2 and S3 pupils.

At the end of S2 the pupils sit their Junior Certificate of Education. If this certificate is obtained, they can progress to S3. ALL the pupils in S2 passed their exams and were able to move up in to S3. It was a huge achievement for such a new school and a credit to the determination of the pupils and teachers.

Being such a rural location accommodation for teachers is very difficult to find.

In the first year with 2 classes, the school needed to have 5 teachers. They built accommodation for them. In the second year with 3 classes the school needed to have 7 teachers. They have built additional accommodation for the teachers.

However in the third year when the school will have 4 classes, the school needs to have a minimum of 12 teachers. They therefore need to build another accommodation block to ensure we meet the requirements of the Education Board and are able to keep providing opportunities for the pupils and the wider community.

With a sizeable proportion of the funds raised and the support from Vets with Horsepower, they will ensure that the project is completed.

Pencils and paper…..

(and this is the appeal they are talking about) https://donorsee.com/project/23503?share=1

(this is the link to their facebook post)

https://fb.watch/siVz5MLZO5 – a short animation about Vets with Horsepower

Sponsors needed for p8 students

Sponsors needed to support these vulnerable students to get to secondary school! http://www.changinglivesmalawi.com

Sarah’s blog 23/05/24

***SPONSORS NEEDED for P8 students***

Students in their final year at Chambo Primary School started their national primary school leavers exams yesterday and we wish them the very best of luck.

We are hoping, with your help, that this isn’t the end of the road for their education. Imagine passing your exams but being so poor that you couldn’t go to secondary school.

None of these young people can afford to go to secondary school, which needs to be paid for in Malawi. These 18 students are all expected to pass their exams. We now need to match these vulnerable students with sponsors to help pay for their education at Bright Futures Secondary School. It’s only £25 per month per student. This pays for their education, uniform, stationery and a cooked school lunch each day – for many this is their only proper meal of the day.

Let’s help give these young people the brighter future they want and deserve. If you would like to make a difference to a young life please get in touch. contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com

NB – the older these students are, the poorer their family is. They have missed big chunks of school to try to earn a living to by food. They have missed out so much of their childhood. Let’s give them a Brighter Future!

Myless Ng’ambi had dropped out of school due to family circumstances but they managed to get her back to school which is why she is 17 already. She (like the others) is desperate for an education. I am delighted to have matched her with a sponsor, so providing she passes her exams, she will be attending Bright Futures Secondary School in September.

Seventeen more young people are still needing your help! You can sponsor as an individual, share the cost with a friend/s or family, or a business can sponsor a young person or a school, church or club could share the costs. It might be the most important thing you ever do for one of these young people. Thank you, Sarah x contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com

Child Sponsorship/P8 Chambo Primary

Sarah’s blog 20/5/24

Morning everyone! I’d said that, as our 5th birthday is coming up at the end of May, I would be highlighting some of our projects. We have received lots of preloved books recently for our School Literacy Project which will have a big impact on literacy levels. We are collecting another big donation of books from Strathblane Primary School today and are very grateful for their support.

Most of the orphans and vulnerable children we support attend Chambo Primary School where there are over 500 children across 8 classrooms. The students in p8 are about to start their national exams on Wednesday. They cannot go to secondary school unless they pass all these exams. Even if they pass these national exams, unless they have the funds they cannot attend secondary school as only primary education in free in Malawi. None of the children we help to support can afford school fees. So should they only have access to primary education because they are living in extreme poverty?

https://donorsee.com/project/23503?share=1 This is a link to our fundraiser to supply the students with stationery at Chambo Primary School. Please click on the link to see the video. A generous donor has agreed to match what we raise up to the total of $200. Please support this project.

With a lot of help from our supporters, we built Bright Futures Secondary School for the most vulnerable students. We have generous supporters who have kindly agreed to support students through their 4 years at secondary school. It costs £25 per month and this helps pay towards their education, a cooked school lunch each day, school uniform and stationery. However, Bright Futures Secondary School has lots of space for more students.

So, highlighting our Child Sponsorship Project, we need to find more kind hearted sponsors to enable more of the young people who live in extreme poverty to go to Bright Futures Secondary School. Will you sponsor a young person? Or a group of friends could share the cost? It might be the most important thing anyone does for that vulnerable young person. contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com

Please, please help us fill Bright Futures Secondary School with sponsored students giving them opportunities for a much brighter future. Silvia, Elizabeth and John are all expected to do well in their exams…please give them a chance. Through education, these children can be the brighter future for their community. Thank you, Sarah x

Thank you to The Clive Richards Foundation

Thank you to The Clive Richards Foundation for the grant for this teachers accommodation block. We are delighted with the results.

