There will be lots of happy children in Malawi when these wonderful preloved kits arrive and are shared.
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Sarah’s blog 17/4/26
It’s been another busy day at CLM HQ. Stuart headed over to Edinburgh this morning to collect an amazing donation of kids football kit. Thank you Edinburgh South Community Football Club for supporting us again.
There will be a lot of happy and excited children when these lovely football kits are distributed to primary schools which don’t have matching sports kit.
As well as helping to reuse and recycle preloved kit, these children, living in extreme poverty, will feel wonderful. This football kit will boost their mental health and self-esteem as they dream of being great footballers in their new (to them) kit. Kit which fits. Kit which matches the rest of their friends. Kits which aren’t ripped and full of holes. These kits help foster their sense of identity and sense of belonging. Thank you for making a difference.
So despite the fact that they don’t know any of the people at Edinburgh South Community Football Club, they know that they are there are people who think about them and care about them. That is so important to the wellbeing of children who are mostly orphans and all have suffered trauma. They are no longer forgotten.
Here are a few photos of the kit that has been boxed up. Thank you to JP for arranging the collection of kit and sorting it into the various teams. Thank you to Edinburgh South Community Football Club for sharing their preloved kit. Also, thank you to Stuart for, once again, being our Lifter and Shifter (his words) and driving to Edinburgh and back this morning.
We will share more photos and videos when the kit eventually arrives in Malawi. I am going to visit our projects next month, along with Liz, another trustee and there are sports matches organised for during that time. There will be lots of photos and videos to share.
Thanks again for supporting us and sharing with the children we help in rural Northern Malawi. Sarah x
p.s. We love this little video that was made of the football kit being collected. https://fb.watch/Gy6C1rsvUP
Some of the students from Bright Futures Secondary School helped to plant pine tree saplings during their school holidays.
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Sarah’s blog 12/4/26
Despite it being school holidays in Malawi, some of the students at Bright Futures Secondary School volunteered for a couple of hours of pine tree planting. They can see the difference their hard work is making.
Students are very aware of the importance of planting more trees to help regenerate the local forests. They are replacing the trees that have been cut down for building and fuel. Students are also trying to prevent soil erosion and crops being washed away during the rainy season as well as helping the climate. The ground is soft as there have been rains for the past few months. It is an ideal time for students to be digging and planting and they are keen to help.
As well as the pine tree planting, students have prepared the ground for more fruit tree saplings. These will be planted in their agricultural classes after the school holidays. The fruit tree saplings are for future food and to sell some of the fruit for a sustainable income. Agricultural classes at Bright Futures Secondary School are providing student with skills for life.
Thank you to the students for giving back to their community. Thank you to everyone who has made financial donations to support the purchasing of tree saplings. Together we can continue Changing Lives (in) Malawi. Would you like to help provide fund this ongoing project?
Liz and I are heading to Malawi in just over a month’s time. We are looking forward to visiting the different projects. We will be taking more photos and videos to share with you. If you’d like to get in touch about any of my blogs or to make a donation then our email address is contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com Thanks, Sarah x
It’s less than 6 weeks until Liz and Sarah head to Malawi…. still lots of planning to do and vaccinations to get.
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Sarah’s blog 9/4/26
Liz and Sarah’s trip to Malawi isn’t far away! Liz, who is another trustee of Changing Lives Malawi, and myself are counting down now to our two week trip to Malawi. It’s just over 5 weeks time until we set off and it’s all starting to feel very real.
I’ve had my second lot of injections today, Liz has had her first today. We are both going for yellow fever injections on Saturday…not really a fun day out in Stirling…but you have to have a vaccination certificate to show to enter Malawi.
I have been collecting supplies for the new nursery classroom and Liz has been on a camera course and we have our train tickets and flights all booked.
We will hopefully be able to blog from Malawi and take lots of photos and videos at Bright Futures Nursery and Secondary School to share with you. Meeting the people we have been helping to support is what I am most looking forward to.
We have paid for our own train tickets, flights, vaccines, travel insurance, visas etc… but we would like to be able gift a bar of soap to each young person at the nursery, secondary school and feeding programme. Also, we would like to be able to provide bars of soap for each new mother at Chambo Health Centre.
