Tag: christmas gifts

Lots of News

Sarah’s blog 27/10/22

Sorry that this is going to be a bit disjointed tonight but there are so many things going on at the moment and I thought it would be good to have an update.

  1. I went to Strathblane Church on Saturday for their Charity Christmas Card sale. It was lovely to see some people that I hadn’t seen for ages! I sold some calendars and lots of my mum’s lovely cards which have been made from her beautiful paintings. I also sold some alternative gifts with our new gift cards; a football and some fruit tree saplings. Altogether the charity made £258 which was fantastic.
  2. I’d recently been to visit the Ranger Guides in Strathblane to talk about the projects in Malawi. They are holding a bake sale this Sunday and have very kindly said they will donate some of their proceeds to Changing Lives Malawi.
  3. I’m taking part in the church service this Sunday at Balfron Church and will be showing photos and talking about Malawi. If you are local, then you are very welcome to come. It starts at 11.15am and there’s tea and coffee afterwards.
  4. In November, I have been invited to show photos at a knitting & sewing group in Torrance. They very kindly made lots of lovely baby things that are on the way to Malawi in the container. I am looking forward to meeting them.
  5. In Ibuluma, phase 1 of Bright Futures Secondary School is almost finished. It’s so exciting to see it all coming together. The floor is drying in the classrooms, the windows are getting finished tomorrow, the doors and roof are on and chalkboards will be made over the weekend. The teachers’ accommodation is finished, and teachers are being interviewed! Bright Futures Secondary School is really happening and will make a difference to so many vulnerable children’s lives. Thank you to all who have supported us to help the children. We still need more funds to buy more textbooks and have more desks made by the local carpenter so, if you can, please donate here https://gofund.me/44a92444
  6. I appealed for some support for the children whose dad had sadly died at the weekend. Two people have generously committed to a monthly amount to help buy food for them. We would like to have a little bit more support for them so if anyone else could spare £5 or £10 per month then please do let me know contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com
  7. We will hopefully have an update on our kilometre challenge tomorrow…please let me know if you have some more kilometres to add to our total.
  8. If you’d like to buy any calendars for yourself and for Christmas gifts, they are only £10 each plus p&p. Packs of 8 cards (blank inside) are £5 each plus p&p. Alternative gifts are; 4 fruit tree saplings £10, a football £10, supporting the literacy project to send a box of books £20, soap for 100 children £50. These can be bought in any multiples and posted out to yourself or the recipient.

Thanks for reading and supporting and I’ll be back tomorrow with more photos and updates, Sarah x

Sit back & relax & shop with us

Sarah’s blog 11/12/21

We never have as much time as we think we do at this time of year, there’s always an extra couple of gifts that we hadn’t thought of, or what do you buy for the person who has everything? Do you really want to sit and write 50 Christmas cards?

Relax. Here’s how we can help.

https://www.dontsendmeacard.com/ecards/charities/changing-lives-malawi

By following that link, you will see the great selection of e-cards that have been uploaded. So you simply pick your card design and the amount you wish to pay and put in the recipient’s details and it will email a card to them from you. There is also the option of sending the same card to lots of people, saving you so much time and effort and, of course, people know you are supporting the orphans and vulnerable children in Northern Malawi with any purchase.

All of our e-gifts are available by following that link too. So you could buy a child a wind-up torch so they can see to do their homework for £5, or buy a blanket for a vulnerable child for £5, a football for £10, soap for 100 children for £50, a meal for 500 children for £100 and as many fruit tree saplings as you want starting at £10 for 4. All the quantities can be altered to suit your gift needs, but every single purchase is going to make a meaningful difference to the hundreds of orphans and vulnerable children we support in rural northern Malawi.

If you aren’t very computer literate….that’s ok. Let us know what you’d like and we will help you tick off your list! Together we can change lives. contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com . Thanks for reading, Sarah x

Meaningful Cards & Gifts

Sarah’s blog 9/12/21

Whether you’ve got gifts to post, cards to send, something to buy for the person who has everything… then stop relax… we can help you and you can help us… hassle free.

https://www.dontsendmeacard.com/ecards/charities/changing-lives-malawi

That’s the link where you can find e-cards and e-gifts to purchase. Christmas cards and for other occasions. Also you can send one card to multiple people, saving time and effort. Meaningful gifts. Gifts that are going to change lives. A blanket for a vulnerable child, a football to help children take their mind off their problems whilst they play, soap, fruit tree saplings… we have lots of gifts to choose from. It would mean so much if you could support us to support the hundreds of orphans and other vulnerable children in Northern Malawi. Whether you want to spend £5 or £50 you will be helping us http://www.changinglivesmalawi.com thank you for reading and please ask if you would like any help selecting cards and gifts. Gifts can also be printed out and posted in a lovely card on your behalf. Sarah x

The Second Sunday in Advent

Sarah’s blog 5/12/21

The second Sunday in advent is traditionally about peace and waiting. I have had no choice this week. I wasn’t going to write this but I think it’s important and I would be very grateful if you would be patient with me whilst I write this.

I have been in a very large hospital since Tuesday morning. On Tuesday afternoon I had some of my right kidney removed using robotic assistance. If this operation had taken place at my usual hospital, they would have removed my whole kidney. So I am thankful for the opportunities I have had. Everyone has been so lovely and kind and I have felt precious and cared for.

