#sdgs Archives

My Ball Project – Bola Yane – rugby coaching in schools

This is part two of My Ball Project – Bola Yane. My previous post was about teachers from 13 schools having two days training at Bright Futures Campus. This blog is about Bola Yane Project going to schools.

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Sarah’s blog 25/10/26

I’m writing this blog listening to the wind and rain as we (in Scotland) are in the middle of a storm. I am extremely grateful that I am wrapped up warm and that one of my dogs is curled up next to me keeping my feet warm. In Malawi, as they await their rainy season, they are experiencing a heatwave.

Jack Mphande, Senior Rugby Development Officer for Malawi Rugby Union, has had an extremely busy week. He has been teaching touch rugby in the thirteen schools in the Chisenga Zone in Chitipa District. He’s been mindful of the temperatures & ensured students weren’t out in the high temperatures for too long.

This week’s coaching followed up from the work Jack did with teachers from these schools for two days the previous week. The teachers were able to put into action the training they had received with Jack’s support and it looks like everyone did a great job and Jack had passed his enthusiasm to everyone else.

Jack wanted me to share three thoughts with you:

Rugby has taken me to places where I have discovered meanings of life.
What we take for granted is someone else’s prayer point.
I enjoy when I put a smile on someone’s face because of Rugby. (Jack Mphande)

He also told me ‘I stressed much to the students on Values of Rugby – which is Respect, Discipline, Honesty, Teamwork, as some of the values which make a good person in the community.’ Jack Mphande

The thirteen schools in the Chisenga Cluster are :Chirambo, Kakasu, Kabanje, Nsato, Mulembe, Malawa, Chisenga, Kayilizi, Madunda, Kavomolo, Mbalizi, Chambo and Kalanga. I have enlarged the relevant area on the map and hopefully you will be able to pick out where some of the schools are. Bright Futures Campus (secondary school & nursery) is beside where Chambo Primary is on the map.

Some of the schools are not as remote as where Chambo Primary and Bright Futures Campus are situated as they are in more populated areas. However, there are some schools that are even more remote; Mbalizi Primary School for example. The students were absolutely delighted with Jack’s visit as they aren’t used to seeing many visitors. And the fact that he had come all the way from Lilongwe to spend time with them teaching them how to play a new and exciting sport was something new for these children. They don’t usually have visitors to their schools, especially not one from the capital and in charge of rugby development for the whole of Malawi. Jack’s visit has meant a great deal to teachers and students and we are so pleased that Jack has been part of the Bola Yane project and is committed to touch rugby being played in all schools.

Jack was very grateful that we had paid for a motorbike and driver to take him to all the schools he needed to get to….he certainly wouldn’t have managed without the motorbike or the valuable local knowledge of the area. Reaching the outlying schools is difficult and I certainly hadn’t appreciated just how remote some of these schools are.

‘When they heard that I will come back on the final tournament day, they were very happy. And some of them were inspired by me when I was telling them that sports is my career. I told them they should work hard to do both school and sports, but school first and then sports.’ Jack Mphande, Senior Rugby Development Officer, Malawi Rugby Union.

Jack’s photos show some of the issues students face trying to walk to school and back safely. Also, these streams are at their lowest now, as rains are expected and, during the rainy season will be unsafe and impossible for children to cross to get to school. You will also see from one photo, the puddle the children at one school are drinking from. Lack of sanitation and safe drinking water is another big issue for children living rurally and attending these remote schools.

We are very grateful to Chitipa District Council for supporting My Ball Project – Bola Yane and allowing us to support sports development in rural schools in the Chitipa Zone with The William Stewart Foundation (NGO). Thanks also to Patrick Simwayi, Education and Sports Officer, for making time to attend Jack’s teacher training event at Bright Futures Campus. It was good that he was able to see the programme of what Jack would be sharing with teachers and students at the thirteen schools.