This will be approx 1,000 bars of soap at approx 30p-40p per bar. So that is at least £300. Costs have risen hugely in Malawi and none of the families we help to support can afford to buy soap…they are living in extreme poverty and struggling to buy food every day.
You can click on the link to our fundraiser https://gofund.me/e2cc483aa to find out what other projects we are trying to raise funds for….any small donations will be very gratefully received. Or you can donate via our website or email for bank details contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com .
Thank you to St Mary’s School Melrose for your support. We are delighted that you have collected books & clothes for the orphans we help to support.
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Sarah’s blog 6/3/26
Thanks to St Mary’s School, Melrose for this great support. I was contacted by Joanna a few months ago, asking if we would like some school uniform and books. One of the classes has been collecting these as part of their class work.
Joanna messaged recently to say that 20 boxes of books and clothes had been packed for us and they were in the process of raising the £17.50 per box to cover the cost of sending these boxes on the container to Malawi.
Joanna and her husband, Malcolm, took the 20 boxes to Dundee at the weekend to await the container. Thank you so much for your help both of you!
Once a container is packed, it takes at least three months to reach the final destination in Malawi. So we have to plan ahead and keep a note of what has been sent as it is a surprise to me too when boxes are opened in Malawi unless I check my list!
Primary schools in Malawi have 8 year groups. There can be up to 60 children in one class. Young people leaving primary school have to sit exams. They can only attend secondary school if they pass these exams. Since we started donating boxes of preloved books to two primary schools who had hardly any resources, the exam pass rate has risen by 19% which is amazing! How can children learn to read if they have no books? Our School Literacy Project IS making a difference to vulnerable young lives.
Thank you to the young people who have helped with collecting clothes & books and to their teachers for supporting them. Thanks also to those who have paid for a box to go on the container and helped St Mary’s reach their fundraising target. If you follow us on facebook and/or instagram, or sign up to receive my blogs by email, you’ll see the latest stories and photos from our projects in northern Malawi.
Myself and another trustee are visiting the projects we are helping to support in May… it’s only a few weeks away and we are getting very excited. There is lots of planning happening to ensure we make best use of our time. You can read about our trip on our GoFundMe page https://gofund.me/53c2955c2 Whilst we have paid for our own flights, insurance and injections etc, we are trying to raise some funds for the projects we are supporting and would be very grateful for a small donation. Please also tell your friends about our trip and the projects we are supporting. If you’d like to get in touch then our email is contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com
Many thanks again to everyone who has been involved from St Mary’s School, Melrose. We really do appreciate your kindness and support. There will be more photos once the boxes arrive in Malawi. Thanks again, Sarah
Sewing lessons at Bright Futures Secondary School are giving vulnerable students skills for life and giving back to the community.
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Sarah’s blog 26/2/26
Students have been busy in their Sewing Classes at Bright Futures Secondary School. To start with, they are helping with the Period Poverty Project. We are very proud of their efforts.
Girls miss one week of schooling every month because they do not have any sanitary pads and therefore have to stay at home. This is wrong that girls cannot access education because of a natural bodily function. We are helping to ensure that as many girls as possible can benefit from the gift of reusable sanitary pads. Will you help us?
Students, both male and female, have been learning to sew. They have been improving their hand sewing skills and using the sewing machines that we sent. They have been making bags and sanitary pads. These students are ensuring that girls will have equal access to education. Why should girls miss out on their education?
The Period Poverty Project aims to give out a bag containing ; underwear, reusable sanitary pads, soap and a health information leaflet. Through the sewing classes at Bright Futures Secondary School, students are giving back to their community. Students are also learning important skills for their futures.
Once enough supplies have been made for the local girls, students will move on to making something of their choice. I wonder what they will decide to make next? The Period Poverty Project sewing can be revisited again when the next group of students start sewing classes at Bright Futures Secondary School.
To get in touch with us our email is contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com . If you like the projects we are supporting and want to contribute financially, you can donate via our website or to our charity bank account – A/C no 21081462, Sort Code 80-22-60, Changing Lives Malawi, Bank of Scotland. The Period Poverty Project is an ongoing project, so more fabric and soap will need to be bought. The more supplies that can be made, the more girls that can be supported.
