Some great drawings from students before they will make their beehives soon.
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Sarah’s blog 13/10/25
As you may have seen, we post some fundraising projects on DonorSee to raise our profile in USA and, hopefully, get some more donations.
One of these projects was to start a bee keeping project at Bright Futures Secondary School. As well as students gaining knowledge and skills for life, the honey can be sold as an income and to help the school towards self-sufficiency.
Thanks to generous donors, the project was funded recently. Some of the students have been looking at beekeeping books and designed their own drawings of beehives.
Another DonorSee project that was recently funded was for more agricultural tools and carpentry tools for Bright Futures Secondary School. Thanks to those donors for their support.
The money has been sent, supplies will be bought and a carpenter will help the students to make some hives. Have a look at these photos and we will share more when the students are making their beehives.
Do have a look at our DonorSee projects and share with your network and make a small donation if you can please. Many thanks for all the support with the Beehives at Bright Futures project, Sarah x
Thanks so much to All Saints CofE School, Maidenhead and to the charity Sal’s Shoes for making a difference to these vulnerable teenagers.
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Sarah’s blog 8/10/25
When I was a teenager, I always loved going to choose new stationery ready for returning to school after the summer holidays and, most years, I’d get a new school bag and unform and shoes too…although I really disliked our brown school uniform! There was no question that, although there wasn’t lots of spare money, there was always enough to buy the things that my siblings and I needed.
The students that have just started in S1 at Bright Futures Secondary School are living in extreme poverty. Their families cannot afford enough food, let alone any money to buy school uniform, shoes and stationery. So, last week, they were overwhelmed when gifts were handed out to each of them. They’ve never had presents like this, that we and our children all take for granted.
Thanks to individual supporters, we were able to send new and preloved school uniform; shirts and blouses and skirts and trousers. I got in touch with a wonderful charity called Sal’s Shoes who have helped us out once before. They kindly agreed to give us shoes for the students at Bright Futures Secondary School. We (and the students) are so grateful for this support. Thank you for the wonderful work you do at Sal’s Shoes, collecting and sorting preloved outgrown shoes and sending them on to protect vulnerable children’s feet.
Also, All Saints C of E School, Maidenhead, had contacted us to see if we could use some uniform that they no longer needed as they had changed their school badge. Of course we said yes and were delighted with everything that they sent. The S1 students were delighted to receive their new back packs which they had no idea they would be getting. Thanks so much for these! The clothes from All Saints C of E School, Maidenhead, will be distributed over the next few weeks amongst other vulnerable children.
I had bought water bottles for the new students which I filled with; toothbrush & toothpaste, small bars of soap, pens, pencils, rulers, erasers and sharpeners. Each student was also given some exercise books. They were amazed as they’ve never had a day of receiving this many gifts all at once and certainly not lovely new presents like this. These donations will really help to motivate them to work hard. You can see in one of the photos, one of the girls is overcome with tears of happiness because she didn’t expect to receive all these lovely gifts.
There are two videos in which the S1 students are thanking Sal’s Shoes for their new shoes and also thanking All Saints School for their school bags. If you have donated school uniform, shoes, pencils etc…you can see where your donations are going and how much it means to the recipients. Thank you everyone.
We try to match each of these vulnerable students with a sponsor to help support financially with their education. As well as paying the teachers, part of the sponsorship money goes towards providing a substantial free school lunch each day. For most of these students, it is their only meal of the day and their families can share the small amount of food they have with the remaining family members. Many of these students are orphans, living with extended family. Many in the community have been affected by AIDS and HIV.
We still need to match the following students with sponsors; Veronica, Susan, Nellie, John, Wakisa, Lindwell, Schollastica, Robert, Brian, Lumbiro, Esther, Tusalifye and Ethel. That’s 13 vulnerable young people who need your help. There is an old saying ‘It takes a village to raise a child’…..can we be part of the ‘village’ for these teenagers who really need our support? It’s only £25 per month to sponsor a young person. You can sponsor as an individual, share the cost with a friend or sponsor a young person through your club or business. Get in touch to make a difference and give a student a brighter future contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com Enjoy the photos and videos and I look forward to receiving your email if you’d like to give the gift of education to one of these students. Thank you, Sarah x
Students thanking the charity Sal’s Shoes for their new shoes
The S1 students are thanking All Saints School, Maidenhead, for their new school bags
Please support the education of one of these students. All are living in extreme poverty and all want a brighter future through secondary education.