As you can see, some schools have received preloved sports kit already. Those that haven’t yet, will be receiving sports kit that has been donated to us and we have boxed up and sent via The Bananabox Trust Container. Two schools so far have also benefitted from receiving boxes of books as part of our School Literacy Project. These are Chambo Primary and Kalanga Primary. Primary School exam leavers pass rates have risen by 19% in these two schools. We will be sharing boxes of books with these other schools as we have more preloved books donated to us.

These are the children that are benefiting from the help of our supporters. Having matching sports kit makes a difference to self-esteem and confidence. Playing team sports helps develop skills and children can forget about their problems and the extreme poverty in which they live whilst they are concentrating on the game with their friends. Children can have dreams whilst wearing a sports kit. A student said to Jack ‘In my life I didn’t ever dream that I will find a sport which I can play but I think this one I can play’. (rugby) Quotes like this are powerful.

‘I was enjoying coaching them because they were all paying much attention and open to learn the sport. And hearing that I am Senior Rugby Development Officer for the whole country, that also meant something to them.’ Jack Mphande

One of the teachers told Jack, ‘We are very happy that we have added another type of sport. Everyone just knows football and netball so the coming of rugby will help our students to have more varieties of sports to choose. But I think rugby is easy and full of fun and many will go for it.’

I hope you will agree that Jack has done an amazing job with delivering touch rugby training to teachers and students at 13 rural schools over the past week and a half. Obviously there are costs involved in providing quality sport in schools like this as part of the Bola Yana project. We intend to have a school league and also a tournament in May or June next year. If you would like to help us with the financial costs of this project you can either email contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com for bank details or give to our fundraiser on our new fundraising page https://localgiving.org/fundraising/changinglivesmalawisportstournaments

So now that you’ve got to the end of my blog, please enjoy the photos and videos! If you like our projects then please do sign up to receive the blogs, follow us on social media and share with your friends. Thanks everyone, Sarah x

**Children are walking barefoot along these rocky tracks to get to school**

**A very skilful driver with a great deal of faith!**

**It takes a great deal of skill to get a motorbike across the river safely**. You can see from the ‘muddy’ area how big the river will get during the rains making it impossible and dangerous for children to try to cross to get to school.

**The puddle at one school where the children drink from**

My Ball Project – Bola Yane – Rugby

International Day of the Girl Child

There shouldn’t be any need for an International Day of the Girl Child. Year after year charities and organisations highlight the issues girls all over the world face. Is anything improving? Is anyone listening? read today’s blog.

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Sarah’s blog 11/10/26

There shouldn’t be any need for an International Day of the Girl Child. Year after year charities and organisations highlight the issues girls all over the world face.

Is anything improving? Is anyone listening?

For the girls we help to support, yes some things are changing for the better; however much still needs to be done;

Vulnerable girls (and boys) sponsors are benefiting from free secondary education. However more sponsors are needed to help us provide free education to more students at Bright Futures Secondary School.
The period poverty project is enabling girls to learn how to sew reusable sanitary pads. This ensures girls have access to school all month like the boys do. Why should they have to hide at home until they have finished menstruating! Girls deserve equality.
We responded to the request to provide whistles to try to keep girls safe from being attacked and raped on the way to and from school. Girls who live closer to school can walk in groups but it’s those who are further away that are more at risk. Why should they have to wear a whistle in the hope it keeps them safe? Girls and women are the ones walking long distances to fetch water. Why should they be worrying about safety as well as the laborious jobs they have to do?
Despite it being illegal, girls are still being married off too young. Levison and team have prevented several girls being married as young as age 11. By appealing for a sponsor for at risk girls, there is some food going into their homes each month. Families are tempted by the dowry they receive when girls get married. If they have several mouths to feed, and as there is a food crisis and cost of living crisis in Malawi, maybe they feel this is the only choice they had open to them? We need to ensure families know they can ask for help.
We will do everything we can to support our friends in Malawi try to ensure no girl in their village and surrounding area is married off too soon. Their futures are being remapped by not having a choice in their early marriage. Having children whilst they are still children themselves can result in death for mother and baby or damage to their bodies. Will you help us help them?

