food Archives - Page 6 of 13 - Changing Lives Malawi

How far should you walk for lunch?

These children are desperate for help. How can they thrive without food?

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Sarah’s blog 14/6/23

How far do you think is an acceptable distance for a child to walk to get some food? How far would you let your child or grandchild walk to have a meal? What if you had absolutely nothing to feed your family?

We help to support a feeding programme that runs once a week. We wish we could afford for it to operate more often. 500 orphans and vulnerable children are fed a substantial and nutritious meal each weekend at the feeding programme. This is their biggest meal of the week. Some days these children do not eat at home and are left to fend for themselves, to forage for food or beg for scraps. All of these children are malnourished. THERE ARE NO CHARITIES FEEDING CHILDREN IN SCHOOLS IN THIS AREA OF RURAL NORTHERN MALAWI. We need your help. We cannot do this alone. It is too big a job for us to ensure that 500 children have enough food every day of the week.

Crops are being planted to supplement the feeding programme. Vegetables that the children have helped to grow are being served at the feeding programme. Fruit tree saplings have been planted for future food and for future income as the surplus fruit can be sold at market.

The sweet potato crop is doing well and will be ready in another 6 weeks. But how many sweet potatoes will a field produce? How long will this crop last divided by 500 children and young people? A few days maybe…..

We need people to partner with us. We need people to invest in the future of these very vulnerable children who don’t eat every day. To start a pig project at Bright Futures Secondary School, as part of their agricultural classes, to breed pigs to sell (and also pass on to the community) will only take £300 to set up. This will bring in money to help pay for school lunches for the students at Bright Futures Secondary School, helping them become more self-sufficient and giving the students skills for life.

They need to plant more fruit tree saplings in the orchard. Each sapling costs approximately £2.50. Banana tubers cost approximately £2 each. We could pay for these project start ups but we cannot continue paying to feed the children at the feeding programme each week AND invest in these projects….unfortunately it is either one or the other and we are not going to stop the feeding programme as it is the only one proper meal that these children receive each week. How can these vulnerable children and young people be expected to thrive on one decent meal a week? It is heart-breaking. They deserve far more and they deserve our help and support. Please help us? contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com

I have said several times that some children walk up to 20km for this one proper meal of the week at the feeding programme. I can’t comprehend what that must be like. Energy levels must be at a minimum already as the children haven’t eaten, then to have to walk up to 20km for a meal and 20km home again…they must be absolutely exhausted and any calories they have from their lunch will be used up on the long walk home. Can you help us help them please?

Levison sent me photos of 6 children who each walked approximately 18km to be fed on Sunday….so a total of 36km for their one proper meal of the week. Levison wanted me to show you these children. They, and others like them, are really struggling and we cannot expect them to thrive unless we give them a helping hand. Will you help us help them? Tasiyana, Praise, Atusaye, Kalebu, Esther and Nema all are hungry and malnourished.

All of them would benefit from having a sponsor. It costs £25 per month to sponsor a child and they will receive clothes, extra food and welfare visits. Two friends could share the cost of sponsoring a child. Or you could commit £5 or £10 per month to help support the feeding programme and help us to make it more sustainable by being able to plant more crops and fruit tree saplings. What will you do to help today? contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com

Thank you for reading and for your support, Sarah x

https://changinglivesmalawi.com/2023/06/12/the-sweet-potato-crop/ https://changinglivesmalawi.com/2023/06/11/activities-for-the-kids/

Praise looks so tired and is suffering from malnutrition

Atusaya is wearing one of the navy cord pinafores donated by Sinclair House Prepatory School in London

you can see by Esther’s tummy that she is malnourished

The Sweet Potato Crop

The sweet potato crop is growing well.

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Sarah’s blog 12/06/23

Food is scarce and more expensive. The maize crop hasn’t done well because at the Foundation they couldn’t afford to buy fertilizer. The Foundation is feeding 500+ vulnerable children once a week but obviously this isn’t enough. All are hungry. All are malnourished. No big charities are feeding children in primary schools in the far north of Malawi.

A donation bought sweet potato vines which students at Bright Futures Secondary School helped to plant at the start of April. Levison has sent me photos today and the crop is looking very healthy. The sweet potatoes will be ready at the end of July and will be used to feed the children. The fact that there are so many hungry children, even if this is a great harvest, it won’t last long.