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Sarah’s blog 21/9/25
Levison and some of the teachers met with students today who want a place at Bright Futures Secondary School when the new term starts again tomorrow. Each young person has been interviewed to ensure that they are serious about their education and will work hard.
These are the young people who need a sponsor to help support their education. Everything is free at Bright Futures Secondary School for these students who are all living in extreme poverty, many of them are orphans living with extended family. As well as free education, these students will receive a free school lunch each day. This is, for most, their only food each day so it is vital that they receive a nutritious meal each lunchtime. The small amount of food in their homes can then be shared amongst the rest of the family.
Students also receive school uniform, underwear and shoes. They have school bags and water bottles and the stationery they need. Each student receives soap, toothbrush & toothpaste and a solar lamp to use at home as it gets dark year round at 6pm in Malawi.
Will you sponsor one of these young people please? Will you give them a brighter future with choices and chances that they wouldn’t otherwise have had? Will you help change the life of a teenager through education? It is only £25 per month to sponsor a young person. You can do this as an individual, a family, friends sharing the cost, a club or a business. Anyone can be a sponsor. Will you help? It might be the most important gift anyone can give to one of these teenagers. Which young person would you like to give the gift of education to today? contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com
Levison said they had put their best clothes on to come and see him today. Many of those clothes had been gifted to them from the boxes we send. But look at Lidiwero’s shoes. They are too small for him and starting to fall apart. He will receive new shoes this week. Ethel, you might notice, has been affected by malnutrition when she was younger and her growth has been stunted. Yet despite the challenges they face, these young people are determined that they want to have an education and have a brighter and better future.
Will you help one of them today please? The more students that we can match with sponsors, the more students can attend Bright Futures Secondary School. Together we can continue Changing Lives (in) Malawi. Thank you for caring. Sarah x
Having a sponsor is making a huge difference to some of the most vulnerable children and young people we help to support. All of them are living in extreme poverty. All are hungry. Many are malnourished. Many are orphans living with extended family.
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Sarah’s blog 11/9/25
Having a sponsor is making a huge difference to some of the most vulnerable children and young people we help to support. All of them are living in extreme poverty. All are hungry. Many are malnourished. Many are orphans living with extended family.
One way that sponsors are changing the lives of children is that the younger ones (those not at secondary school) receive a monthly food parcel/care package. As you can see in these photos, as well as maize, they have each received a bottle of cooking oil and two bars of soap.
Usually, students at Bright Futures Secondary School don’t receive this monthly parcel, as they receive a free school lunch each day instead. This, for most, is their only meal each day so it is vitally important that free lunch is supplied as well as free education. The small amount of food that the family has at home can be shared amongst other family members as they know the student has had a nutritious lunch. As it is school holidays, the sponsored students at Bright Futures Secondary School have received a food parcel instead of school lunches.
There were some children and young people who didn’t attend to receive their parcel but it has been kept for them and, hopefully, we will have photos of the remaining sponsored children and young people within the next couple of weeks. As it is school holidays, some have gone to stay with relatives slightly further away, others are working in the fields to try to bring in a tiny income for their families to use to buy food.
Life is really hard for them all as there are no big charities feeding children in primary schools in the far north of Malawi. We can only afford to support a feeding programme once a week whilst sustainable projects are being set up to help the community be self-sufficient. However, everyone can see that life is much better than it was. Having a sponsor for the most vulnerable is giving them hope of a brighter future.
Secondary School needs to be paid for in Malawi and none of the young people we help to support could afford to pay school fees. They can attend Bright Futures Secondary School free of charge if we can match them with a sponsor to help us with the cost of their secondary education and school lunches.
Will you please sponsor a vulnerable young person who is waiting for a place at Bright Futures Secondary School? It’s only £25 per month and you can sponsor as an individual, friends or family or your business can sponsor a young person. Email if you’d like to help contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com .
I’d just like to take a moment to apologise that there haven’t been more updates on sponsored children & young people recently. The last 18 months had been really difficult for me with caring responsibilities and therefore I haven’t been able to dedicate as much time as I would have liked. However, I am now catching up with everything and aim to get more information and updates to sponsors more often.
