Tag: hunger

Life is so hard

Levison and team had such a difficult and challenging journey to collect the boxes we sent. Thankfully they are back safely and you can read about their journey in today’s blog.

Sarah’s blog 26/2/25

I wanted to write this blog as I don’t think any of us can imagine just how hard life is for the community we are supporting in rural northern Malawi.

Everything takes so much longer and costs more because of distances. When visiting people’s homes, much of it has to be done on foot as places are not suitable for vehicles or even the motorbike struggles sometimes. Rivers have to be crossed and, if it has been raining, this is too dangerous. And what if Levison is doing a welfare check and finds no one at home? The family won’t have a phone, a message will have to be left with someone and he will need to try again. Nothing is simple.

Also, what if there is no fuel available? Periodically, the fuel stations are empty and any fuel is rationed. Food and other items are going up in price all the time. So many are struggling, but for those in the far north it is exceptionally hard.

We heard that the Bananabox Trust container had arrived in Lilongwe last week and that it was travelling north to Ekwendeni (near Mzuzu) on Friday ready to be unloaded on Saturday morning. There is always a last minute rush to get things organised and set off on the long journey to meet the container and collect all the boxes that we and a few others had sent. It’s also a time to have a quick catch up with friends who run other organisations.

We are very glad that the truck was successfully repaired last month and for the financial help we received from some supporters towards this. The journey is just short of 200 miles. Levison and two of his team set off on Friday morning. They stopped for a few hours rest at Karonga then carried on to Ekwendeni. Thankfully, the road is a bit better between Karonga and Ekwendeni as it is a main road.

Once they had loaded all the boxes, they started back on Saturday afternoon. In Karonga they had a puncture and had to get a replacement tyre. Between Karonga and Chitipa the mud was so bad due to the heavy rain that the truck was stuck, along with some other vehicles and couldn’t move for several hours.

Finally, on Monday afternoon they arrived back on campus before school finished and the students at Bright Futures Secondary School were able to help unload the truck. I don’t think many of us could imagine a journey like that. Also, there is a risk of people attacking a vehicle when stopped and stealing some of the boxes, so someone has to remain alert at all times.

None of the children will realise how difficult this journey was to bring them books, clothes and shoes as well as baby clothes, blankets and school resources. But we are very thankful for the dedication and hard work of Levison and his team. It is a real labour of love and of sacrifice for others.

Over the next few days they will begin to open the boxes and I am sure there will be some photos of happy children getting some of the things they need.

I only wish that there could be a truckload of food delivered too or that feeding programmes were set up in primary schools as everyone is so hungry and we can only help to feed 500 children once a week. One proper meal a week is just not enough to fight off malnutrition. It seems like sometimes we take three steps forward and then two back as prices rise and less is available for the funds we have. Hopefully, we keep moving forward with the help of our supporters. It’s always about teamwork and thankfully we have a great team! Hope you enjoy these photos and videos and that, together with my blog, they give a good insight into the challenges faced by supporting a community in the rural far north of Malawi.

https://donorsee.com/project/26104?share=1 this is the link if you’d like to donate to help feed the children.

And here is the link to help repair the big holes in the roof of a family who are in dire need https://donorsee.com/project/26482?share=1 or you could contact us for bank details at contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com . Thanks so much for reading and supporting us, Sarah x

The Feeding Programme Update

The Feeding Programme needs your help to ensure it has enough resources to feed 500 children.

Sarah’s blog 5/01/25

Firstly, I’d like to wish everyone a very Happy New Year! Hoping 2025 is a good year for everyone. We hope that 2025 continues to bring more positive changes in Malawi, thanks to our supporters.

The Feeding Programme was on today and Levison kindly made a couple of videos for me. Whilst the end goal has always been self-sufficiency and sustainability, the children need feeding now. They are all hungry and most are suffering from malnutrition. The night after they have been fed is the only time of the week that these children do not go to sleep hungry. Most of the children are orphans, living with extended family. There is not enough food to go round and girls are at real risk of being married off at age 11 or 12 so that there is one less mouth to feed.

There are no big charities working in the rural far north feeding children in primary schools so children are walking for miles to get a proper meal at the weekly feeding programme. Once a week isn’t enough, but it is all we can afford whilst we set up sustainable and income generating projects.

