Tag: charity

From here to Malawi – The challenge is complete!

The challenge is complete! Yay!

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Sarah’s blog 21/04/23

Well it has taken longer than we originally planned….but the small, dedicated team has done it! What an amazing and fantastic group of dedicated supporters!

We planned, in order to raise money for Bright Futures Secondary School, to run, walk, swim, scoot, cycle and sail to add together kilometres to cover the distance that the boxes travel between here and Malawi. It was a bigger challenge than we anticipated, for a small team, and the container covered the distance way before we reached our target, but the challenge is now complete!! Well done team!! We never give up!

As of yesterday, the total kilometres travelled was 13,161.195km! That was 17.195km more than was actually needed.

As you know, Phase 1 of Bright Futures Secondary School was built and opened in November 2022. This comprised of staff accommodation and two classrooms to add to the other buildings that we had previously fundraised for which included the library, shower block and clean water supply.

Now fundraising is well underway for phase 2 of Bright Futures Secondary School. We need at least one more classroom to be in place for the new term starting in September 2023. We also need some more staff accommodation and a dormitory block for the most vulnerable girls to be able to stay on campus. This will enable them to be safe rather than risking being attacked on the long walk to and from school. These are big plans but education is the way out of poverty for these very vulnerable children and young people, many of whom are orphans.

The photos below are just some of the lovely people who helped us achieve our goal. Thank you to everyone who took part. You are all brilliant and we couldn’t do what we do without you. If you would like to contribute towards phase 2 of Bright Futures Secondary School then you can either email me for bank details contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com or donate at https://gofund.me/ece5753a Thanks so much for supporting, helping, donating, volunteering, sponsoring….whatever you do to help us….thank you from the bottom of our hearts, Sarah x

Previous stories…. More Kilometres! – Changing Lives Malawi Keep collecting Kilometres! – Changing Lives Malawi

Phase 2 0f Bright Futures Secondary School – classrooms 3 & 4 – Changing Lives Malawi

Traci on top of the world!
Brilliant effort Traci!
One boy, his scooter & his dog
Team Mottram reached the top of Ben Nevis on a rainy day
Team Mackay, wearing their team t-shirts in Lanzarote
The kids in Malawi were keen to join in and added some kilometres by running
Team Mackay in the news!
Team Mackay climbed Scafell Pike on a very hot day

Appeal for help to feed 500 vulnerable, malnourished children

We need your help. We need 100 people to commit £5 per month to provide more food for the 500 malnourished children we help to support.

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Sarah’s blog 12/4/23

I’m very grateful to have had the help of a student to make a short video about the Feeding Programme. As prices have risen, and maize has become more scarce due to the rainy season and supplies being rerouted to the cyclone victims in the south of Malawi, we are appealing for help.

As a small charity, run by a group of volunteers, passionate about making a difference, every penny you donate goes to the projects we support. So if you want to help the 500 vulnerable, malnourished children and young people who attend the Feeding Programme each weekend, you can be sure that all your money will go towards feeding them.

Most of these 500 children and young people are orphans. All are malnourished. None are being fed in primary schools. All don’t eat at home every day. Some walk up to 20km to attend the weekly Feeding Programme. Can you help us to provide more food please? Can you help us to run the Feeding Programme two or three times a week instead of just once?

We need 100 people to donate £1 per week (£5 per month) or £10 per month to make this happen. Can you spare the price of a meal deal, a takeaway coffee or a bottle of wine? These children and young people are never going to reach their potential without our help. Please will you help us help them? Or could you donate £100 to sponsor a Feeding Programme day? We can give a shout out to your business if you could help us with this. Please help?

contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com to send me a message or you can text FEEDING to donate £5 or an amount of your choice. Or you can commit a monthly amount to our charity bank account. Sort code 80-22-60, Account Number 21605268.

Enjoy watching the video and I look forward to hearing from you if you would like to help some of the most vulnerable young people in rural Northern Malawi. Thanks, Sarah x

Support us with your leftover currency

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Sarah’s blog 3/3/23

Exciting news – We’ve partnered with a company called Leftover Currency. You can send coins and notes to them and ask them to donate the amount to our charity, helping us to continue supporting the hundreds of vulnerable children in northern Malawi.