We must find more people who are willing to make a monthly donation to support the feeding programme so that these vulnerable children can keep being fed. Ideally, we would like to feed them more often and we would also like to supply every family with sweet potato vines and other vegetables so that they can grow their own crops. Please email me if you would like to make a regular donation to the feeding programme or if you would like to contribute to buying sweet potato vines that can be shared with vulnerable families to help them become more self sufficient. contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com

Hopefully there will be a good harvest of sweet potatoes by the end of July

Some of the students at Bright Futures Secondary School planting the sweet potato vines in April.

Activities for the Kids

Have a look at what the children have been doing today!

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Sarah’s blog 11/06/23

It’s been another busy day at the Foundation. The Feeding Programme was on today so hundreds of hungry vulnerable children flock to the Foundation to receive their one nutritious, substantial meal of the week. Some children walk up to 20km to receive this food as no big charities are feeding children in primary schools in this area. All are hungry. All are malnourished. All need our help.

Children know that the Foundation is their safe place. A place to have fun and be with their friends. In addition to being fed, children have access to the library and can choose books to read. Some children have been learning about the computers too. Others have been weeding the flowerbeds and some have been playing with building blocks.

Team sports are always high on the agenda. Football and netball matches were played too. Children of all ages can forget about their problems for a while at The Foundation and enjoy themselves as they should. The netball posts were a gift from Community Sports Leaders Africa and we are very thankful for this generous donation. We have plenty of rugby balls on the way in the container but we the children always need footballs and netballs. So if you’d like to make a donation for us to buy a ball on your behalf or to help donate towards the cost of feeding 500 children please email me: contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com

I hope you enjoy the photos and video from today. Thank you for your continued support, Sarah x

Rugby Event – Fundraiser

Volunteers work so hard to feed 500 vulnerable children once a week

Everyone queues up (youngest first) for their one proper meal of the week

Taking pride in their Foundation by weeding the flower beds

Looking after the flowers and getting rid of the weeds

Caring for the plants and weeding the gardens as part of the horticulture class

There is now a good choice of books in Emma’s Rainbow Library

Relaxing and reading stories in the library

Children of all ages are learning about computers

This area has been fenced off for the plants to grow…however the children love sitting here and one boy told Levison that he likes reading his book higher up than his friends

Feeding day is always a busy day at The Foundation

Thank you to Community Sports Leaders Africa for the generous donation of two netball hoops

Rugby Event – Fundraiser

Please support this rugby event in September. Give vulnerable children the joy of rugby.

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Sarah’s blog 9/6/23

We are delighted that Jack Mphande, Rugby Development Officer for Malawi Rugby Union, will be making a second visit to rural northern Malawi to introduce the sport of rugby to orphans and other vulnerable children.

Jack will be heading north from Lilongwe in the south where he is based for two weeks in September. He will be working with two clusters of schools during the two weeks and with the older orphans we help to support during the middle weekend. Teachers from each school will be trained and there will be tournaments too.

As there are no big charities feeding children in school in that area of Malawi, all the children that we help to support are malnourished. We help provide funds for a feeding programme for 500+ children once a week….but it’s not enough. Children are hungry and some are walking 20km for that one proper meal of the week. We need to feed all the children who are taking part in the rugby tournament. We can’t expect them to have the energy to play and enjoy themselves if their tummies are sore and they are tired because they have not eaten. Can you help please?

We have been very fortunate to have support from Merchiston Castle School, Edinburgh, Balfron High School, Scottish Rugby Union, Strathendrick Rugby, Stirling County Rugby, Grangemouth Rugby Club, Hillfoots Rugby, Blaydon Rugby, Annan Rugby Club and others who have helped and supported us with kit, boots and rugby balls.