Our sponsored children section on our website also needs updating and is on the list of jobs to do. Every child or young person who is matched with a sponsor will have their own page on our website that I will update with information and photos regularly and sponsors will be able to click on the link for their child or young person.
So here are the first photos of children & young people looking so much healthier and happier thanks to support of their sponsors. Many thanks as we couldn’t do what we do without your help. Together we are Changing Lives (in) Malawi. Thanks for being so supportive, Sarah x
It’s International Literacy Day today! We are celebrating all the amazing children and young people we are helping to support through literacy in rural northern Malawi.
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Sarah’s blog 8/9/25
“Literacy is a bridge from misery to hope.” Kofi Annan, UN Secretary General
“The only thing that you absolutely have to know, is the location of the library.” Albert Einstein
“Reading is the gateway for children that makes all other learning possible.” Barack Obama
On International Literacy Day, we want to share some of the ways we, with the help of our supporters, are making a difference to literacy levels in rural northern Malawi.
1.School Literacy Project. How can children learn to read properly if they don’t have books to practice? So far, we have gifted 20 boxes of books to Chambo Primary School and Kalanga Primary School, both of which are in Chitipa District in the far north of Malawi. Most schools do not have enough resources, children do not have the notebooks and pencils that they need. Occasionally, we can provide a notebook and pencil for the oldest children at these primary schools, thanks to money raised from our supporters. Despite having so much stacked against them, since preloved books have been donated to these schools, the p8 exam pass rate has gone up almost 20% to 78% which is amazing! We hope to keep going with this project as it is proving to be such a success. This is a low cost project with a huge impact. The preloved books are donated, but what we do have to pay for is £17.50 per box of books on the container ship to Malawi. We need your help to support this project so that we can include other schools in our School Literacy Project. You can make a donation via the website, or our QR code or email me for bank details contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com
2. Emma’s Rainbow Library was built in memory of Emma Buchanan who lived in Balfron (where we are based). Emma loved being read to whilst she was ill and her family helped raise funds towards this library. There are story books for all ages, reference books, school books and a couple of computers in the library which is a fantastic resource for all the children and young people in the surrounding area. Children are learning to love books and spend quiet time reading for pleasure here. Yesterday, I attended an event by the first ever Balfron Book Festival. I had a stall where people could donate their preloved books and I was able to tell lots of people about the impact their donations are having on literacy levels.
3. Bright Futures Nursery Care Packages. The nursery was opened as pre-schoolers were hanging about with nowhere to go. They are fed at each session. Each child that starts nursery receives a bag containing; two red t-shirts, three pairs of underwear, soap, toothpaste & toothbrush, a blanket, a soft toy and two picture story books. We want every home to have at least two books that the family can share together. When the nursery children first saw the books that we were sending, they didn’t know what to do with them and didn’t know how to turn the pages on a book. Now they look forward to a story! The school teachers at Chambo Primary have said that there is a noticeable difference in the children’s literacy when they start school to those who have not attended nursery. We need your support for this important project to continue please. It costs £10 per child to receive a care package to support their wellbeing and their literacy. We would love your help.
4. Bright Futures Secondary School. There weren’t enough places for some of the young people we help to support in the nearest secondary schools and secondary schools aren’t free in Malawi. So, again thanks to our supporters, we raised funds to build a small secondary school. All the students are living in extreme poverty, most are orphans, and we match them sponsors to help support their education. Everything is free to these students; education, school uniform, stationery and they receive a free school lunch each day which, for many of them, is the only food they have to eat. The whole S2 class all passed their national Junior Certificate of Education exams which was a great achievement! The more sponsors we have, the more students can attend Bright Futures Secondary School. We ask for £25 per month per student. You can sponsor as an individual, friends, or family splitting the monthly cost. We even have a few businesses sponsoring young people. If you would like to help a young person have a brighter future please do get in touch contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com
As you can see there is a great deal happening to support literacy in the community we are helping to support in rural northern Malawi. But there is still a lot more to do. We need financial support to keep the above projects going so that young people have choices, chances and opportunities that they wouldn’t previously have had. They are desperate for education and want to learn. Will you help please?
We are hoping to collect and send board books to distribute to the new mum’s at Chambo Health Centre as part of our Mother & Baby project so that babies can have access to books with their parents and looking at picture books will become an everyday activity before they even get to nursery and school.