Here is the link Leftover Currency – Donations to Changing Lives Malawi so have a little read and keep us in mind after you’ve been on your holidays or if you’ve found some foreign coins or notes in a drawer.

It’s just one of the many ways that you can help us and we will be very grateful for any funding that comes our way via Leftover Currency. Thanks for your support, Sarah x

100 People x £1 per week

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Sarah’s blog 19/2/23

It’s just a quick post today. I am concerned about the children we are helping to support in rural Northern Malawi. There are over 500 orphans and other vulnerable children who come to be fed once a week… that’s all we can afford.

There are no big charities feeding children in schools in that area. All children are hungry, malnourished and don’t eat properly every day…some don’t eat every day.

We need your help to continue feeding these children as food prices have gone up and so many young people need our help.

If you can spare £1 per week… please, please will you help us? 100 people, each giving just £1 per week will ensure that the feeding programme can run twice a week instead of just once. We can make a difference to these hungry children.

Please will you commit to helping us help these very vulnerable young people? If we all give just £1 per week it WILL make a difference. All the money goes to our projects – there are no salaries or admin costs with our charity… every penny will go to feeding these malnourished children.

Email contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com if you would like to change a life with just £1 per week. As a team, we can change lives in Malawi. Thank you, Sarah x

17th Feb 2023- Acts of Kindness

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Sarah’s blog 17/2/23

We should be kind to each other every day, not just on one date because someone has decided that 17th February should be Random Acts of Kindness Day. However, if I have got your attention for a couple of minutes and you have decided to read this, then please do consider our charity for an act of kindness. Here are some of the ways you could help:

  1. can you spare just £1 per week to help feed vulnerable and malnourished orphans in rural northern Malawi? We have over 500 children of all ages who do not eat properly every day. Some walk 20km to get their one substantial and nutritious meal of the week at The Feeding Programme, which is only able to run once a week. There are no charities feeding children in any of the primary schools in that area. If 100 people each commit to £1 per week then we will be able to feed 500+ children twice a week instead of just once. £1 per week… it’s not much….could you help feed a hungry, vulnerable child?
  2. £25 per month will sponsor a vulnerable child giving them more food and education and the chance of a brighter future.
  3. phase 1 of Bright Futures Secondary School opened in November. We are now fundraising for phase 2. We need two more classrooms and more latrines. Can you please make a donation to our fundraiser https://gofund.me/ece5753a
  4. or can you commit to £1 per week to help us provide a free breakfast and lunch at Bright Futures Secondary School? These teenagers do not eat at home and they cannot concentrate in they are hungry.

Your act of kindness WILL make a difference today. WILL you help us? £1 per week is all we are asking… Please commit to £1 per week as your act of kindness today. contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com If every person who read this blog committed to £1 per week then we would be able to feed more children more often. WILL YOU COMMIT £1 PER WEEK TO FEED A HUNGRY CHILD? TOGETHER WE CAN. contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com thanks for reading and helping us so support some of the most vulnerable children in Malawi, Sarah x

Look at the difference that having a sponsor has made for Maria
Please could you commit to sharing £1 per week with these vulnerable children?
Students at Bright Futures Secondary School are learning to grow their own vegetables

Reasons to celebrate

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Sarah’s blog 27/12/22

Hope everyone had a lovely Christmas. I just wanted to post a few videos celebrating how wonderful we think the children in Ibuluma are. There are hundreds of them who are malnourished and have suffered varying amounts of trauma but, despite all that they are doing well. They now know that people care about them.

If you have helped us then we thank you. Here are ways you can support us to continue Changing Lives Malawi.

1. Donate to help us build phase 2 of Bright Futures Secondary School (classrooms 3 & 4) https://GoFund.me/44a92444

2. commit a monthly amount of £5 or £10 to support one of our feeding programmes; the nursery, secondary or weekly feeding programme for 500 children.