We are charged £17.50 per box/bag on the container to cover the cost of getting everything to Malawi. Will you help please? https://gofund.me/46e63377

Thank you to those who have already donated via Facebook. We need to pay for Jack Mphande’s transport costs, his accommodation, food and expenses for the two weeks he has kindly set aside for the hundreds of vulnerable children who will benefit from his visit. We need to provide food for the children taking part in the coaching sessions and tournaments. We need financial help with sending kit to Malawi. We need your help please to spread the joy of playing rugby to orphans in rural northern Malawi. Until recently, they were ignored and forgotten. They didn’t have opportunities like this. Please help us make this happen for them. You can donate via our fundraiser https://gofund.me/46e63377 or by emailing for bank details contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com I’ve put some links to previous relevant posts where you’ll see some great photos and videos. Thanks for reading and supporting, Sarah x

Merchiston Castle School, Edinburgh – Rugby Kit Donation

Scottish Rugby & Club Donations Rugby videos

Rugby day 1 – “It amazed me because it was like they have been playing the game for sometime” – Jack Mphande

Students outside the first two classrooms to be built at Bright Futures Secondary School wearing kit donated by Merchiston Castle School, Edinburgh

A visit to Balfron High School

We were delighted to receive an email from one of the teachers at our local high school, Balfron High, asking us to go and meet with him and the headteacher.

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Sarah’s blog 24/5/23

We were delighted to receive an email from one of the teachers at our local high school, Balfron High, asking us to go and meet with him and the headteacher. Jackie and I spent an hour with them and I was able to give a presentation about some of the projects we are supporting. It was really useful to meet face to face as we were able to talk about how many children and young people are needing a helping hand and how little food many of them have to eat and the daily struggles they face.

They are keen to form links between Balfron High School and Bright Futures Secondary School and communication between some of the students from both schools. We spoke about ways that we are trying to help Bright Futures Secondary School towards self-sufficiency by having projects that provide food and an income. I also suggested ways that the Balfron High students could help by donating maths sets, calculators and pencil cases to pass on to students in Malawi if they are no longer needed.

It was a really positive and informative discussion and we look forward to seeing what might happen after the school summer holidays.

In Malawi, the primary 8 students have done their national leavers exams and we have our fingers crossed that the ones supported by the Foundation will pass and therefore be able to start at Bright Futures Secondary School in September.

National high school exams are done at the end of S2 and also at the end of S4. The S2 students at Bright Futures Secondary School have been working hard. Their exams start on Tuesday for seven days. All we can ask is that they work hard and try their best. They have had such difficult lives that their school work has suffered. We have everything crossed for them!

So, looking forward to September 2023 and the new intake of S1 students. At the moment, we have nowhere to put them as we only have two classrooms. We need your help please to build another classroom. Will you help us please by donating to our fundraiser? https://gofund.me/ece5753a

All children have the right to a proper education.
All children have the right to food, clothes and warmth.
Bright Futures Secondary School is for the most vulnerable students who wouldn’t have been able to go to secondary school without support (secondary school has to be paid for in Malawi).
These students are each given a blanket as well as school uniform (and other clothes) and the supplies they need for school.
Each student is fed a nutritious and substantial meal each day (twice a day when we have extra funds). This is the only food many of them have each day so it is vital.
They have a clean water supply to drink and are able to have a shower at the shower block.
The Period Poverty Project means that all girls are given reusable sanitary towels made by a group of girls. We sent hand turn sewing machines and now no girl needs to miss a week of school each month.
All students have use of the well stocked library – Emma’s Rainbow Library and are learning how to use the computers there.
All students are learning skills for life through their Agricultural Lessons.
All students are regularly taking part in team sports.

Does this sound like a worthwhile project? As we have no admin costs or salaries because we are volunteers, all money donated goes to the projects we support. You can be sure that your donation towards a new classroom will go to that project. Foundations have been prepared and, as soon as we have more funds, work will start on building. However, we cannot do this alone. Please help us help these vulnerable children.

You can donate to phase 2 of Bright Futures Secondary School to build a new classroom https://gofund.me/ece5753a or you could you sponsor a student for £25 p/m? Or maybe you could commit £5 or £10 per month to the Feeding Programme? Our bank details are; Bank Of Scotland, Changing Lives Malawi, S/C 80-22-60, A/C 21081462 to make a donation. If you could put ‘school’ or ‘food’ or whatever project it is you are supporting as the reference please. We also have a rugby event in September that we are needing financial support with.