Also there are plans for adult literacy classes which we hope will be able to start soon as a trial. There are so many adults who have missed out on education because they have had to work from an early age to help provide food for their family. Let’s see if we can continue, with your help, Changing Lives (in) Malawi. Thank you so much for your support, Sarah x
Our QR code where you can make a donation to support our School Literacy Project or one of the other projects. Thank you!The S2 students at Bright Futures Secondary School all received new uniform and stationery before sitting their national exams. We are so proud as all of them passed! If you would like to sponsor a young person’s education then please do get in touch. The more sponsors we have then the more students can go to school!Children in one of the classrooms at Kalanga Primary School looking at some of the books that they have been gifted as part of our School Literacy Projectsome of the nursery children, outside the library, showing off the bars of soap they have receivednursery children with their care packagesBoxes of books gifted to Chambo Primary Schoollearning about digital literacy in Emma’s Rainbow LibraryBible Knowledge is a core subject at schools in Malawi. We received a donation of preloved bibles from a church in Edinburgh and were able to send these to students at Bright Futures Secondary School. The majority of lessons are in English with Chichewa also being a core subject in schools.One of the children from Bright Futures Nursery with his care packagePlease support literacy in rural northern Malawi. Thank you!
Great results! THE SCHOOL LITERACY PROJECT IS WORKING AND MAKING A POSITIVE IMPACT ON LITERACY LEVELS OF CHILDREN LIVING IN EXTREME POVERTY in rural northern Malawi!
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Sarah’s blog 22/8/25
There have, once again, been some great exam results from Chambo Primary School!
In 2019, 59% of p8 students passed their primary school leavers exams. In 2020 and 2021 the figure was 60% for each of these years. In 2022 the figure rose to 63% pass rate. In 2023, 69% of students passed their exams and in 2024 that figure had risen to 78% of students passing their primary school leavers exams.
This year the pass rate was again 78% but three students got such good grades in their exams, they have been offered places at one of the big government secondary schools. This is an amazing achievement for Chambo Primary School as other, bigger primary schools have not had any students selected.
Education officials, teachers, students and the community are all noticing that the help that Chambo Primary School has had, thanks to our supporters, is making a big difference. THE SCHOOL LITERACY PROJECT IS WORKING AND MAKING A POSITIVE IMPACT ON LITERACY LEVELS OF CHILDREN LIVING IN EXTREME POVERTY!
Also, these students have had notebooks (not enough for all year), girls have a toilet block, upper classes now have desks and benches, there is clean water for drinking and handwashing and also an orchard has been planted.
The children and their teachers no longer feel forgotten. They have hope of a brighter future! Thank you so much to all who have helped and supported with these projects. We are making good progress, with tangible results, and we couldn’t do this without you.
Unfortunately, we still cannot get any big charities to feed the primary school children in the rural far north…none of the primary schools in that area have a porridge programme as no big charities are working that far north. So there is still the issue of malnutrition to address which we need help with.
But for today, we can celebrate what we all have achieved, and we are including all our supporters in part of our team as you play a vital role in helping the children and young people. Well done everyone!! We are so pleased that small changes are having a big impact and giving young people opportunities, choices and chances that they wouldn’t previously have had. Also, thank you to Levison and his team for their tireless work for the children.
The school literacy project is a relatively low cost project as the preloved books are donated. We just need to buy the strong boxes and pay for the cost of shipping them on the container which is £17.50 per box, and fuel in Malawi when Levison and team collect the boxes from the container. Please help us keep sending more boxes of books by scanning the QR code and making a donation towards the cost of sending boxes. Or you can make a donation via the website or contact me for bank details. contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com
Please do have a read at the attached two links and have a look at the photos as a reminder of how, together, we are Changing Lives (in) Malawi. Thanks, Sarah x
Whilst there is still so much to do to improve the lives of the most vulnerable, here are some of the reasons how being a sponsor can and does make a difference.
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Sarah’s blog 18/7/25
Levison sent me a graph today with information about teenage pregnancies in Malawi. I knew the rates were high but I am shocked by just how high. Chitipa District, in the far north, has one of the highest rates of teenage pregnancies in Malawi. Over half of teenage girls age 15-19 become pregnant. The actual figure is 543/1000. Since Bright Futures Secondary School opened in 2022 there have been only 2 teenage pregnancies.