3. Sponsor a vulnerable child or young person for £25 per month which supports their education and provides a monthly food parcel. contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com

Thanks for reading and hope you enjoy the videos. I’d be grateful if you could share with others as we try to grow our audience. Thanks, Sarah x

Rugby coaching
no guitar? no problem! let’s make one!
An update from Catherine
Getting used to the new computers in the library. Children are wearing clothes from Strathblane Primary and Riverside Primary Schools in the Stirling area of Scotland.
Food, fun and dancing at the Christmas Party
Chancy thanking his sponsors and telling them he passed his exams
one of the football matches…everyone loves team sports
Trying out the new clippers we sent
Let’s dance!
Laston, one of the sponsored children, asking for a new school. He is doing well now after missing a great deal of school to help a farmer look after his cows for the equivalent of £1.50 per month.

Giving Tuesday – 29th November

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Sarah’s blog 29/11/22

A huge THANK YOU to everyone who helps us to support the hundreds of orphans and vulnerable children in rural northern Malawi.

As today is Giving Tuesday, please could we ask that you donate to our charity if you are able?

These are our current priorities, and any donation of any amount WILL make a difference.

  1. To provide a Christmas Lunch for all the children at the feeding programme so they have an extra meal and party – £150
  2. To provide a bar of soap for all the children at Christmas (we have already sent enough pencils for a pencil each) – £200
  3. Bright Futures Secondary School – to provide more desks -£500
  4. Bright Futures Secondary School – to provide more textbooks – £2,000
  5. Bright Futures Secondary School – to provide science equipment – £500
  6. Bright Futures Secondary School – free school lunches – to provide a one-off donation or regular monthly amount towards school lunches – approx £400 per month. Any amount will make a difference to these vulnerable teenagers.

Whatever you are able to give will be very much appreciated. The hundreds of orphans and vulnerable children who we help to support need to know that people care about them. We want for them the same chances, choices and opportunities as our own children have. We want them to succeed and be the best they can be. Will you help us? Together we can make a difference. Together we can help these children out of poverty and onto a brighter future. What can you do today? email contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com for bank details.

To donate to our school fundraiser the link is here https://gofund.me/44a92444

Here is a link to our fundraising gifts, cards & calendars Christmas Cards & Gifts – Changing Lives Malawi

The photos below are from last year’s Christmas Party. A donation from Strathblane Guild paid for the food and Julian from Wear a Sports Shirt Day sent the Christmas hats. Can you help us provide a Christmas Party this year? Or make a donation towards Bright Futures Secondary School? Thank you in advance for your support. Hundreds of children will know that people care about them. Thank you for helping us continue Changing Lives in Malawi, Sarah x

Christmas Gifts That Keep on Giving

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Sarah’s blog 12/11/22

I never like to think about Christmas shopping until after Halloween is over. Then we have November and December birthdays in our family…so Christmas shopping has to be squeezed in between all the birthday celebrations!

If you are struggling to find time for shopping, or you have gifts to buy for the person who has everything, or you would just like to have an alternative feel good gift that is going to be much better than a pair of socks then we can help you. If you want to help the planet as well as orphans and other very vulnerable children, then please do have a look at our Christmas fundraising gifts and get in touch to purchase. contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com

We have 2023 full colour fundraising calendars at £10 each plus £2 p&p. I can post to you or post directly to the recipient on your behalf. We also have alternative gift cards to send as Christmas gifts. £10 will buy a football for the children we help to support. £10 will buy 4 fruit tree saplings providing future food and a source of income. £20 will pay for a box of books to go to Malawi for our School Literacy Project and £40 will buy soap for 100 orphans and vulnerable children. I can send these to you or directly to the recipient.

One of our trustees, Christine Cresswell, has donated her beautiful paintings to raise funds for Malawi and also, we are selling her range of cards. All money is going to our projects. We have no admin fees or salaries as we are a small group of volunteers passionate about changing the lives of the most vulnerable in rural northern Malawi.

