msce Archives

BFSS S4 Graduation

In today’s blog, I am sharing some amazing photos and videos from the BFSS S4 graduation ceremony and party.

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Sarah’s blog 26/6/26

In Scotland, where I live, for most, today is the last day of school before the summer holidays. For the S4 students in Malawi, it is their last day of school before their final school exams start on Monday. Today, I am sharing some amazing photos and videos from the BFSS S4 graduation ceremony and party.

The BFSS S4 graduation ceremony and party happened on Sunday afternoon. The teachers did a fantastic job of giving these students a great send off. This is the first lot of students from Bright Futures Secondary School to have completed all four years of education at Bright Futures and be sitting their MSCE exams (Malawi School Certificate of Education). We wish them every success in their exams and for their futures. We are so pleased to have these photos and videos of the BFSS S4 Graduation.

We are all so proud of the young people they have become. Whilst at BFSS, as well as learning the curriculum subjects, they have better numeracy, literacy, they have learned how to grow vegetables and care of chickens, pigs and goats, they have learned how to sew and do some basic carpentry. The students have enjoyed playing football, netball and rugby with their friends.

Above all, they have had the opportunity for a brighter future. Who knows if the girls would have been married off at age 12 or 13 and have had babies by now? Who knows if the boys would have been having to steal to feed themselves? Thankfully, because of the opportunity they have been given, they now have more choices and chances for a brighter future.

Thank you to their teachers for all their hard work. Thank you to the parents and caregivers for encouraging the young people to attend school. Most of these students are either from single parent families or living with extended family. They are all living in extreme poverty and know that education will give them and their loved ones the opportunity of a brighter future.

So we thank their sponsors for supporting these young people through school. Your monthly donation of £25 has provided a nutritious school lunch each day which, for most, is the only food they eat each day. You have also helped provide the stationery that the students need. Periodically, the young people receive new clothes and shoes. As you can see in these great photos and videos, the young people have been given new clothes. The t-shirts were donated by All Saints Junior School in Maidenhead.

So as we say ‘goodbye and good luck’ to these wonderful young people, we are looking for people to sponsor and support students who are looking for a place at Bright Futures Secondary School in September. The more people who want to help, the more young people can be offered a place in S1 in September. We really do need your help to give other deserving young people the opportunity of a brighter future. Will you join us? contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com It’s only 85p per day to change a life.

Enjoy the photos and videos and do get in touch if you would like to support a young person like one of these amazing students graduating from Bright Futures Secondary School today. Thanks for reading and supporting the students, Bright Futures Secondary School and Changing Lives Malawi, Sarah x

S4 exams

S4 exams

The students at Bright Futures Secondary School who are in S4 only have this week left of school before their final S4 exams start. They are all hoping to pass their MSCE (Malawi School Certificate of Education), although it will be a few months until they find out their results.

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Sarah’s blog 23/6/26

It’s a huge achievement for them to get this far as they had been some of the most vulnerable students and some of them had missed periods of schooling when they were younger. We are very proud of them for persevering and wish them every success in their final S4 exams and their futures.

It’s also a big deal for Bright Futures Secondary School…these are the first students who have come all the way through the four years of school since it opened.

Students sit JCE (junior certificate of education) at the end of s2. Some students, unfortunately, are not able to get past this level or opt out of school for a variety of reasons. Life is extremely hard for the young people attending BFSS. So the fact that they are achieving, despite their other issues, is amazing.

These students will go to Chisenga School to sit exams and we have paid for transport and food for them each day.

After they have finished their exams, they will continue to receive monthly food parcels until they get their exams start results as, in the meantime they are still wanting to get some work experience helping at Bright Futures Campus.

We are hoping to have more sponsors for new s1 students who will start at Bright Futures in September. The more sponsors we have then the more students can attend secondary school and have a brighter future. It’s still only £25 to sponsor a young person so please do get in touch if you can help contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com. Without your help we cannot support the most vulnerable…and there are lots of young people asking for places at BFSS.

Being in secondary school has far more benefits than learning the curriculum. Young people are being fed every day. They are learning skills for life like agriculture, sewing and carpentry. They are playing sport. Girls are far less likely to become pregnant and also less likely to be married off too young. Boys are less likely to get into trouble with the police.