As well as helping to vastly reduce teenage pregnancies, here are some of the ways that having a sponsor is helping to give vulnerable teenagers, living in extreme poverty, hope for a brighter future:
Secondary School has to be paid for in Malawi. None of the students who attend Bright Futures Secondary School could afford to go to secondary school without having being matched with a sponsor to help pay for their education. There are so many more young people wanting this opportunity.
Being matched with a sponsor means that, as well as their education being free, each student at BFSS, receives a substantial and nutritious school lunch each day. This, for most, is their only meal of the day, and means their families don’t have to worry about feeding them with the family’s very limited food supplies.
Having a nutritious lunch each day is helping students to stay healthy and help them concentrate on their lessons.
Being matched with a sponsor means free school uniform, stationery, shoes and a torch for studying at home.
Being matched with a sponsor means that there is hope for a brighter future through education, instead of doing piece work in the fields for a pittance.
Being matched with a sponsor means that students are kept busy at school and after school activities and less likely to get into trouble.
Being matched with a sponsor means that young people have access to counselling as all have lost family members and lived through trauma. Bright Futures Secondary School takes a holistic approach to caring for the students both in and outside the classroom.
Being matched with a sponsor means that girls are far less likely to be married off too young. Some families are so desperate they consider giving their daughter to an older man in exchange for a dowry to feed the rest of the family. Levison has managed to prevent girls as young as 11 being married off.
Being matched with a sponsor is helping ensure young people are more literate, numerate and have skills for their futures.
Being matched with a sponsor is giving vulnerable young people, living in extreme poverty, choices and chances that they wouldn’t otherwise have had.
We need more sponsors to ensure that more students can have these opportunities and have hope for a brighter future for themselves and their families. Will you help us help them please? It is only £25 per month to sponsor a young person. You can sponsor as an individual, a business or a group of friends or family. It might be the most important thing anyone ever does for that teenager. Will you make a difference to one young person and change their life? contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com .
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our sponsors and supporters for helping to make a difference to each of the students. Also, for the teachers at Bright Futures Secondary School, to Levison and the rest of the team …. a huge thank you. When we see statistics like this it is very clear that, although there is much to do, we are Changing Lives (in) Malawi. Thank you, Sarah x
S2 students received new uniform and stationery when they sat their exams recentlyplanting banana tubers in practical agricultural lessonsStudents prepared the ground and planted sweet potato vines as part of their practical agricultural lessons. This crop helped feed them and their fellow students.
It’s Independence Day in Malawi. Here are some facts and a couple of ways that you can help students living in extreme poverty become independent and self-sufficient.
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Sarah’s blog 6/7/25
Happy Independence Day to all of our friends in Malawi. Here are a few facts about Malawi;
Malawi’s Independence Day is celebrated on 6th July.
It is their 61st Independence Day today.
Malawi gained independence from the United Kingdom.
Malawi was previously known as Nyasaland prior to gaining independence.
Dr Hastings Banda played a significant role in leading the country to independence and later became the first president of Malawi.
Independence Day is a national holiday in Malawi marked with celebrations.
The flag of Malawi features three horizontal stripes of black, red and green, with a red sun in the black stripe, symbolizing the rising sun of freedom and the unity of the country.
Malawi is sometimes referred to as the “Warm Heart of Africa” due to the friendly nature of its people.
Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world, with a high percentage of its population living in poverty. Over half the population lives in poverty, this is much higher in rural locations.
We are pleased that, with the help of our supporters, we are making a difference to the hundreds of children and their families who live in extreme poverty. Our end goal is always self-sufficiency and sustainability. The difficulty is that children need feeding now which we have to address as well as supporting the community towards self-sufficiency. The situation is extremely serious in the rural far north of Malawi and most children and young people are suffering from malnutrion. All are hungry. No children are fed in primary schools in the far north of Malawi.
Through educational projects like our School Literacy Project, where we collect and send books to primary schools which hardly have any resources, exam pass rates at the end of primary school are rising. The young people know that education is their way out of poverty and are keen to learn.