My email is contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com if you’d like more information about ways you can help us to support the children. I’ll put the links to some other relevant stories if you are new to reading my blogs. Many thanks for reading and supporting us, Sarah x

Monthly food parcels for some sponsored children

some of the sponsored children with their food parcels today

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Sarah’s blog 15/5/23

I don’t think any of us realise exactly how busy Levison is each day. One of his many tasks is doing welfare checks for the sponsored children and young people. Two sponsored young people have had bereavements in their families recently. The custom is that everyone who is able goes to the funeral which takes two days. Levison showed his support for both these families by attending. Another young person needed some medical treatment. Levison spent time with them prior to this talking with them to establish that they would benefit from a trip to the health centre. He needs to visit another family tomorrow to check on another sponsored child after not finding anyone at home today when he visited.

Also one of the key members of staff had a bereavement in their family last week and Levison attended that funeral. Days of planned work can go out of the window due to someone in the village passing away and also welfare checks on the young people. Several days have been spent trying to find enough maize to purchase for the children and young people’s monthly food parcels. Food is scarce and prices are high. It is not easy when so many people are relying on you.

Here are photos of some of the sponsored children and young people who came to collect their food today. I’m hoping for more photos later this week in order to get up to date photos of all sponsored children. If you would like to sponsor a child then please do get in touch. It’s only £25 per month and you can share that cost with a friend or family. contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com Thanks for reading and supporting us, Sarah x

Bright Futures Secondary School – phase 2

Grateful to the student who made these short videos for us.

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Sarah’s blog 27/4/23

We always knew that, if we were to help to build a school in Malawi, it would have to be done a bit at a time as, unfortunately, there is no big pot of money either here or in Malawi. But, time and again, thanks to hard work and our very generous supporters, we manage against the odds.

It is a struggle when there are hundreds of malnourished children who need feeding too, but we cannot spend all the donations on food or there would be nothing in place for their futures. Crops are planted to help provide vegetables. The fruit trees that were planted a couple of years ago are starting to produce fruit. No children are being fed in primary schools in the rural far north of Malawi. Everyone is hungry and malnourished. If you would like to support the feeding programme which feeds 500 children a substantial meal once a week then please do email contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com

We are a very small charity, run by volunteers who are passionate about helping to improve things for the most vulnerable children and young people in rural northern Malawi. As we are volunteers, we have no salaries or admin costs so 100% of all donations go to the projects we help to support.

Phase 1 of Bright Futures Secondary School opened in November 2022 and the vulnerable students have been benefitting from free uniforms, school supplies food and education. Secondary education usually has to be paid for in Malawi which means that it is usually out of reach for the young people we support.

The Form 1 and Form 2 classrooms were built, along with some staff accommodation. There were already latrines, a clean water supply, a shower block and a library that had been previously built, thanks to generous donations. Now we need to start thinking about phase 2 of Bright Futures Secondary School. The rainy season is almost over so it is the ideal time to start building in preparation for the new term in September.

Two more classrooms are needed for Forms 3 & 4. The Form 3 classroom is essential for September when everyone moves up a year and the new students start Form 1. More latrines are needed, more staff accommodation and hopefully a dormitory for these most vulnerable girls who have the furthest to walk. Will you help us please? These young people deserve our help. They deserve chances and choices. They deserve a brighter future.

Will you donate to our fundraiser? https://gofund.me/ece5753a Or could you commit to donating a monthly amount? our charity bank details are Sort Code 80-22-60 Account Number 21081462. Or you can email contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com .

Can you do a sponsored event for us? Will you host an event for your friends in aid of our charity? Could you invite us to speak at your club or church? Anyone who donates £500 or over can have their name, company name or the name of a loved one painted over a classroom door. Or how would you like to have a whole building named after your family or business? Or something painted on the roof of one of the buildings? As a team, we can do this together. Do you have a jar or coins that you’ve never got round to counting? We’d love to have them….every little helps.