All this requires team work and we thank the teachers and the sponsors for supporting these young people.

I also want to tell you about Emily, another young person. Emily was sponsored and won a place at Wenya Secondary School. She passed her MSCE last year. However, she wanted to sit them again and try for better grades. She has been working on campus, and being paid, while she also studies. We have paid for her to sit her exams again this year and wish her the best of luck.

So this small group of young people have now got choices and chances for a brighter future that they would not otherwise have had. They have better literacy and numeracy than if they’d not had the chance of going to secondary school. They’ve learned practical skills. They’ve been able to spend time with their friends instead of working for a pittance. Thank you for helping us continue Changing Lives (in) Malawi. Please do continue to support the next young people who want the opportunity to attend Bright Futures Secondary School. Get in touch and make a difference. contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com Thanks so much, Sarah x

The Day of the African Child

This photo is from when Bright Futures Secondary School first opened a few years ago.

Congratulations Catherine, Emily & Naomi!

Exciting news for Emily, Catherine and Naomi who have passed their exams. Well done girls. We are so proud of you.

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Sarah’s blog 19/9/24

Some very good news today…. Catherine, Emily and Naomi have passed their MSCE school leavers exams. We are absolutely delighted for them. This is the difference that having a sponsor can make to a young person.

Before Bright Futures Secondary School was built, there weren’t enough places at local secondary schools. Students were picked to go to a secondary school depending on their grades. So if students only just passed their primary school leavers exams, they often don’t get picked for a place at a government secondary school. This was one of the reasons for building Bright Futures Secondary School. Also, of course, none of the children we help to support could afford the school fees anyway.

Catherine and Emily got such good grades in their Primary School Leavers Exams that they were picked for a school called Wenya Secondary School. This is further away and a more expensive school than Chisenga Secondary where sponsored students who were selected for secondary school usually went.

Catherine and Emily have been sponsored all the way through their four years of secondary school. We topped up the money that their sponsors paid monthly as their fees were more expensive. We felt it was important that they went to Wenya Secondary as they had excellent grades and it would be good for them to have that experience. They have worked hard and we are so proud of them!

We were concerned about Naomi. She had to leave school to look after her sick auntie but asked if she could be sponsored at a secondary school near her aunt’s house as a day pupil. So although she has had the opportunity of a secondary education, she hasn’t had it easy with having a caring role as well as studying. So we are absolutely delighted for her that she has passed her s4 exams. That is a real achievement as she has obviously worked very hard. We are really proud of what she has achieved.

The three girls will hopefully come to see Levison soon so he can congratulate them and pass on our congratulations too. Also, Levison wants them to speak to the students at BFSS to encourage them. Catherine’s grades mean that she could go to university and Emily to college. Hopefully, Naomi will be able to secure a job or go to college part time. They will all have to find jobs and save up until they can afford to continue their studies but they are determined young ladies who have been given choices and chances that they wouldn’t usually have had.

Before they and others started secondary school, Levison had a huge shopping list and I suggested that he take Catherine and Emily with him to town and they could help him with the shopping. He hired a car and they had a great day. That was the first time either of the girls had been to town, or eaten in a cafe. So it was a very good experience for them prior to going away to boarding school at Wenya.

The fabulous news about each of these young people is testimony to their hard work and determination but also with thanks to their sponsors for supporting them financially. Of course, Levison and team are to be congratulated too. Without them there would be no brighter futures for young people in that community. These three girls are role models for the students still at school. To be able to see what they have achieved will be a real motivator for others living in extreme poverty and dreaming of a brighter future at Bright Futures Secondary School.

If you would like to sponsor a young person and give the gift of education, it is only £25 per month. contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com

We are still trying to raise money for the repair of the truck which is vital for transporting food and other supplies for the hundreds of young people who we help to support. Here is the link to donate https://donorsee.com/project/24823?share=1

Also our fundraiser to send boxes of books to Malawi for our School Literacy Project is here https://gofund.me/3aa7d1cd and we would be very grateful if you were able to spare a few £££ to support one of our projects.

We will bring more photos of the three girls when they next visit Bright Futures Campus. Many thanks for reading and supporting us to continue Changing Lives (in) Malawi, Sarah x

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