Girls have the ability to change Malawi’s future. By educating them and giving them opportunities and choices and chances they wouldn’t otherwise have had, they can earn a better living for themselves and their families, thus breaking the cycle of extreme poverty. These girls need a helping hand for this to happen. All of us have the ability to help them.

Girls at Bright Futures Secondary School are learning all the subjects that the boys are. They are taking part in sports and learning how to grow crops. Girls are also learning to care for chickens and pigs at the small farm on campus. Carpentry and sewing classes are also providing skills for life.

Will you help us on International Day of the Girl Child? Will you become a sponsor for one of our S1 students please? It’s £25 per month and you can sponsor as an individual or a group of friends or a business. It’s not much to us, less than £1 per day, but it would mean the world to one of these vulnerable girls. contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com

Next year, on International Day of the Girl Child, I wonder what we will have achieved in the coming year? I wonder how many girls will be matched with a new sponsor to support their secondary education. Join us on this journey to ensure girls are protected from exploitation and early marriage and dying in childbirth and are able to complete their education and their childhood. I am invested in these girls and a better and brighter future for each of them. I hope you are too. Thank you for reading, Sarah x

The new S1 Students at Bright Futures are looking for Sponsors

Great Exam Results from Chambo Primary School!

Great results! THE SCHOOL LITERACY PROJECT IS WORKING AND MAKING A POSITIVE IMPACT ON LITERACY LEVELS OF CHILDREN LIVING IN EXTREME POVERTY in rural northern Malawi!

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Sarah’s blog 22/8/25

There have, once again, been some great exam results from Chambo Primary School!

In 2019, 59% of p8 students passed their primary school leavers exams. In 2020 and 2021 the figure was 60% for each of these years. In 2022 the figure rose to 63% pass rate. In 2023, 69% of students passed their exams and in 2024 that figure had risen to 78% of students passing their primary school leavers exams.

This year the pass rate was again 78% but three students got such good grades in their exams, they have been offered places at one of the big government secondary schools. This is an amazing achievement for Chambo Primary School as other, bigger primary schools have not had any students selected.

Education officials, teachers, students and the community are all noticing that the help that Chambo Primary School has had, thanks to our supporters, is making a big difference. THE SCHOOL LITERACY PROJECT IS WORKING AND MAKING A POSITIVE IMPACT ON LITERACY LEVELS OF CHILDREN LIVING IN EXTREME POVERTY!

Also, these students have had notebooks (not enough for all year), girls have a toilet block, upper classes now have desks and benches, there is clean water for drinking and handwashing and also an orchard has been planted.

The children and their teachers no longer feel forgotten. They have hope of a brighter future! Thank you so much to all who have helped and supported with these projects. We are making good progress, with tangible results, and we couldn’t do this without you.

Unfortunately, we still cannot get any big charities to feed the primary school children in the rural far north…none of the primary schools in that area have a porridge programme as no big charities are working that far north. So there is still the issue of malnutrition to address which we need help with.

But for today, we can celebrate what we all have achieved, and we are including all our supporters in part of our team as you play a vital role in helping the children and young people. Well done everyone!! We are so pleased that small changes are having a big impact and giving young people opportunities, choices and chances that they wouldn’t previously have had. Also, thank you to Levison and his team for their tireless work for the children.

The school literacy project is a relatively low cost project as the preloved books are donated. We just need to buy the strong boxes and pay for the cost of shipping them on the container which is £17.50 per box, and fuel in Malawi when Levison and team collect the boxes from the container. Please help us keep sending more boxes of books by scanning the QR code and making a donation towards the cost of sending boxes. Or you can make a donation via the website or contact me for bank details. contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com

Please do have a read at the attached two links and have a look at the photos as a reminder of how, together, we are Changing Lives (in) Malawi. Thanks, Sarah x

School Literacy Project – Chambo Primary School

Facts & Figures from Chambo Primary School

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!

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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.

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