I’m delighted to have another short video to share with you, made by the student who has been using his skills to help us. We’d be grateful if you were to share this with your friends and contacts on social media. I look forward to hearing from anyone with any ideas of how to raise some funds for phase 2. Thanks for your continued support, Sarah x

First Day of Bright Futures Secondary School 07/11/22

Agriculture Lessons at Bright Futures Secondary School

School Lunches at Bright Futures Secondary School

https://videopress.com/v/H2ta6Zyd?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&autoPlay=true&loop=true&playsinline=true&preloadContent=metadata&useAverageColor=true

Clean Water to Drink

Something we take for granted – this is the joy that having clean water can bring http://www.changinglivesmalawi.com

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Sarah’s blog 26/04/23

These two photos show the importance of clean water. The first photo was taken at the weekend. The second photo was taken on the day the tap was first connected to the clean water supply at The Foundation. The nursery children in that photo were the first ones to drink from it – actually the little girl, Josephine, was first.

So it’s the same tap with photos taken a few years apart but they are almost identical. A group of young children who are able to turn on a tap and delight when fresh, clean water flows out. (I altered both photos to black and white as it is easier to see the water droplets.)

These children attend Chambo Primary School where there is no water. We want to be able to replicate these scenes at Chambo Primary School. Clean drinking water should be available to all children. Thanks to a grant we have received from The Kitchen Table Charities Trust, soon there will be a tap just like this outside Chambo Primary School. We know that something we take for granted will bring those children great joy. We look forward to sharing those joyful photos with you.

WILL YOU HELP US? We are still hoping for more support with feeding these vulnerable children. If you can spare £5 per month towards our Feeding Programme you can either text FEEDING to 70480 or contact me for bank details to commit to a monthly amount. contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com . Thank you for helping us continue to help these malnourished children, Sarah x

https://videopress.com/v/vJGyMirQ?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&preloadContent=metadata&useAverageColor=true

Isa’s Orchard – the first fruits

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Sarah’s blog 18/4/23

Sustainability and self-sufficiency for the community we are working with in rural Northern Malawi is always the end goal. So much is being achieved but there is still so much more to do.

Because no children are being fed in primary schools in that area, all children are malnourished. All children are hungry. No children and young people whom we help to support have enough to eat. We MUST ensure they get food NOW to help them begin to thrive whilst also ensuring that there is food for the future.

This is why we are asking for more people to join our feeding team. By committing to just £5 per month, you will help us feed 500 malnourished children and young people more than just once a week. They deserve our help. They deserve food. They deserve to thrive. They need us. Please will you help us help them? contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com Our bank details are: Bank of Scotland, Changing Lives Malawi, Sort Code 80-22-60, Account Number 21605268. By donating £5 per month you WILL make a difference. You WILL help a child thrive. Please put ‘feeding’ as the reference.

It is a juggling act because we cannot spend all of the donations we receive on feeding the 500 orphans and other vulnerable children and young people. That just isn’t sustainable and there will be nothing to help the community be self-sufficient in the future. So whilst we are investing in this vulnerable community’s future, we need more help from our supporters to be able to provide enough food for the children now.

A couple of years ago, over 100 fruit tree saplings were bought and planted at The Foundation. The orchard was named after my lovely mother-in-law who had recently passed away. We made a personal donation towards buying some fruit tree saplings and lots more were bought by other people through an appeal. Unfortunately, the weather and also termites have killed some of the saplings. However, the majority are thriving and I was delighted with these photos that Levison sent me yesterday.

Amazingly the guava saplings are producing fruit now, even though the plants are still quite small. The orange and lemon saplings are doing well but have no fruit yet. Some more saplings are going to be planted soon. We would also love people to help pay for more saplings contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com Our bank details are: Bank of Scotland, Changing Lives Malawi, Sort Code 80-22-60, Account Number 21605268. £5 will buy two fruit tree saplings. Please put ‘saplings’ as the reference.

The hope is that this project will be sustainable for people and planet. Planting more trees is obviously vital for the planet and climate change. It will also help prevent against soil erosion in the heavy rains. Levison will send photos of the children eating the guavas when they are ready to be harvested in about a month’s time. In future years, especially if you help us plant more trees, there will be fruit for the children to eat and there will be extra fruit that will be able to be sold which will bring in an income for The Foundation. It’s really exciting to see the trees bearing fruit….may this be the first of many harvests supporting the 500 malnourished children.

