Tag: food

Random Acts of Kindness Day

Sarah’s blog 17/2/22

We should be kind every day but are we sometimes too busy to actually stop and think about others?

As a charity, working closely with The William Stewart Foundation in rural Northern Malawi, every day we think about the vulnerable people there and how we can help improve their lives and help them towards self-sufficiency. Money (or lack of it) is usually the biggest issue with all the wonderful plans and wishlists.

Given my background, I am usually thinking about feeding children, accessing education, clothing them and generally nurturing them. The Foundation is doing a wonderful job of feeding 500 children every week (a substantial and nutritious meal) and having over 80 children and young people with sponsors giving them access to education and a monthly food parcel.

One of our other trustees has brilliant ideas….well most of them are brilliant ideas…he is used to being told that some of his ideas aren’t so good.

I think what I am trying to say is that there is a huge amount of enthusiasm and passion to see the vulnerable children and adults in Ibuluma succeed. For their lives to change for the better. For them to have more chances. For them to become self-sufficient. For malnutrition to be firmly in the past. For literacy and numeracy to improve, for people to have jobs and be very, very proud of what they have achieved through hard work and huge struggles.

As I said, lack of money is always the issue. Everything costs money. Apart from kindness. Kindness costs nothing. On our website there is a new document (you will see the link in red on the top right of every page) about our feeding programme. If you can afford to help us with the feeding programme committing £5 or £10 per month to provide more food for the children then please get in touch as that could be your Act of Kindness today. Or could you sponsor a child for £25 per month?

Or if you cannot afford to donate money, your Act of Kindness for these orphans and vulnerable children could be to like and share our posts to reach more people and hopefully future sponsors. Liking and sharing posts costs nothing but would be extremely kind. It also gives us a boost when we see people liking and sharing posts so what will your Act of Kindness be today? Please help us continue helping the orphans and other vulnerable young people by showing your kindness and support today? contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com thanks for reading and for being kind, Sarah x

500 children need your help…your £5 will help feed them

Sarah’s blog 31/1/22

January is a hard month for many after the extra expenses of Christmas, however we’ve made it to the end of January now and, hopefully, most have now been paid.

Unfortunately, in Malawi, the price of maize is going up and the rains are heavy. 500 children are being fed once a week at The William Stewart Foundation. They receive a substantial, nutritious meal….their only one of the week. All are suffering from malnutrition. It costs approx £100 to feed 500 each time. We are looking for people to commit to £5 p/m so we can feed them at least twice a week, or implement a daily porridge programme on school days. There are no big agencies feeding children in that area in rural northern Malawi, so the responsibility is ours….some children are walking up to 20km for their food.

Please help us to help them? These children are just like our children with hopes and dreams of a better future….but they are hungry, really hungry. It affects their bodies and their brains. They deserve better. We CAN do something about malnutrition and make it a thing of the past. You CAN do your bit and be part of a growing team helping 500 children to have their basic needs met. Helping them have a better future. Helping them succeed. Helping change their lives. They will know that people care about them. They will have hope. £5 isn’t much each month. We would love you to be part of our feeding team. Will you take up the challenge and help? Please? contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com Thank you for reading and please think about joining our feeding team, Sarah x

‘If you can’t feed a hundred people then feed just one’ (Mother Teresa)

Sarah’s blog 26/1/22

It’s very true….another quote that I like says ‘Helping one person might not change the world, but it could change the world for one person.’

There are approximately 500 children that are fed once a week. These children are some of the poorest on the planet and all suffer from malnutrition…some worse than others. We would love for these children to have more food. The end goal is that the villagers will be self-sufficient and there will no longer be a need for a feeding programme. Until that time we must help. We cannot do it alone.

We need to grow our team. If more and more people would please donate just £5 per month then we can help feed the children more than once a week. Ideally, I would love all the children to have a mug of porridge before school in the morning. It costs £100 to feed 500 each one nutritious meal. It’s not much per child but soon adds up when there are 500 children. Imagine if we could get 100 donating £5 per month….the children could be fed another 5 meals extra per month. What a difference that would make. But think about it….we are still only talking about 2 meals a week. Can you imagine only having one or two substantial, nutritious meals a week? Or if you couldn’t feed your children every day…. it’s heart breaking. They can’t help where they were born or the situation they were born into. But each of us can help one of them.