Sarah’s blog 13/4/24

We were so grateful to receive a grant for £11,000 from The Clive Richards Foundation to build a staff accommodation block, staff latrines, boys latrines and girls latrines. We were just waiting for the signwriter to come so that the accommodation block was totally finished to show the photos. Four male teachers are living in this accommodation. The four self-contained apartments all have their own bedroom and sitting room.

It certainly hasn’t been straightforward as currency has been devalued, prices of goods keep rising and the rainy season started before the project had been completed. But despite the issues, they’ve worked hard and succeeded and now the teachers are pleased to have these lovely new rooms.

As the area is very rural and the community is living in extreme poverty, there is no suitable accommodation in the surrounding area that teachers could rent. The Clive Richards Foundation recognised that we needed quality accommodation to attract quality teachers for Bright Futures Secondary School.

Enjoy the photos and I have attached the links to previous blogs at the start of this accommodation project. To The Clive Richards Foundation for taking a chance on us and trusting us with a grant – THANK YOU. It makes a big difference when people understand our vision and come onboard with us to help us achieve for the young people we are supporting. We are so grateful for the help we receive from individuals and organisations. Many thanks again, Sarah x

Staff Accommodation
The next building at BFSS

Four Fantastic Firewalkers – let’s help them over the finish line with their fundraising!

Please help our four fantastic firewalkers over the finish line with their fundraising http://www.changinglivesmalawi.com

Sarah’s blog 10/4/24

Just a quick blog tonight as I have been busy doing a grant application. Our four firewalkers were absolutely fabulous and great sports. We are so grateful that they all stepped up to the challenge and stepped out of their comfort zone to raise much needed funds.

They’ve done brilliantly – thanks to everyone who has donated so far. However, if you’ve not donated yet, please could you? We would love both teams to get to £1,000 and they aren’t far off!

You can access photos, videos and links to their fundraisers by clicking on their stories.

Thanks again to Allander Rotary for organising this event and supporting our charity and to Milngavie Guides for hosting the event. Of course the biggest thank you goes to Joanne, Alison, Alistair and David for walking over hot coals for charity. Thanks, Sarah x

Joanne & Alison’s Fantastic Firewalk
Firewalk Fundraiser – Mr Blair & Mr Braid, Balfron High School

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.

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

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!
Great job Joanne…well done!
Brilliant Joanne! The smile says it all!

International Women’s Day

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.
Miss Siyame is the nursery teacher.
The preschoolers (4-6) enjoy coming to nursery and are fed at each session.

Int. Day of Women & Girls in Science

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;

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 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 Essay Competition S3 – January

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!

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

Progress Report

Sarah’s blog 30/01/24

We were looking at the layout of the buildings at the Foundation today and I thought it would be a good time to show you again where the community is that we support and how things have changed in a few short years.

Ibuluma Villages are near Chisenga on the banks of the Chambo River right at the top of the map of Malawi. It is a very rural area. When Levison collects boxes from the container he has to travel all the way to Ekwendeni by Mzuzu.

This was the Foundation a few short years ago
This was taken from Google today and the buildings labelled

As you can see there has been a huge amount of achievement and we thank everyone who has helped make these changes happen for this rural community living in extreme poverty. They now have hope for a brighter future.

As well as the four classrooms of Bright Futures Secondary School, there is staff accommodation (the first house is already shown on the map), the second accommodation block will be completed this week and is marked in blue at the bottom of the photo along with a new latrine for the teachers. There is a shower block at the top of the photo and a library and general purpose room in the middle. There are two chicken sheds, office blocks and a kitchen and marked are two more latrine blocks that are about to be started.

The existing latrine blocks, which were build early on, sit at the left of the photos. However, early this morning something happened.

The boys’ latrines that were built a few years ago
The boys’ latrine block this morning

As you can see, sadly, the boys’ latrine block no longer exists. Due to the very heavy rains and termite activity, the ground became unstable and subsided. Thankfully, no one was hurt. Some bricks, doors and roofing sheets have been saved for use in rebuilding and the hole was filled in as a priority to make it safe. All the more recent buildings have been treated to keep the termites away.

Sometimes it feels like two steps forward and one step back when things like this happen. The heavy rains also prevent children and young people attending school as it isn’t safe for them to cross the swollen rivers. Foot bridges are on our list of improvements which sometimes feels like it’s never ending. It will, unfortunately, be a while until we get to that stage.

Thankfully, the latrine diggers and builders are on site already and we had just enough money to be building a latrine block for teachers, a boys’ latrine and a girls’ latrine. Obviously now we will have to build an additional boys’ latrine so the younger boys and older boys have separate facilities.

Although today hasn’t been good because of the boys’ latrine block being destroyed, as the second photo reminds us that, thanks to the continued support we receive, teamwork and a lot of determination, this community is changing. We are grateful to everyone who helps us. Below is a short video of the torrential rain this morning which brings everything to a standstill. We are Changing Lives (in) Malawi. Thanks, Sarah x

This morning’s torrential rain