Tag: music

Celebrating Success at Bright Futures Secondary School

Sarah’s blog 22/10/25

Celebrating success at Bright Futures Secondary school is becoming a tradition. All students in S3 had passed their national exams at the end of S2 – Junior Certificate of Education. They were given a party on Friday. Other students joined in at lunchtime but the S3 class were given the afternoon off and were free to continue celebrating and having fun.

Knowing that hard work and effort is celebrated at Bright Futures Secondary School helps to motivate the S1 and S2 students as they look forward to having a party to celebrate their success.

None of these young people have enough food at their homes. Most are orphans living with extended family. All are living in extreme poverty and have suffered trauma. None have money for school fees, new clothes or shoes, stationery or school lunches. That is all free at Bright Futures Secondary School, thanks to their sponsors.

So celebrating their achievements is important. Helping them feel valued is important. Raising their self-esteem is important. Nurturing them to be the best they can be is important. Counselling students and listening to them when they are struggling is important. Supporting these students holistically is important.

A student at Bright Futures Secondary School can expect more than just lessons and passing exams. They can expect support. They can expect understanding. They can expect encouragement. They can expect to be listened to. They can expect the best at Bright Futures Secondary School.

That’s why the staff at BFSS are far more than teachers. We are so grateful for the care and understanding they give to these vulnerable students who have been through so much already. These teachers can and do make a difference and their support and encouragement for the students in their care and the ethos of the school will give these vulnerable teenagers a much brighter future. They are positive role models for these students and we are pleased that they want to help students be the best that they can be.

There are still some new students in S1 who are waiting for a sponsor to help us support their education. Could you give the gift of education and help us continue Changing Lives (in) Malawi? contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com

Celebrating success at Bright Futures Secondary School is important… and look at these smiles which are wonderful to see. Thank you for reading and supporting our work. We need you as part of the team supporting these vulnerable teenagers. Enjoy the photos and videos, Sarah x

We have some projects on fundraising site DonorSee for Bright Futures Secondary School. You can donate via the link or email us for bank details. https://donorsee.com/project/29095?share=1

International Day of the Girl Child
Fantastic fun was had by everyone!

Celebrating the success of 3 girls

Thanks to their sponsors and their own hard work, Catherine, Emily and Naomi now have a brighter future and choices and chances they wouldn’t previously have had. Well done girls!

Sarah’s blog 30/10/24

This is such a good news story and we are all so proud of these girls. Also we are grateful to their sponsors – this story is about the difference that having a sponsor can make!

Last week there was a day of celebration at Bright Futures Secondary School. Three girls, all of whom are orphans living with extended family and all of whom live in extreme poverty, were being congratulated for working hard through secondary school and passing their Malawi Certificate of Education at the end of four years of secondary school. Without having been matched with sponsors, they wouldn’t have had the opportunities they have received to continue their studies further than the end of primary school.

Catherine, Emily and Naomi were all invited to Bright Futures Secondary School where their success was celebrated. There was a meal for all to share, music and dancing and the three girl were able to talk to students at Bright Futures Secondary School about the need to work hard to achieve a brighter future.

I was asked to speak to Catherine, Emily and Naomi as well as the students at BFSS. I was able to congratulate the girls and tell them how proud of them we are and how they should be really proud of themselves for everything they have achieved. I told them what good role models they are for the students at BFSS who can look up to them and aspire to be like them.

Catherine, Emily and Naomi all thanked their sponsors and Levison and team for all the support they have received. Without this help they would not have attended secondary school and passed their exams. This help has changed their lives. They now have choices and chances that they wouldn’t previously have had.

We had sent 50,000mkw for each of the three girls (equivalent of approx £25) to say congratulations and to wish them well as they are now no longer sponsored. They were also each given a new bag and a water bottle, stationery, soap and toothbrushes and toothpaste. As you can see from the photos, they were so pleased and surprised to receive these gifts.

It shows, that because these three vulnerable girls were given a helping hand, they have been able to reach their potential and passed all their exams. That is something to shout about and to celebrate. We need to keep encouraging other vulnerable girls (as well as boys) to work hard and realise that they too can achieve. Also we need to encourage people who are able to be sponsors.

Keeping teenagers in school has really reduced the amount of teenage pregnancies in that area. Being matched with a sponsor to help provide food and education for them has also stopped many girls from being married off as children (which is illegal but still happens when families cannot feed everyone). Below is my previous post with some photos of Catherine, Emily and Naomi.