We also match vulnerable young people with sponsors to help pay for their secondary education at Bright Futures Secondary School. Secondary education has to be paid for in Malawi and none of these young people would have been able to attend. Thanks to our supporters, we have built BFSS which is bringing hope for a brighter future for young people living in extreme poverty. We are appealing for more sponsors to join us in supporting new students going into S1 in September. It is only £25 p/m per student. If you would like to help a young person gain a secondary education please get in touch contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com
At Bright Futures Secondary School, students study agriculture as a core subject and they are learning skills for life through practical agricultural lessons. They are growing their own fruit and vegetables to help supplement their free school lunch that they get each day. This is a really important meal as, for most, it is their only meal each day. Their families can share the small amount of food they have amongst the other members of the family, knowing that young person has already been fed.
We are appealing for help to buy more fruit tree saplings for future food and for a sustainable income as excess fruit can be sold at the market. We are also appealing for money to buy extra gardening tools so that all students are able to join in with practical agricultural lessons instead of just having to wait and take turns. Also we are hoping that, if we can provide funds for carpentry tools, then students can learn how to make simple furniture.
Will you help these students towards independence please? They are keen to work hard to help themselves. They just need a helping hand then they can be independent and proud of their achievements.
Thanks to everyone who has helped so far. If you can give a little then it would be very much appreciated by us and the students at Bright Futures Secondary School. Please sign up to receive my blogs and you can follow us on Facebook to keep up to date with the most recent news. Together we can help a community towards independence and self-sufficiency. Thanks so much, Sarah x
A lovely photo taken at Chambo Primary School when boxes of books were donated recently as part of our School Literacy Project.
New books donated to Kalanga Primary School as part of our School Literacy Project. Literacy rates are increasing now they have more books to read.
Students at Bright Futures Secondary School have planted banana tubers.
Students at Bright Futures Secondary School queuing up for their free school lunch. For most of them this is their only meal each day. It also helps their families to share their small amount of food between the remaining family members and not worry about including the students as they have already had a substantial and nutritious meal.
Here is the proof that your help makes a difference! Thank you to the people who helped fund these two groups of ladies from our DonorSee appeals. There had been a slight delay in them getting started. The land that they are going to be farming had crops growing which had to be harvested. This has now happened so the ladies are ready to start work.
These women are some of the poorest in their community and most in need. As they are living in extreme poverty, they have been unable to provide for themselves and their families. Some of the women have been affected by HIV and are bringing up their families alone.
Maria, in group 2, had been a student at Bright Futures Secondary School. She became pregnant and had her little boy. Maria’s aunt looked after the baby whilst Maria returned to school. She has tried so hard to continue her education but, they live a long walk from school and her little boy was failing to thrive. Maria was sitting in class worrying about him. She was exhausted. Maria decided to drop out of school. She has been working for farmers doing piecework to earn a pittance. Maria is a very hard worker and is delighted to have the opportunity to be part of agribusiness group 2 (she holding the watering can in the photo). Her little boy, Wakisa, now has a sponsor to ensure that he has a food parcel each month.
Agribusiness Group 2
Mrs Ng’ambi, whose house was repaired through another DonorSee project, struggled to feed herself and her four children. She is delighted with the new roof on her house. She has been offered a place in agribusiness group 3. Her future is looking much happier. She is on the left of the photo. Both groups have been given seeds, fertiliser, spades and watering cans. Thank you everyone who helped to give these ladies this opportunity and hope for a brighter future.
Agribusiness Group 3
We have a few projects on our DonorSee site to try to give some of the poorest people a helping hand so that they can help themselves. Everyone wants to work hard and be self-sufficient but things are so difficult for them that they need our support. Will you help please? If lots of us give a little then change will happen.
We know that our supporters care about our projects. We are asking for your help to buy more fruit tree saplings and banana tubers to help feed all the hundreds of orphans that rely on the weekly feeding programme. There are no porridge programmes in primary schools in the rural far north of Malawi. Most children are suffering from malnutrition. All are hungry. How can they concentrate at school when their bodies don’t have the nutrients they need? How can they get to sleep at night when their tummies are empty and sore? Do you want to support children to have enough to eat?