I’ve put the links to previous posts about the fruit tree saplings and the orchard. I know Levison would like to also grow bananas in addition to the fruit trees in Isa’s Orchard. Who is driving you bananas that you would like to name a banana plantation after? Enjoy the photos of the first guava fruits and thank you for your support, Sarah x

In memory of a special lady – Changing Lives Malawi

Planting a Sustainable Future for People & Planet & also helping those affected by the recent hailstorm – Changing Lives Malawi

The first guava fruits are beginning to grow

The oranges and lemons are also growing well

Some young people planting and watering the saplings a couple of years ago

The fruit tree saplings when they were planted in Isa’s Orchard

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

Easter Study School, School Lunches & hungry students

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Sarah’s blog 05/4/23

Today Levison has sent photos of students at Bright Futures Secondary School and p8 at Chambo Primary School enjoying (if that’s the right word) their extra lessons and revision ahead of their exams in May. Even if they aren’t enjoying the additional classes, they are very thankful for the opportunity of having these extra lessons.

What all the students are delighted about is that they are having a substantial, nutritious, cooked school lunch every day. Students at Bright Futures Secondary School receive this every day, however this is a novelty for the students who are in p8 at Chambo Primary. There are over 60 of them so that is a lot of extra mouths to feed but how could we organise a study school and not provide food? How would they be able to study properly? Most of these students won’t find any food when they go home, or if they do, it will only be a very small amount.

So out with these Easter holidays, students at Chambo Primary School only receive one substantial meal at a weekend via The Feeding Programme. It’s not enough but there are 500 children to feed each weekend. We cannot do more alone. However, if we all commit to a small amount each month, then these vulnerable students will start to thrive. Their grades should go up as they are able to concentrate better. We wouldn’t expect our children to concentrate properly without breakfast, lunch and dinner. Yet these young people are expected to pass exams with just one proper meal each week. Children who are sponsored do receive some extra food at home each month, but it isn’t enough for the whole month.

What can you do to help? Can you commit to a few £££ each month? Our bank account is at Bank of Scotland, account name is Changing Lives Malawi, account number 21605268, sort code 80-22-60. Or can you make a one off donation? or alternatively you could text FEEDING to 70480 to donate £5 or an amount of your choice. Lets build a team around these vulnerable young people and give them the chance of a better and brighter future. Let’s give them the chances and choices they deserve contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com Thanks for reading and supporting, Sarah x

Sweet Potatoes, Maize & Beans – Changing Lives Malawi

Sunday lunch – Changing Lives Malawi

Easter Holiday Exam Preparation – Changing Lives Malawi

Sweet Potatoes, Maize & Beans

Students were busy planting sweet potato vines after lessons today

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Sarah’s blog 04/04/23

It’s Easter School Holidays in Malawi as well as here but we had arranged to support an Easter Study School for students. We had to arrange for them to be fed each day so they would be able to concentrate and study. We are still looking for supporters to contribute towards these extra costs please. contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com for our bank details or text FEEDING to 70480 to donate £5 towards feeding these hungry, vulnerable students. As the saying goes….every little helps!!

Maize is getting more and more scarce and more expensive as it is the rainy season and also because a lot of maize is being redistributed to the south of Malawi for the victims of the recent cyclone, meaning that it is becoming really difficult to secure enough food.

We sent some money last week as Levison had been able to secure some maize and beans towards feeding the students for the next two weeks. However, due to heavy rain and flooding, it wasn’t safe to go and fetch these supplies. Three days passed with heavy rain and the roads were more and more muddy. Would there be any food for students on Monday?

Levison was able to make a shorter journey on Saturday, in between the rain showers, to collect sweet potato vines. These were paid for by a donation for which we are very grateful. On Sunday late afternoon Levison and one of his staff set off to collect the maize and beans knowing that it was needed for the next day. However, their truck got stuck in the mud….they were there for 6 hours until another truck passed and was able to pull them out of the ditch. Nothing is ever easy or straightforward. I don’t think any of us realise just how difficult things are every day. However, thankfully, they returned with some food.

After lessons today, some of the students at Bright Futures Secondary School, helped with planting the sweet potato vines as part of their agricultural lessons. This crop is far less labour intensive than maize and, hopefully, the sweet potatoes should be ready after three months. There still won’t be a huge harvest considering that 500 hungry children turn up every weekend to be fed, but it is on the right road to self-sufficiency and these students are learning important skills for their futures.

Thanks for reading and supporting these vulnerable students, Sarah x