Congratulations Catherine, Emily & Naomi!

Here are photos and videos from the celebration. You can see how the students at BFSS enjoyed it and were inspired. I asked all three girls to keep in touch and to come and tell Levison how they were getting on. I also said that maybe at some point in the future, they may return to work there….who knows? I reminded them of the kindness that they had been shown and that, if they are ever in a position to help others, they should pass that kindness forward.

Thank you to everyone who supports us to support these vulnerable young people, Sarah x

https://donorsee.com/project/23627?share=1 is the link to help the students at BFSS plant fruit tree saplings for a sustainable food source.

contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com if you would like to get in touch to sponsor a young person or talk to us about other ways you could get involved.

left to right; Catherine, Emily and Naomi
Levison Mlambya, Director of BFSS and Co Founder of The William Stewart Foundation, addressing the students, teachers and the three special guests; Catherine, Emily and Naomi
Members of staff who have known the three girls for years, wanted to be able to tell them how proud everyone is of them.
Levison talking to everyone, Emily, Naomi and Catherine at the front of the photo

Miss Chisenga, Acting Head Teacher at BFSS addressing the students and invited guests.
Levison and Miss Chisenga giving the girls’ their gifts. Left to right; Emily, Catherine & Naomi
Miss Chisenga, Emily, Levison, Catherine & Naomi
A lovely photo of Naomi with her gifts of new bag, water bottle, stationery, toiletries and money.
A very happy Emily with her gifts
A nice smile from Catherine who was delighted with her gifts.
Three happy girls celebrating their hard work and achievements, l-r Catherine, Emily and Naomi

The staff of Bright Futures Secondary School with the three girls
Celebrations with music and dancing
Lots of music and dancing. The students at BFSS have been inspired and motivated by the celebrations.
Everyone shared a meal and drinks as part of the celebrations for Catherine, Emily and Naomi.

BFSS Essay Competition S3 – February

Lawrence has won February’s S3 essay prize…. well done Lawrence

Sarah’s blog 7/3/24

The S3 students are becoming more confident at writing essays and their writing is giving some very good and useful insights into how hard life is for each of them, how important education is and what they like to do.

Lawrence was the winner of February’s essay prize. Just like so many young people all over the world, he likes listening to music and dreams of being a famous singer.

It has been an amazing achievement that we, as such a small charity, and all our dedicated supporters, have been able to build Bright Futures Secondary School and that the most vulnerable young people are benefitting from a good education that they wouldn’t have otherwise been able to afford.

We have had to concentrate on the necessities like desks and chairs, textbooks and exercise books to start with. We still need to buy textbooks for the new s4 next year (Lawrence and his fellow students). We have provided some basic science equipment but much more is needed. We also need more books on a variety of topics for the library. However, we hope, in time, to be able to provide some art equipment and also some musical instruments to extend and enhance their learning, opportunities and overall school experience.

S4 text books are approximately £10 each. There are 12 subjects and we need at least 15 sets…so that is £1,800. For science we need some electric circuit kits, a molecular model kit for chemistry, some magnet sets, more safetly goggles, various chemicals etc. We’d like to provide pastels, drawing paper and other basic art materials as well as a CD player with a variety of CDs to listen to difference genres of music and eventually some musical instruments and recording equipment. If anyone would like to contribute then please do contact me contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com It might be that, if you live local to us, your own children might have finished with their circuit sets or CD player etc. Providing things are in very good condition, we would love to repurpose them. Each box we send does cost £17.50 on the container so we do ask for a financial contribution to help towards costs.

I hope you enjoy reading Lawrence’s essay. Thank you for your continued support, Sarah x

Music & Dancing

9/5/22

I think you’ll love these photos and videos from the music group that took place this afternoon. It’s great to see the children having fun with their friends and forgetting about their difficulties for a while. What is even more amazing is that a few children made the guitar by themselves! How clever is that? Enjoy and share with your friends. Thanks, Sarah x

playing homemade guitar

Asante & Madalitso playing recorders

Sarah’s blog 9/3/22

I sent 5 recorders to The Foundation on the container….looks like Asante (red trousers) and Madalitso have found them! This is great playing as they’ve never seen a recorder before. Well done boys!

I’m quite pleased too….David (one of the trustees and the technical expert) upgraded the website….so this is the first time I’ve been able to post videos! I promise I’ll leave it a few days before there are any more videos of recorder playing! Thanks for reading, watching & listening, Sarah x