I am very conscious of the differences between my opportunities here and the lack of health care opportunities in Malawi, something we need to try to work on next year.

I feel I am being ‘asked’ to write this and believe me I am double and triple checking things as I am on a lot of medication for pain relief and my concentration isn’t good. At least I’ve kept my eyes open! My care,post op, has not gone to plan. My oxygen levels have been extremely low and, I spent two days in high dependency. Yesterday was my first day since Tuesday with no additional oxygen…again the comparison isn’t lost on me that Malawi doesn’t have enough oxygen in hospitals.

So without you having to know all my aches and pains, I am here to wait and recover. To recover from the big operation I have had but also the stress of 2021 which has been huge.

Every day has been a worry about where money will come from to feed children, to sponsor them, to provide for them. I have been volunteering 7 days a week. I can’t continue at that rate. It’s not going to do me any good, therefore the charity any good, if I don’t start putting myself first. I don’t know what the new working hours will look like but, for now, I will wait with peace and listen. Of course, I couldn’t have worked so hard without my husband who is my biggest supporter.

All of this would have been hard enough but there have been people on social media trying to destroy our charity. People who have never met me. People who are happy to side with others without knowing facts or thinking about the consequences of their actions. I cannot apply for grants for our charity at the moment because the awful things that have been written. People might not like me or like what I say (and that’s ok) but every decision I make is to benefit those hundreds of orphans and vulnerable children to make lives better for them.

Of course, I should have been at home this last week sharing posts; getting children sponsored, selling paintings for Christmas or lovely cards; sharing the links for e-cards and e-gifts and generally working as hard as I can for every £1 to help make a difference in Northern Malawi. Hopefully, people do find the items via our website and please share posts if you can. Hoping I will be home in a few days although this week away, courtesy of the NHS, has been amazing. I couldn’t have asked for better care.

So instead of being busy selling, I’ll wait patiently for what’s going to happen next. It might be that you decide you want to help, it might be a magazine wants to write about our work… who knows? But I do know that 2022 is going to be a better year and we hope that you will continue to journey with us http://www.changinglivesmalawi.com thanks for reading, Sarah x

My room with a view of the helipad

Merry Christmas Everyone

Sarah’s blog 25/11/21

Happy Thanksgiving to our friends who are celebrating today and it’s now only a month until Christmas Day. I just wanted to show you a selection of the lovely e-cards and gifts DontSendMeACard.com to save you buying cards for Christmas, or any occasion, and to buy meaningful gifts that will make a huge difference to the most vulnerable people we support in rural northern Malawi.

Also, one of our trustees, Christine Cresswell, has original paintings and cards available for purchase with ALL proceeds going to our charity. Perfect and unique Christmas gifts. https://www.facebook.com/christineartformalawi/

If you need any help or advice with cards or gifts then please get in touch contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com . Thanks for reading and happy shopping knowing that you are Changing Lives (in) Malawi. Sarah x

E-cards & E-gifts helping the children in Northern Malawi

Sarah’s blog 10/11/21

Just wanted to share the link to our e-cards & e-gifts. You can do your Christmas shopping and send your Christmas cards without leaving your sofa…and all for a great cause. Click on the link and have a look. Thanks, Sarah x

https://www.dontsendmeacard.com/ecards/charities/changing-lives-malawi

Feel Good Charity Christmas Gifts

Sarah’s blog 23/10/21

Do you have a long list of people to buy Christmas gifts for? Do you wonder what you are going to buy for the man who has everything? Do you need to post gifts? Do you need extra gifts for teachers or Secret Santa’s? Do you wish there wasn’t so much unnecessary plastic and wrapping on Christmas gifts? Do you want to avoid crowds when Christmas shopping? Do you wish Christmas wasn’t quite so commercialised? help! I need a last minute gift!! Does this sound familiar?

We have the perfect feel good alternative Christmas Gifts. Our small charity is run by volunteers and has no admin fees so ALL your money is going to the project you choose to support with your gift. Your gift goes to support some of the most vulnerable children in Malawi. Also the gifts don’t have to just be for Christmas, they can be personalised, the amounts can be changed or if you have an idea of something else you’d like to support then send us a message. We can email your alternative gift for you to print off or forward to the recipient, or we can print it off and put it inside a nice card, add a message from you and pop it in the post. You decide who your gift is for, which project to support, how much you want to spend and we can ensure your Christmas shopping is hassle free. Have a look at the gifts below and keep the children in Malawi in mind when buying your Christmas gifts. contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com thanks for reading, Sarah x

A football or netball is £10, A blanket is £5, Blankets for 5 children is £25, Transport for a box of books £15, A nutritious meal for 500 children £100, Soap for 100 children £50, Tools for a family £20, A windup torch £5, 4 fruit tree saplings £10.

How to order:

Step 1: Choose the gift(s) you would like to give

Step 2: Choose whether you would like it emailed, posted to you or posted to the recipient

Step 3: Contact us via facebook messenger, the ‘contact us’ form on the website or by emailing contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com

Step 4: You can pay by cheque, via stripe on the website or via bank transfer (cheque or bank transfer is preferable as full amount goes to the charity)

Step 5: We will then despatch your request and send your gift to Malawi

Step 6: Tick off your list of gifts to purchase, sit with your feet up and a festive drink having avoided a trip to the shops! Merry Christmas!

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