Food prices continue to rise in Malawi and life is a huge struggle. Will you help us to ensure that there is enough food for all the children who come to the weekly feeding programme please? you can either donate here https://donorsee.com/project/26104?share=1 or contact me for bank details contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com . Thank you for your ongoing support and I hope you find these videos interesting. Thanks, Sarah x

Christmas Parties

Well over 500 hungry children turned up to be fed at the Christmas Party yesterday. http://www.changinglivesmalawi.com

Sarah’s blog 26/12/24

Wishing all our supporters a very Happy Christmas and Happy & Healthy New Year.

This week has been extremely busy for Levison and his team with organising two Christmas parties in addition to the usual daily chores.

Despite the rains having started, it has been dry for a few days so the tree planting has been delayed until the ground is wet and the saplings will have a better chance of survival. Hopefully, we can bring photos of this in the next couple of weeks. This was probably good that it will take place at a later date because of how busy it has been.

Firstly, there was a party for the students at Bright Futures Secondary School to celebrate their exams finishing and it being the end of term. After helping care for the animals, the students shared a meal and played some games. All the students at BFSS were given a sports top to wear at home. Then, yesterday, on Christmas Day, there was a party for all the children.

Because it had not been raining for a few days, the water levels in the rivers and streams were low so children came from miles around – even children who do not usually use the feeding programme. News had spread that there would be food and, because they are so hungry, children were prepared to walk a long way to take part – some walking from up to 20km away.

THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN FAR EXCEEDED 500. Food prices have almost doubled and most children are malnourished and families are really struggling to feed the children each day. We are going to have to try to do more to ensure children have more to eat as there are no porridge programmes in primary schools that far north. We need more help to make things better. So yesterday was a real treat for all the children who attended.

All children received a nourishing and filling meal. The youngest children are fed first and it takes several sittings to feed them all. After that, there were games to play. Many children, were very interested in looking at the pigs. Because of religious reasons, lots of the children hadn’t ever seen pigs before as they are scarce in that area. The pigs found themselves the centre of attention!

We want to take this opportunity of thanking the supporters who gave money to help provide food for the Christmas parties and also to thank Levison and his team for all their hard work and enthusiasm for making this happen. If it wasn’t for them giving up their free time, none of these children would have had a proper meal on Christmas Day.

We are trying to help this community towards self-sufficiency. So here are some ways that you could help us please if you are able to make a small donation;

This is the link to buy some more piglets https://donorsee.com/project/25707?share=1

If you’d like to help provide notebooks and pencils for the students at Chambo Primary then here is the link https://donorsee.com/project/25617?share=1

To help the students at Bright Futures Secondary School grow there own crops then please donate here https://donorsee.com/project/24114?share=1 or you could contact me for bank details contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com

I think, next year, we need to have someone dedicated to taking photos as Levison was far too busy helping with feeding the children and organising everything to take lots of photos this time. We hope you enjoy these photos and videos of the children and thank you for helping to make a difference. Sarah x

Hunger and malnutrition in Malawi

Please read this news article. The children we help to support are some of the most vulnerable in Malawi and need your help.

Sarah’s blog 30/11/24

I saw that a friend on Facebook had shared this newspaper article on hunger and malnutrition in Malawi. I asked Levison if he was ok with me sharing it. I am aware of trying to get a balance between positive and good news stories against those stories that are about how people are struggling and need our help. Levison said ‘This is the truth. It is pathetic to see how kids suffer from hunger in Malawi and we expect them to do well in class.’ So here it is. (I will retype some of it as it will be difficult to read if looking at it on a phone).

A 2024 Global Hunger Index (GHI) report has indicated that the hunger situation in Malawi is serious….According to the report, Malawi faces significant challenges regarding food security and nutrition, exacerbated by several factors which include high levels of poverty, reliance on subsistence farming and vulnerability to climate shocks. The report says that, despite progress being made, hunger has declined only marginally since 2016 and that the prospects for achieving zero hunger by 2030 are grim. Malawi has about 4.7 million food insecure people. The report says progress in reducing all four GHI indications – under-nutrition, child stunting, child wasting and child mortality – is lagging behind international targets.

This is why we need you help. Yes, progress is being made and we (thanks to our wonderful supporters) have several successful building projects under our belts now including; Bright Futures Secondary School, Emma’s Rainbow Library, a shower block, latrines, and Teachers’ accommodation. There is clean drinking water too as well as an orchard, hens and now three pigs.