How can they concentrate with no food in their tummies? How can they concentrate when they are malnourished? These orphans and other vulnerable children are in survival mode…things like learning cannot happen properly until a child’s basic needs are met. It’s every child’s right to be safe, warm, have enough to eat and clean water to drink. I like the visual way the theorist Maslow shows children’s needs in his hierarchy of needs. Each layer cannot happen for a child if the previous one is not met.

So please join our team of people committing to help these children. £5 is all we ask as a monthly commitment (unless of course you would like to donate more). To most of us £5 is just a meal deal or a couple of drinks or some snacks. £5 to each of these children will help change their lives. contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com It’s rainy season at the moment. People are struggling, the price of maize has gone up. Half of the Foundation’s crop of newly planted maize was washed away and they had to replant. Heart breaking. Levison told me today it’s a real struggle to feed everyone with prices rising. Thank you for reading and please consider joining our feeding team, Sarah x

Happy New Year & Happy Birthday

Sarah’s blog 2/1/22

https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/3M60EKZX9R3LQ?ref_=wl_share

Happy New Year!! I hope this year brings you all health & happiness.

Levison is busy getting young people ready for going to school this next week and I hope to bring some photos soon of them in their uniform before they set off on their big adventure, thanks to their generous sponsors who have paid for them to continue secondary education.

We still have a few young people waiting to be matched with sponsors so if you can help then please get in touch.

It’s my birthday on 4th January… when you have a birthday straight after Christmas you don’t really need any presents. I was very lucky with all the gifts I received for Christmas. So I wouldn’t usually tell people it’s my birthday but, i thought it might be a nice idea to buy something for the orphans in Malawi if you’d like to. There is an Amazon link at the top of the page or if you are at the supermarket and want to put some bars of soap or toothbrushes, toothpaste or pencils in your trolley, they would be very much appreciated. When there are approximately 800 vulnerable children and young people being supported there are never enough pencils or bars of soap!!

Many thanks and best wishes for 2022, thanks for reading, Sarah x

How food is making a difference

Sarah’s blog 29/12/21

How many times do we say ‘I’m starving’ or ‘I could eat a horse’. But have any of us actually gone a whole day without any food (unless we’ve been ill)?

Most of the children supported by The William Stewart Foundation don’t eat every day, if they do eat then it’s not a proper meal. The Foundation was originally set up to feed 200+ orphans and vulnerable children in the immediate area. Children were missing school to try to find food/work for a pittance/or they couldn’t afford a pencil to go to school. They were wearing rags. How must that feel to only have one set of clothes that are falling apart? To be cold and dirty as you have no soap to wash your clothes or yourself. To be hungry. To look different. To be an orphan. To have been affected by trauma. Existing, not living. Suffering from malnutrition.

As there are no big agencies feeding children that far north, word spread when The Foundation started feeding the orphans and other vulnerable children once a week. They are fed a substantial meal of maize, beans, vegetables and tomato relish which is the only big meal they get each week. It’s not enough but better than nothing. Soon children were walking from other villages for food, some walking as far as 20km for a meal, then 20km home again. It’s a different world. On average 500 orphans and other vulnerable children turn up for a meal each week. It costs approximately £100 each week to feed these children….a small amount per child but it quickly adds up when you are feeding 500 hungry mouths. Sponsored children receive a monthly food parcel in addition to this. It’s enough to supplement the household food but not to replace it…no one wants the villagers to rely on handouts….the people are proud and want to be self-sufficient, they just need a bit of help as things have been so bad.

Teachers started noticing that these children are more alert and can concentrate, even from one nutritious meal a week….imagine if we could feed them more often? Children’s grades are improving because they can concentrate and aren’t quite so tired and hungry.

Also, children are more confident as they’ve been given new clothes and soap to wash themselves and use the new showers at the Foundation. Teenage girls no longer miss a week of school each month as they hide at home in shame. They now have reusable sanitary towels and new pants. All these things are making a difference to children’s education and education is the key to helping them out of the dire poverty they live in.