We are grateful for all the support we have received so far and would love it if you could consider our charity, and the projects we support, in your Christmas shopping list. contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com Thanks for reading and supporting, Sarah x

One of the packs of cards from original paintings by Christine Cresswell one of our trustees. 8 blank cards £5 plus £2 p&p
2023 fundraising calendar £10 plus £2 p&p
Moored at Sunset 10″x 12″ framed original by Christine Cresswell £75 plus £5 p&p
Three Boats 10″x 12″ framed original by Christine Cresswell £75 plus £5 p&p
The Black Mount, Rannoch Moor, 10″x 12″ framed original by Christine Cresswell £75 plus £5 p&p
Arisaig Beach 10″x 12″ framed original by Christine Cresswell £75 plus £5 p&p
Low Tide 10″x 12″ framed original by Christine Cresswell £75 plus £5 p&p
Meaningful Alternative Gift Card… Football £10, 4 Fruit Tree Saplings £10, Box of Books for Literacy Project £20, Soap for 100 vulnerable children £40.
Meaningful Alternative Gift Card… Football £10, 4 Fruit Tree Saplings £10, Box of Books for Literacy Project £20, Soap for 100 vulnerable children £40. Any of these can be bought in multiple quantities. Thank you.

More Building updates

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Sarah’s blog 17/10/22

Things are progressing well with both the staff accommodation and the first phase of Bright Futures Secondary School.

The staff accommodation has been having windows put in during yesterday and today and will need painting and doors fixing. Apart from a bit of tidying up outside, that will be it ready!

The builders have finished their work on phase 1 of Bright Futures Secondary School and the carpenters are working on the roof. There are still some jobs to do after that but it’s exciting to see it taking shape! It won’t be long until the first students arrive.

A teachers latrine block is also being constructed and, when finances allow, we will be building another girls and another boys latrine blocks.

The children still need your support. As yet we still need to find money for windows in the school block, doors, chalkboards, desks, more textbooks and notebooks.

Can you help us help the children please? We are nearly there but need your support to give the gift of education to some of the most vulnerable teenagers in rural Northern Malawi. They wouldn’t normally be able to afford secondary school without help. At Bright Futures Secondary School, none of these vulnerable children will have to pay anything.

Here is the link to our fundraiser and we would be so grateful if you could spare a few £££ for the children. Https://GoFund.me/44a92444 Let’s give the gift of education! Thanks for reading and supporting, Sarah x

At sunset – the wooden roof supports on the first phase of Bright Futures Secondary School. Please help us complete this phase https://GoFund.me/44a92444 Let’s build a school!

The roof is going on the first phase of the school… two classrooms are being built in this phase
The carpenters have been working hard today please help to get it finished https://gofund.me/44a92444
The staff accommodation is almost complete. Female teachers will be offered accommodation due to the remote location. Eventually there will be male staff accommodation too.
Bright Futures Secondary School is taking shape… thank you to all who have donated so far
Putting the windows into the staff accommodation block
Female teachers will be offered accommodation
The staff accommodation is almost ready

Football Tournament

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Sarah’s blog 22/9/22

This is only a short post…it’s been a hugely busy week in Malawi (and also here).

The young people are on holiday from school and Levison and team thought a football tournament between local teams would be a good idea. So that is what has been happening today and will conclude tomorrow.

Unfortunately, Levison has been busy with other things today so there is just one short video clip of a match, however I have been promised more photos tomorrow!

This is going to be an annual event and we decided that it would be nice to name it after someone who has been very good to The Foundation. Julian Chenery, whose charity is Wear a Sports Shirt Day, works tirelessly every weekend (and sometimes midweek too) going to football clubs, schools, other sports clubs etc to collect preloved sports kit that can be reused by those who need it. He supports lots of organisations. Julian has supplied the Foundation with football kit, hockey kit, tracksuits, Christmas jumpers and Santa hats over the few years we have known him.

So, this is another opportunity to say thank you to Julian for supporting us and The Foundation. More photos and videos from ‘Wear a Sports Shirt Day Football Tournament’ will follow. Sarah x

Thoughts & thanks from Levison

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Sarah’s blog 18/08/22

I sometimes think I don’t get across the sheer scale of the difficulties faced by the people that Levison and his team are trying to help in the rural far north of Malawi. When he first wanted to improve the lives of the most vulnerable, he was just thinking about those in his village. However, from reading what he has written below, you can see that people are coming every day begging for help, and walking huge distances to get to The Foundation because they have heard that they won’t be turned away. People do not have food to feed themselves or their families.