However, whilst progress is being made for future sustainability and self-sufficiency… 500 of the most vulnerable children are only being fed at The Feeding Programme once a week. It’s not enough. Some are walking from up to 20kms for that one proper meal of the week. Some are carrying toddler siblings. One nutritious meal per week is not enough but it is all we can afford. Some girls are still at risk of being married off too young as families cannot feed them.

There are no big charities are feeding children in schools in the rural north. That immediately puts these children at a huge disadvantage. How can they sleep properly if they are hungry and cold? How can they concentrate if they are tired? How can we expect them to retain information if they are malnourished and not eating properly each day?

This is why these children need your help and why we keep appealing for donations. The end goal is sustainability and self-sufficiency but the children need more – now. We need to do more to relieve the hunger and malnutrition amongst the children we help to support. Will you help?

We are now in the run up to the end of 2024… another year that has gone so quickly! And we are hoping that you might include one of our projects in your charity giving. We have a page on DonorSee where there are a few projects – some of which are food for the future while others, like the Christmas Party appeal, are to give children an extra meal and a party. Will you help us please? As we are volunteers, all money we receive goes to the projects we support.

You can either email me for bank details contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com , or give via the link on the website Donate money to Changing Lives Malawi or via our page on DonorSee. The link to the children’s party is here https://donorsee.com/project/25004?share=1

Thank you so much to everyone for your support. We always say it’s about teamwork and we need you on our team to continue Changing Lives (in) Malawi. Thank you for reading and giving, Sarah x

Bananas – a sustainable project
Some of the children queuing up to be fed
children are fed in age groups with the youngest ones being first
Please help us ensure that there is funding for the children’s Christmas Party
Your support means that some of the most vulnerable children in Malawi will receive an extra meal and a fun time with their friends.

International Day of Charity

On International Day of Charity will you join our supporters by donating to one of our projects. You will be helping some of the most vulnerable children in Malawi.

Sarah’s blog 5/9/24

“Show kindness and compassion to others” is the slogan of the International Day of Charity set up by The United Nations.

As you might know, because we are supporting a whole community living in extreme poverty. Support in the rural far north of Malawi is minimal so we are trying to work with the team there taking an holistic approach. Which is why you will see me doing so many appeals for different projects. However, they all lead to the end goal of self-sufficiency and sustainability.

Currently, there is new accommodation being built for teachers as there is nowhere locally for them to rent. It’s really difficult to get teachers to come to such a rural location and of course they need to be paid!

We still have nine young people who have passed their primary school leavers exams who are desperately looking for sponsors so they can attend Bright Futures Secondary School. Secondary Education needs to be paid for in Malawi. None of the young people we support can afford to pay. Being sponsored ensures the student gets free secondary education, free stationery and uniform and a free school lunch. This is, for most, their only meal of the day and means at home there is one less mouth to have to feed.

Ensuring young people get to secondary school also means that there are far less teenage pregnancies than there would normally be and also less risk of girls being married off far too young. Even if students do not pass their final exams (of course we hope that they do), being in school has avoided these risks and students will be far more literate and numerate and have more life skills than if they hadn’t attended secondary school.

So please would you sponsor one of these 9 young people to go to Bright Futures Secondary School? It’s only £25 per month to sponsor a student. You could sponsor as an individual, or split the cost with a friend…or even 5 friends each paying just £5 per month. contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com if you’d like to give a vulnerable young person a brighter future.

5 weeks to find sponsors for 11 vulnerable students

Or could you help with core costs of running the school each month? Or make a one off or monthly payment towards the expense of food for school lunches? contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com

Here are some of our projects that we are hoping to get funded on DonorSee

https://gofund.me/df580f5b This is the fundraiser for our School Literacy Project.

With your help, we are Changing Lives (in) Malawi. But it’s always about teamwork and we need to on our team to support hundreds of the most vulnerable children in Malawi, many of whom are orphans. On International Day of Charity, will you help a child? Thank you for reading and supporting our work, Sarah x

Lots of the children arriving at Bright Futures Campus to be fed – it’s their one proper meal of the week. It’s not enough but all we can afford while we help set up sustainable projects.

Clothes and soft toys for the children at Bright Futures Nursery

Vulnerable students were delighted to receive new school uniform when Bright Futures Secondary School opened in Nov 22.

Sustainable Projects

Sustainability and Self-sufficiency are the end goals. Please read today’s blog about how we are trying to help achieve this.

Sarah’s blog 3/7/24

Every day I want to wave a magic wand to do progress all our projects asap. Clearly that doesn’t work and my magic wand has been sent for repair!