These are some of the things I am thinking about for this next year and I’d love to hear if anyone has any ideas of ways that we can provide the children with more food.

  1. Should we ask businesses or individuals to sponsor a week of the feeding programme and have their business name displayed or an individual’s name or message for a birthday for example displayed? This could enable us to provide either food for additional people or to have the food programme running more often.
  2. What about if we found at least 25 people willing to donate £5/£10 per month on an ongoing basis to provide extra food for the feeding programme.
  3. I would love to provide a mug of porridge for the school children every day to start off their learning with food in their tummies. No big agencies are in the area that The Foundation is in. This could happen but again would require an ongoing commitment from a few people to feed all children a mug of porridge. Even a couple of times a week would be better than what they have currently. Can you imagine the exam results in a couple of years time after we’ve donated 17 boxes of reading books and were able to provide porridge in addition to that?

For everything we do, we require help and support. We are all part of a team together, each playing our part and using our skills. If you like any of these ideas and want to be involved or have better or different ideas or can raise some funds then please do get in touch contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com . Thanks for reading, Sarah x

We wish you a Merry Christmas!

Sarah’s blog 24/12/21

From the small team of volunteers at Changing Lives Malawi and Levison and his team in Malawi, we all wish you a very happy and peaceful Christmas. Thank you to those of you who have supported us and helped us through the last year.

With your help, we’ve continued support The Foundation to feed over 500 children every week, provided clothes and shoes, books for the library and the local school, provided a monthly donation for the nursery to run, provided money for a shower block, matched more children with sponsors, have more young people attending secondary school, provided clothes and blankets for the babies at the local maternity ward at the health centre. And that’s just a few of the things that have been happening. None of it can happen without you being part of the team and we very much appreciate the role everyone plays.

We still need to get 5 young people matched with sponsors to pay their secondary school fees….if you can help with this then please get in touch contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com With very best wishes and thanks, 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

In memory of a special lady

Sarah’s blog 14/11/21

It would have been my lovely mother-in-law’s birthday today. After she passed away, we sent money to Levison for him to buy fruit tree saplings in memory of her. Levison has kindly taken photos of some of the saplings for me to add to this post and we are sending more money to mark her birthday and to buy some more tree saplings.

As you know, it’s so important for the planet to plant more trees and we are hoping that people will join this initiative and support us. With COP26 having just finished and there still being a huge amount of work to do, it’s so important to plant hundreds of tree saplings to protect the environment and planet.

As wood has been the only source of fuel for cooking and warmth, previously lots of wood has been needed. However, Levison and team are going to look at making briquettes from agricultural waste and the eco-stove project is continuing so much less wood will be used in future. The eco-stoves use far less fuel and are enclosed so they are much safer to cook on.

Although these fruit tree saplings are small, Levison assures me they will grow fast during the rains which will be coming within the next few weeks. There should be fruit in the next couple of years. This project benefits the planet and the people. The most vulnerable people. The William Stewart Foundation supports over 800 orphans and other vulnerable young people and there are no agencies feeding children in schools in that area. Approximately 500 malnourished children are fed a nutritious meal once a week at the Foundation. That is their one substantial meal of the week. Imagine being able to add fruit to their diet too? A huge orchard of fruit trees will mean a healthier community. It will also create employment and any surplus fruit will be able to be sold as a source of income for the Foundation, helping them on the road to self-sufficiency.

Four fruit tree saplings are £10. I am buying 8 today in memory of Isa Black, my lovely mother-in-law. We would love your help to support this project to plant a sustainable future in rural northern Malawi. I can change the wording on e-gifts for any occasion and personalise them. You could also have a sign in the orchard in memory of a loved one. Just let me know and I can help. contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com . Thanks for reading, Sarah x

Fruit Tree Saplings – planting a sustainable future

Sarah’s blog 12/11/21

Imagine a community without enough to eat. Not much energy to work as they haven’t eaten enough, not much work to go around as everyone is after the same jobs doing piecework. Children missing school to walk long distances to the nearest maize mill carrying heavy burdens. No water to drink, no food to eat.