In addition to the 500+ children who are fed once a week at The Feeding Programme, the 75 preschool children who are fed three times a week in The Nursery, as well as all the other projects and wonderful things that are happening, there are so many others needing our help. These people are feeling forgotten. There are no other charities or big agencies feeding children in that area. It is a huge responsibility for The Foundation and a huge responsibility for us. That is why we rely on your help. That is why we need you as part of our team.

When you give us preloved clothes and shoes, blankets and soap…you will understand the importance of these when you read Levison’s words. It’s also important that we continue to have the funds to send this aid to the most vulnerable people in rural Northern Malawi. So, if you can, please when you donate clothes, shoes, or anything else to us, could you include some money to cover the cost of sending boxes to The Foundation. Or raise some funds for us to continue this important work. It’s £15 per box on the container. People need our help. We need you to be part of our team. Great things are happening but there is more to do. contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com thanks for reading, Sarah x

“Today when I was resting under a small tree to the south of the resource centre, I shed tears when I was looking at the library/shed, the shower block and other structures around. I thought much of where I am coming from in as far my charity work involvement is concerned.

Almost each and every hour we receive people from far places (some even 40km away) coming to the resource centre to ask for help. Men, women, boys and girls come to beg for food, money and clothes. These are people who really seem to be in dire poverty. We usually make sure they get relaxed, we give them food to eat. For those who may be come with some health issues like headache etc we give them painkillers like panado.

We have reserved, food, clothes, soap etc for such emergencies. When we give them the little we have, they shed tears, roll on the ground etc. These tears are tears of joy. These are the blessings we are receiving from these people. Many ask who is behind this initiative. I myself also shed tears when I hear their stories and see how thankful they are.

As a charity organisation we have contributed a lot to the community and are making a difference to the community. We have electricity, people being fed and clothed. Think of the children and women who are HIV positive, we have improved their nutrition status. On behalf of our children I would like to thank you all for your amazing love and support you are giving to us”

Levison Mlambya, 17/08/22
Some of the younger children at The Feeding Programme
Just one of the families who have been helped by The Foundation. This family’s home had been destroyed in the heavy rains. They were given this home to live in by another villager and The Foundation was able to provide food, blankets, new clothes and match two of the children with sponsors so they have two food parcels going into their home each month.
Here they are in their new, clean clothes with a big bag of maize too.
The family with some more gifts of clothes and shoes

Kilometre Challenge Update

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Sarah’s blog 4/8/22

Jackie has written an update below of how the challenge is going.

Douglas & Lynda have been walking some of the Fife Coastal path and clocked up 67.5km. They also sent some beautiful photos. Thank you to both of them for their continued support.

Stuart and I managed some r&r in the East Neuk of Fife too and have added our km although nowhere near as impressive. Thanks for reading and supporting, Sarah x

“Hello All – Well the BALFRON TO BRIGHT FUTURES SECONDARY SCHOOL CHALLENGE has just passed its first month

The various people involved (a small team of 7 so far) have clocked up 1,817.805km. In addition the kids in Malawi have run 320km to join in.

This is a total of 2,137.805km an amazing 16.26% of the way to walk/cycle/run/hop/skip/jump the 13,144km that represents the journey from Balfron to Ibuluma in Northern Malawi.

So far over £8k has been raised (a lot off line so the GoFundMe looks a bit light!) but as prices are rising fast in Malawi just like here the sooner material can be bought the better so we really need to raise lots more money sooner rather than later.

Can you help Build the Bright Futures Secondary School?
Ways to help:-

1 – Make a donation and encourage me (and the team) to keep clocking up the km’s – https://gofund.me/dd3a1be3
2 – Join in and “donate” your km’s to the total to get us to Malawi sooner – https://forms.gle/twQYfx7LRRrtvdhx9
3 – Follow the charity on FB to see how we are getting on with our challenge – https://www.facebook.com/changinglivesmalawi
4 – Share this post with anyone and everyone who might be interested in our project so we can raise awareness of the charity and its amazing projects (it does soooo much more – https://changinglivesmalawi.com/about/)

Thank you so much for reading and your support 🙂

PS – over 70,000 bricks are soon being fired to build the walls 🙂 – Jackie”

Beautiful views from the East Neuk of Fife courtesy of Douglas & Lynda

Photos I took from St Andrews and the East Neuk of Fife – one of our favourite places.

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