Thanks to teachers at Bright Futures Secondary School for supporting the students to learn new skills and for sending these photos. Thanks also to everyone who supports the students and projects like this. Together, we can continue Changing Lives (in) Malawi. Thanks, Sarah x
Student at Bright Futures Secondary School have written about their favourite subjects. Have a read of today’ blog.
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Sarah’s blog 17/2/26
Here are some great photos of the students at Bright Futures Secondary School. Also, in today’s blog, is writing about BFSS Students’ favourite subjects at school. Thank you to the teacher who organised the photos and the students’ writing. Thank you to the sponsors who support these very vulnerable teenagers to be able to attend secondary school. Because of you, these vulnerable students are having opportunities that they wouldn’t have had. As well as free education, free uniform and stationery, they are receiving a free nutritious lunch each day. For most, this is the only food they eat.
If you’d like to be a sponsor, it’s only £25 per month. You can sponsor as an individual, two friends splitting the cost, a family, a club or a business. Will you make a difference to a young person’s future? Will you help them to have a bright future? contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com Thank you to everyone who helps us to continue Changing Lives (in) Malawi. Your kindness is much appreciated. Thanks, Sarah x
Today’s blog is about tree planting taking place at Bright Futures Secondary School as part of their agriculture course. This is an ongoing project so financial donations are always very welcome.
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Sarah’s blog 4/2/26
Last week, students at Bright Futures Secondary School have again been busy tree planting. It would have been hard work digging holes for 120 saplings. On this occasion the tree planting was for pine and acacia.
They are keen to take responsibility for their environment. This will help prevent future soil erosion and replace trees that have been cut down. Of course students want to help with the climate crisis. The tree planting was part of their agricultural lessons which are a core subject in the Malawian curriculum.
Soon they will be planting other types of saplings and we will share photos when that happens. We are grateful to the agriculture teachers at Bright Futures Secondary School for all the extra work they do to support their students. Of course, we are proud of the students and pleased to see them contributing in such a positive way to their community.
Thank you also to everyone who has donated money over the past year to support their tree planting project. As it’s the rainy season now, the ground is easier to dig and plant. Also the saplings won’t dry out so have a better chance of survival. So this is always the best time for planting saplings even though we are fundraising for this project all year round.
If anyone would like to make a donation then please do get in touch. contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com for bank details or you can donate via our website or our QR code. If you would like to donate in memory of a loved one then we are happy to make a sign to place in part of the orchard. Or for a special birthday or anniversary?
Or would your business like to contribute to this project and have some advertising in the orchard? We’d love to partner with any nurseries/garden centres/Christmas tree farms.
Thank you again everyone. Enjoy the photos, Sarah x
One of the teachers and a student planting a saplingstudents holding tree saplings prior to plantinga student planting a pine tree saplingyou can see the rain clouds in the distance
Stuart and I made a donation to buy fruit tree saplings a few years ago in memory of his lovely mum. If anyone else would like a name on a sign and make a donation to the orchard then please do get in touch.
It is International Day of Education. Every young person deserves an education and to be the best they can be. Today’s blog shares photos from our projects.
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Sarah’s blog 24/1/26
Today is International Day of Education. I’m sharing some photos that reflect some of the projects and young people we are helping to support. There is still much to do. But, thanks to the help of our supporters, young people in rural Northern Malawi have a brighter and better future. It is always about teamwork and we’d love you to join our team of supporters. You can help enable even more young people to reach their potential on International Day of Education.
These are just a few of the ways we are involved in supporting the education of the most vulnerable children and young people. If you would like to help then please do get in touch contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com or you can donate via our website. On International Day of Education will you help a child succeed? Together, we can give young people more opportunities and support education. These children are amazing and want to succeed. They want to learn and are hard workers. They just need a helping hand.