Thankfully, things are improving in Ibuluma where The William Stewart Foundation is. However, the situation was so bad that there is a lot still to do. The task is daunting but we know we have people supporting us to raise the money needed to fund the projects. We are very grateful for the group of people who contribute funds, goods, their time and effort. However, we need to do more. How can we reach more people? How can we increase our regular income? Who could donate or fundraise? Please have a think about these questions as just maybe you might have the answer.

These are some of the ways that lives have improved so far for the hundreds of orphans and other vulnerable children supported by The Foundation. Remember, there are no big charities in the far north of Malawi feeding children in schools….The William Stewart Foundation is all these extremely vulnerable children have. We need to ensure more food for their future.

  1. The Feeding Programme – at least 600 children are fed once every week, maize and vegetables from The Foundations crops are used where possible.
  2. The Foundation Nursery – 50 preschool children meet 3 times a week to play and are fed porridge or other food at each session. The nursery children have all been given a blanket each and a uniform. There are waterproof jackets for them that will be given out once the rains start.
  3. The Mother & Baby project – thanks to donations of baby clothes & blankets and beautiful knitting that has been donated, Levison was able to visit the maternity ward at the local health centre. Babies will be warm and, if health professionals tell the mums that they can return for more clothes for their babies in a few weeks, that gives the health experts another chance to interact with the mums and babies and have another chance for a check up.
  4. Thanks to lots of donations of preloved school uniform, other clothes and shoes, all children and young people have had new clothes to wear and their self-esteem is improving.
  5. Thanks to several sports clubs and generous people who have donated for The Foundation, children now feel like proper football or netball teams and have a sense of identity and belonging with their friends. They can forget their problems whilst learning about and playing football, netball & other sports.
  6. 70 of the most vulnerable children and young people now have been matched with sponsors, enabling them to have a monthly food parcel and their secondary school education paid for them…an opportunity which would not have been open to them without support from their sponsors.
  7. Several orphans have been helped to find homes with foster families following bereavement. These kind families have also received support to accommodate an extra mouth to feed.
  8. 20 plus teenagers are on the apprenticeship scheme, learning agricultural skills as well as bricklaying, making eco-stoves and animal husbandry etc.
  9. Children and young people are learning life skills like gardening and growing crops, animal husbandry, sewing, knitting and carving.
  10. Period Poverty Project; each girl who needs one is gifted a drawstring bag with 3 pairs of pants (donated by charity Smalls for All) 5 reusable sanitary towels, soap and a health information sheet. They now no longer have to miss one week of school each month. They have dignity and do not need to hide in shame. There are a group of girls using the hand turn sewing machines to make these as well as masks for everyone for protection during the pandemic.
  11. School Literacy Project; local schools are being gifted boxes of books to help children practice and improve their literacy levels.
  12. Emma’s Rainbow Library has been built, giving children access to a variety of books and we are adding more as time goes on.
  13. Most importantly; The Foundation has a clean water supply making a huge difference to this community. The shower block has recently been completed as the second part of the WASH project.
  14. Fruit trees are being planted, helping the planet but also providing food for the people…planting a sustainable future…we need support with this as we are just at the start of this project.

I’m sure there are lots of other things I haven’t mentioned, and as soon as I’ve finished typing I will probably think ‘oh I forgot to say that’….but as you can see there have been many changes and improvements but lots more work to do. We’d love more people to support us….it’s all about playing a small part of a team and together we can continue #changinglivesmalawi. Thanks for reading, Sarah x

School Holiday plans

Sarah’s blog 9/11/21

The school year is very different in Malawi than it is here. They are also playing catch up with schools having being closed for an extended period due to covid restrictions, so the school holidays are slightly less than usual.

Children need to be kept busy during the school holidays. The orphans know that The Foundation is their safe place. They can forget their trauma and hardships for a while and enjoy being children again with their friends in a place where they know they are cared for and important.

In the Chitipa area, especially where the Foundation is, teenage pregnancy rates were amongst the lowest in the country during the period when schools were closed because of covid. If the teenagers have somewhere to go, activities to do, skills to learn then they are at less risk of being sexually active and having teenage pregnancies. This is another reason why it’s so important for teenagers (especially girls) to have opportunities open to them like education. If people believe in them then they are more likely to believe in themselves.