Students are learning skills for life through planting and caring for the saplings that have already been planted. We want them to be self-sufficient in years to come and have fruit to eat and surplus fruit to sell. However, when there are 500+ children who do not have food at home to eat and rely on the weekly feeding programme, that is a huge amount of fruit tree saplings and banana tubers that will be needed. Will you help them have a brighter future? Will you help us try to ensure that less children are suffering with malnutrition? Here is the link to donate https://donorsee.com/project/27708?share=1 or you can contact me for bank details contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com
We are also appealing for more tools to help students with their practical agricultural classes and also start doing some basic carpentry classes. These are all skills for life for students living in such a rural location and will help them earn a living in the future. https://donorsee.com/project/27684?share=1 or send me an email for bank details.
Many thanks for your continuing support of our charity, where you know that all money goes to the projects we support, as we are all volunteers, passionate about making a difference to the community we are helping in rural northern Malawi. However, it is always about teamwork and our donors are a valuable part of our team. We couldn’t do what we do without you. Thanks again, Sarah x
Thank you to Allander Rotary & Rotary International
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Sarah’s blog 4/6/25
This blog is a big THANK YOU for the support we have received from Allander Rotary Club over the past couple of years. They have helped raise awareness of our charity as well as raising money for us and sponsoring a young person’s education.
Using some of the Sustainable Development Goals that we are working towards, they also applied for a grant from Rotary International on our behalf for which we are very grateful. This helped buy tree saplings and tools and also a solar pump is about to be purchased which will be a big help with watering the crops.
Thank you Rotarians for all the work you do in the background. It’s quite apt that it is volunteers week this week as you all give so much of your time! There are some lovely photos with signs that some of the students at Bright Futures Secondary School had made to say ‘thank you’. Enjoy the photos, Sarah x
Brighton in the brown shirt is one of our sponsored young people. Here he is with his friends eating some of the ripe guavas from trees that were part of the first lot of saplings.A lovely big smile from Brighton (brown shirt). Life has improved for him since being matched with a sponsor. Please do get in touch if you would like to sponsor a young person living in extreme poverty. The boys will enjoy these guavas.one of the guava trees that was in the first lot of saplings planted a few years agoLook how the banana plants are growing!
Good luck to the second year students at Bright Futures Secondary School as they start their national exams tomorrow!
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Sarah’s blog 2/6/25
We wish the very best of luck to the S2 students at Bright Futures Secondary School as they start their national exams tomorrow. Secondary school is over four years in Malawi, with national exams being done at the end of year two and year four. The BSFF students’ exams are over the first 6 days of the timetable.
None of these young people would have had this opportunity if it wasn’t for the generosity of their sponsors. They are all living in extreme poverty and, despite having passed their primary school leavers exams, that would have been the end of their education as none of their families could have afforded the secondary school fees. Most of the students at BFSS are orphans, living with extended family. Most don’t eat at home, so their free school lunch is vital.
They have all been given new pens & pencils and school uniform so they look and feel smart and confident. The exam centre is at Chisenga School so they will be getting taxis there and back each day. Until recently, they had never been in a car before! Once there are more students at Bright Futures Secondary School, students will be able to take their exams at their own school. We need to match more sponsors with students so that they too have the opportunity for a secondary education and have choices and chances that they wouldn’t have had.
We are still asking only £25 per month per student – so if you would like to give a young person a brighter future then please do get in touch contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com to make a difference.
So, good luck to the S2 class – Leonard, Timothy, Maggie, Asante, Phaless, Wongani, Wongani, Mphatso, Martha, Brave and Aaron – we are very proud of how hard you have been working and everything you have overcome to get this far! Thanks so much to their sponsors and teachers, Sarahx
Great photos and videos of practical science classes last week at Bright Futures Secondary School
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Sarah’s blog 12/5/25
Science lessons at Bright Futures are a lot more interesting since more resources have been purchased. Students have said that they never realised science was so much fun!
Mr Kanyimbo, Deputy Head at BFSS, (white shirt) sent these great photos and videos of himself and Mr Kalambo (blue shirt) teaching last week. They are a great way to see what happens during classes at Bright Futures Secondary School. Thank you to Mr Kanyimbo for sending the photos and videos. Thanks also to everyone who contributed to our fundraiser to buy practical science equipment. There are more resources on the way on the container which will be there for the new term starting in September.
Also, thank you to everyone who is supporting the education of these students. They wouldn’t be having the opportunities for learning or having a free school lunch every day without your kindness. We are looking for more sponsors for the students who will be looking for places at BFSS in September. It’s still only £25 per month. contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com
