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
We are grateful to receive more sports kit to send to Malawi for teams that do not have matching kit.
Sarah’s blog 31/3/23
We have been very fortunate to have had several individuals and organisations donating sports kit and equipment to us for use by the vulnerable young people we support in rural northern Malawi.
Strathendrick Rugby Club and Merchiston Castle School have very kindly donated kit, boots and rugby balls and there will be some other donations coming soon from other supporters.
Via Julian Chenery from ‘Wear a Sports Shirt Day’ there has been hockey kit from Bromley & Beckenham Hockey Club, and numerous football kits as well as Christmas Jumpers and Christmas hats. Julian spends nearly every weekend collecting preloved kits from clubs to pass on to a variety of charities. Sports kits then are able to be reused by teams who wouldn’t otherwise have been able to afford to buy matching kit.
Julian messaged me the other day to say that he has sent football kits kindly donated by Swale Ladies Football Club and Borden Village Football Club which made it in time to be loaded onto the Bananabox Trust container which is now on its way to Malawi. We will, of course, show photos when those arrive.
Julian also met with Mark Meekings who runs ‘Kitz4Kidz’ who have donated kit they have collected for use in Malawi. Thanks to Julian and Mark and to those who donated kit – photos to follow when the kit arrives in Malawi. Thanks also to the volunteers at Bananabox Trust for their hard work ensuring everything is recorded and packed safely into the containers.
During the two week Easter holidays, we are facilitating the running of an Easter Study School for the 66 p8 students at Chambo Primary School and the students at Bright Futures Secondary School. Lessons will run Monday – Thursday during the first week and Tuesday – Friday the second week. On Good Friday and Easter Monday, the young people will be playing organised team sports.
For 10 days during the holidays all these students will receive a substantial, nutritious cooked lunch. This will probably be their only proper meal of the day. This meal might be the only food that they eat that day. We would be very grateful for help towards providing this food. You can email me at contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com for bank details or you can text FEEDING to 70480. Every £5 or £10 donated will make a huge difference to these vulnerable students and help them concentrate whilst they study. Thank you, Sarah x
Thank you to Swale Ladies and Borden Village football clubs who have donated their kit through Julian at ‘Wear a Sports Shirt Day’
Julian from Wear a Sports Shirt Day (left) with Mark from Kitz4KidzStudents at Bright Futures Secondary School with rugby kit donated by Merchiston Castle School, EdinburghKit from Bromley & Beckenham Hockey Club kindly donated via Wear A Sports Shirt DayFakenham Town FC kit kindly donated via Wear a Sports Shirt DayCan you please help us feed vulnerable students during the Easter holidays?
What does Sunday lunch mean to you? I guess it means something different to each of us. It might be that some people are working on a Sunday so it’s just a quick sandwich. Or that your kids are involved in sport so it’s something quick to eat when you can. Are you able to sleep late and have a lazy brunch on Sundays? Or do all the family come and eat together round the table and have a roast dinner?
Whatever the traditional Sunday is at your house, I doubt you look forward to the food you will eat as much as these children do. These children are mostly orphans, living with extended family, or vulnerable children from very poor families. None of these children have a proper meals every day at home. No big charities are feeding children in primary schools in this area. This is the most substantial and nutritious meal these children will get each week.
I cannot imagine only eating once a day. I cannot imagine eating less than this meal for six days of the week. I cannot imagine going to bed so hungry that I couldn’t sleep. I cannot imagine not being able to feed my children. I cannot imagine having to walk a long distance in order to have a meal.
Some of these children have walked up to 20km for this food. And then they walk up to 20km home. We can only afford to run The Feeding Programme once a week. These children need and deserve more. The end goal for this community is self-sufficiency but, until that can happen, we need to feed these children. Up to 500 children of all ages come to receive food each week. Yesterday there were 412 came to be fed. The youngest are always fed first. How can they manage until next weekend’s Feeding Programme? Maize prices have risen and things are even harder than they were.
Can you help us please? We are asking 100 people to commit to £1 per week to help us ensure The Feeding Programme can continue and we can provide for everyone who needs food. contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com Will you spare £1 per week to help us continue feeding these malnourished children? please do help us to continue helping these vulnerable children. Thanks for reading, Sarah x