So, during the next two weeks, these are some of the activities that have been planned for the children to get involved with;

  1. There will be football and netball training sessions and matches for different age groups on most days.
  2. Emma’s rainbow library will be open every day for children to borrow books.
  3. There will be paired reading offered for older children to help those who are struggling with their reading.
  4. Also a lego club with challenges for children working in small groups; can you build a house? how high can your tower be before it falls over? can you make a tower out of a sequence of two colours, three colours etc.
  5. The Period Poverty Project will be stocking up with new supplies. Each girl who requires one will be given; a drawstring bag, 3 pairs of pants, 5 reusable sanitary towels, a bar of soap and a health information sheet. This gives them dignity, and self-confidence and ensures they do not need to miss school for one week every month. First, new bags need to be made and also reusable sanitary towels. There are new pants on the container courtesy of Smalls for All charity.
  6. Children can learn how to weave door mats. Hopefully, if funds allow, there will be some resources bought to start weaving baskets.
  7. There is always work to do with the crops and looking after the chickens and goats. Ridges need to be made in the fields before seeds are planted. So there will be plenty of skills the children can learn whilst they are helping with the farming projects.

Unfortunately, due to financial constraints, the feeding programme will still only be at the weekends. In future it would be good to be able to run an additional session or sessions during school holidays. Perhaps someone might sponsor the feeding programme for a day? Or a business could sponsor the feeding programme and we would publicise your company? It costs approximately £100 each time 500 children are fed. Or would you like to help with the purchase of fabric for the Period Poverty Project? Or buying resources for weaving? Please get in touch if you would like to help contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com Of course, we are looking forward to seeing lots of holiday photos! thanks for reading, Sarah x

UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

Sarah’s blog 7/11/21

There are so many rights in this document but I’m just highlighting a few today with regards to the hundreds of children and young people supported by The William Stewart Foundation in rural Northern Malawi.

‘Children have the right to clean water to drink, healthy food, clothes and a safe environment to live in.’

‘Every child who has been placed somewhere away from home should have their situation checked regularly to see if everything is going well and if this is still the best place for the child to be.’

‘Every child has the right to an education. Primary education should be free. Secondary and higher education should be available to every child. Children should be encouraged to go to school to the highest level possible.’

‘Every child has the right to rest, relax, play and take part in cultural and creative activities.’

These are just a few of the statements I have picked out of the document. Things are obviously very different in Malawi than they are here but you can see that we are supporting Levison and his team to help the children holistically.

How can they learn if they are hungry and can’t concentrate? How can they go to school without clothes to wear? How will their self-esteem be if they are in rags compared to their friends? What about if they don’t have soap to wash themselves and their clothes?

The children are benefitting from all the work being done to support them at The Foundation. There are now showers, clean water to drink, they are fed at the weekend, new clothes and shoes gifted, there are crops in the fields, books to read, foster families found for children completely on their own and skills for life taught to the children. There is also a nursery for 50 pre-school children which meets (and feeds them) three times a week. Apprentices are learning skills whilst they work and other children are going to school.

So much good is happening but there is still so much to do that we need your help with. We are all part of the team around these orphans and other vulnerable children. So please help us if you can. We need CHILD SPONSORS and FUNDRAISERS, and loads of volunteers in between! Whatever your skills or finances, we would welcome your help. We have lots of sustainable gifts for Christmas too that we are hoping people will buy. Please get in touch. contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com Thanks for reading, Sarah x

Appeal – Planting a Sustainable Future

Sarah’s blog 3/11/21

As the world is highlighting changes that we all need to make to protect our planet at COP26 in Glasgow, we are doing our bit too. We would love you to help us support The William Stewart Foundation by expanding their Eco Stove Project. Levison would also like the apprentices to start making briquettes from agricultural waste, saving trees and also planting a large number of fruit tree saplings, bringing food for the future and planting for the planet. Please join us by buying fruit tree saplings as alternative, sustainable gifts. We can presonalise messages, and send either by email or by post with a card. Contact us via the website or facebook or by emailing contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com and we will help you purchase your gifts to plant a sustainable future in Northern Malawi. Thanks for reading, Sarah x