One big issue that we have is that no big charities are feeding malnourished children in primary schools that far north. We cannot ignore this issue. We are feeding 500 of the most vulnerable children once a week. They have a substantial, nutritious meal. Some of them are walking 15km-20km for this food. It’s not good enough but all we can afford. We need your help and support with this please as costs keep rising.

We are trying to help set up sustainable projects for a better future for all of them. By planting fruit tree saplings, they will have future food and a sustainable income – being able to sell surplus fruit at the local markets. The same is happening with a chicken project and a pig project – providing future food and income. There are other small projects that will be set up providing jobs, income and food for families. The community needs and wants a hand up not a handout.

We have started using a fundraising site called DonorSee. We have a page on there with several projects posted. The idea is that the more people who donate to your projects, the more visible the projects are to other potential donors. We are conscious that we are asking a lot of our supporters, so this is one way of trying to find new supporters. The majority of the people on DonorSee are in USA.

What I would be really grateful if you could do please… is I need 15 people to each donate £5 (or $5) just a small amount. Login or make an account on DonorSee and just give a small amount and we will move further up the page that others will see our projects….we’ve already received over £1,000 and fully funded 4 projects. Please? It’s always about teamwork and we need you on our team.

https://donorsee.com/project/23894?share=1 is the link to the Pig Project.

https://donorsee.com/project/23627?share=1 is the link to donate to our Fruit Tree Sapling Project.

https://donorsee.com/project/23035?share=1 is the link to help feed the vulnerable children each week.

Thank you for all the support we receive, Sarah x

The Feeding Programme

Sarah’s blog 10/3/24

Today the team fed hundreds of hungry children. Most are orphans. All are very vulnerable and suffering from malnutrition.

No big charities are feeding children in primary schools in rural northern Malawi. Most of these children do not eat properly every day. They go to bed hungry. They go to school hungry. They are tired. They cannot concentrate.

We are a small charity, run by passionate volunteers. We can only afford to feed 500 children a nutritious meal once a week. Some walk from as far as 15km-20km to receive their one proper meal of the week. Life isn’t fair. We need to do more. But we need to build our team as we cannot do everything by ourselves.

If you can commit £5 or £10 per month to support the feeding programme then please set up a monthly payment with these bank details: Bank of Scotland, Changing Lives Malawi, Sort Code 80-22-60, Account Number 21081462 or we would be grateful for single donations too in order that we can keep feeding the children each week as prices are constantly rising and maize is very scarce. contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com

You will notice that I have zoomed in on one of the photos as a girl has a baby on her back…her younger sibling. Lots of children and young people carry babies to the feeding programme. This baby refused food as he is sick and we hope that the parents have enough money to take the baby to the health centre. As it is the rainy season, malaria is very common from the huge amount of mosquitos.

I’ve struggled to write this tonight as it’s Mothers’ Day here in the UK and I’ve had breakfast, been out for lunch and had a lovely dinner cooked for me and had gifts from my three boys.

The contrast between our lives here and children receiving one proper meal per week is stark. It’s not enough. We must do more. But we need your help. I’ve borrowed some words from others which I thought would help get my message across. Please help if you can, Sarah x

‘Hunger is not an issue of charity, it is an issue of justice.’

Jacques Diouf (former Director-General, Food and Agriculture Organisation)

‘If you cannot feed a hundred people, then feed just one.’

Mother Theresa

‘Hunger is an outrage in a world of plenty.’

Antonio Guterres (Secretary-General of UN)

‘Poverty is a very complicated issue, but feeding a child isn’t.’

Jeff Bridges (Actor)

‘There’s enough on this planet for everyone’s needs but not for everyone’s greed.’

Mahatma Gandhi

Scotland Malawi Partnership Meeting

Food Insecurity in Malawi – Scotland Malawi Partnership meeting

Sarah’s blog 26/02/24

As Changing Lives Malawi is a member of the Scotland Malawi Partnership, we get notification about various meetings and invitations to attend. Last week there were three sessions I had wanted to listen to but we had lots of germs in our house last week and a child who was off school for a couple of days.

I was really glad to have been able to attend this meeting via zoom. Topics for this meeting included;

  1. Malawi’s Current Food Insecurity Crisis which is impacting 4.2 million people.
  2. The Malawian Parliamentary Women’s Caucus.
  3. Human Rights in Malawi.

There were Malawian MPs, a Human Rights Commissioner and an NGO Board Member as speakers as well as members of Scottish Parliament and lots of charities and third sector representatives.

After listening to the speakers, who were extremely interesting, there was an opportunity to ask questions or make comments. I typed my comment into the text box, as did some others, and I was fortunate to be able to tell the panel about Changing Lives Malawi and the struggles that we face because we are helping such a remote community. There are no big charities feeding children in primary schools in that area. All the children we are helping to support are suffering from malnutrition.

If you’d like to hear me speak, you can skip forward to 49.30. You will hear I’m full of the cold but still speaking out for the thousands of vulnerable children in the rural far north whose voices aren’t heard. I was very thankful to have this opportunity. One day there will be enough food for everyone but until then, I will keep using opportunities like that on behalf of orphans and other vulnerable children who cannot speak up for themselves to say how hungry they are.

If you’d like to help towards feeding hungry children then please email contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com Thank you, Sarah x

Stuck in the mud – the daily struggle

Sarah’s blog 17/02/24

I wanted to share this photo with you. I wish I had a magic wand I could wave to make things better. This is the reality in rural northern Malawi for the team supporting over 500 orphans and other vulnerable children.

There are no ‘proper’ roads. In the rainy season, they turn to mud. There is no maize to buy….. the situation is serious…no big charities are feeding children in schools in the rural far north so most children are malnourished. We can only afford to feed 500 children once a week – of course it’s not enough – but we are trying to help set up sustainable projects for a better brighter future.

Levison heard about some maize for sale 40km away….. in the towns that would be quite straightforward….not in the rural far north ….. Levison sent this photo….stuck in the mud. It’s a labour of love looking after these children. It would be easy to say that they aren’t able to fetch maize with the road conditions….but the team care about these children so much. They are living in extreme poverty and they are going to bed hungry each night.

If you can spare £5 or £10 per month to commit to helping us with the feeding programme, it would be so appreciated. Rice is available but it is more expensive than maize. The situation is dire. The charity bank details are; Bank of Scotland, Changing Lives Malawi, Account no 21081462, Sort Code 80-22-60. Or could you make a one off donation to help towards sustainable projects like buying fruit tree saplings or sweet potato vines or other vegetable seeds? contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com

I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed today and feeling like a huge responsibility for feeding these children is on my shoulders. Life is such a struggle in that part of the world. Please help us build up a bigger team to feed and support hundreds of very hungry children living in extreme poverty. Thanks, Sarah x

Trying to fetch maize to feed the children. Maize is scarce and expensive and the team have had to travel 40km today…. ‘roads’ turn to mud in the rainy season…life is a constant struggle

Advent Calendar – highlighting projects & children – day 4

Sarah’s blog 4/12/23

Today, 4th December we are highlighting food poverty and our feeding programme. I know I do go on about feeding children and education but it’s something I’m passionate about. So here are a few facts to read and we really would appreciate any help you can give.

  1. Did you know that there are no big charities feeding children in schools in the area we are supporting in the rural far north of Malawi?
  2. We send money to feed 500 orphans and other vulnerable children once a week. That’s all we can afford.
  3. This feeding programme was just intended for malnourished children in the immediate area, however word spread and the need is so great that some children will walk up to 20km for this one nutritious meal of the week.
  4. Teachers at Chambo Primary School have noticed an improvement in the concentration of these children even from one meal per week. Imagine if we could feed them more?
  5. Food prices are going up all the time and food is getting more scarce now the rainy season has started.
  6. Children are taught how to grow crops as agriculture lessons are a core subject on the curriculum, and important life skills to learn.
  7. Maize, sweet potatoes, cabbage and other vegetables are grown to be used to feed the children. However, these do not last long for 500 hungry children.
  8. Fruit tree saplings were planted a couple of years ago. Some bushes had fruit for the first time this year. However, the nursery children were so hungry that they picked the fruit and ate it. We have sent money to plant more fruit tree saplings now the rains are starting. This will provide much needed food and an income in the future and will, of course, also help the planet.
  9. Children in the nursery are fed 5 times a week.
  10. Students at Bright Futures Secondary School are fed 5 times a week.

Please will you help us as the situation is serious. Children are malnourished and hungry. Can you donate money for food please? or commit to £5 or £10 p/m towards the feeding programme. contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com https://gofund.me/d3cf8c3a Thank you, Sarah x

How far should you walk for lunch?

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

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

Tasiyana looks so hungry and exhausted
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

Sweet Potatoes, Maize & Beans

Students were busy planting sweet potato vines after lessons today

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