Also, I am visiting Malawi for the first time this summer and am getting very excited about my trip. Here is a fundraiser and I’d be grateful if anyone would like to make a small donation. It is to help some of the projects which I will be helping during my visit. https://gofund.me/db5496892 As always, a big THANK YOU for all the support and help we receive, Sarah x
Literacy at Chambo Primary School and Kalanga Primary School is improving thanks to the preloved books we have sent as part of the School Literacy Project. Students are becoming more confident readers now they have a range of books to read and exam pass rates are rising.Young people have been involved in planting fruit tree saplings and pine trees, supporting their education, giving them skills for life and planting future food. Students at Chambo Primary School were delighted to receive notebooks and pensWe have matched some of the most vulnerable children with sponsors and they receive a food parcel each month. Children cannot learn if they are suffering from malnutrition. Unfortunately, the food crisis in Malawi is getting worse.Thanks to everyone who has supported the building of Bright Futures Secondary School. There are now 5 classrooms and a dedicated classroom for Bright Futures Nursery.The newest classroom block has a classroom dedicated to sewing and textiles and another classroom for Bright Futures NurseryChildren walk for miles as they are so hungry and know that they will receive a proper meal once a week at the feeding programme. We need your support to continue feeding them with rising food costs and scarcity of food.There was great excitement when the first boxes of preloved books arrivedStudents at Bright Futures Secondary School have designed and built their first beehive and are now waiting for the bees to move inStudents are learning skills for life at Bright Futures Secondary School. They are also supporting the Period Poverty Project by making reusable sanitary towels for all who need them to ensure girls do not miss school for one week each month.Some of the science equipment bought with a grant received from The Clive Richards Foundation for Bright Futures Secondary SchoolPeriodically, children are given clothes that we have sent. These children in red tops attend Bright Futures Nursery.Students at Bright Futures Secondary School receive free education and free school lunch thanks to their sponsors. They also receive free school uniform, stationery, water bottle, school bag and shoes all free of charge. The more vulnerable teenagers we can match with sponsors, the more teenagers can be helped through education.Happy students with their gifts. They have also received toothbrush, toothpaste and soap.We helped with the introduction of rugby to the north of Malawi. Young people are enjoying learning and playing a new sport.Thanks to the many clubs who have donated preloved sports kit, making a difference to the confidence and self-esteem of hundreds of young people who are now proud to be part of a team.Students at Bright Futures Secondary School are working hard to pass their examsFour of the students at Bright Futures Secondary School with some of the new tools they received
No bees in the new beehive…yet. Students have been to check the site where they placed their newly made hive.
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Sarah’s blog 16/1/26
On Wednesday, a group of students went to look at the beehive they had built and placed in the local forest. Unfortunately, there were no bees…yet. They will check regularly. They will research if there is any more they can do to encourage bees to take up residence in their new hive.
We have received some funding so that more wood can be bought so students can make additional beehives. Thank you to the donors for supporting this project. If you would like to make a financial contribution to enable the students to make more beehives then please email contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com The aim is that, as well as learning new skills, the school can become more self-sufficient. Projects like this can bring in an income and give students skills to be more confident about their futures. All they need now is bees!
Thank you also to the teachers who have supported the students to research, design and build the beehive. There is so much learning involved in this project. It’s great to see the students gaining skills and becoming more confident. They will be learning business skills too as well as becoming better at carpentry and beekeeping.
So, despite there being no bees…yet, I hope you enjoy the photos and videos I was sent by the teacher this morning. Let’s hope it isn’t too long before bees move in. Thanks, Sarah x
Thank you to charity ‘Vets with Horsepower’ for their help and support to build two new classrooms on Bright Futures Campus.
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Sarah’s blog 12/1/26
We are always grateful for the support and kindness we receive. As a very small group of volunteers, we work very hard and appreciate help we receive from others. Thanks to a donation we received from charity Vets with Horsepower, two new classrooms have been built.
The two new classrooms are a dedicated nursery classroom for Bright Futures Nursery and also a classroom for sewing and textiles. It is hoped that, in future, sewing lessons can be given to vulnerable people in the community and be a hub of activity. By learning new skills, people will be able to have a brighter future for themselves and their families.
Jessica Kidd, whom one of the classrooms has been named after, is a top equine vet and one of the key people in the charity Vets with Horsepower. She, Professor Knottenbelt (whose name is already above one of the other classrooms), and the other vets, are making a huge difference to the charities they have chosen to support. We are delighted to have been one of the charities to benefit.
Each year, talented equine vets give up their time and talents to share their knowledge and experience with other vets. As well as being equine vets, their other love is motorbikes. Hence, Vets with Horsepower. Different destinations are chosen in Europe. Last summer was ‘The Italian Job’. The team of vets travelled hundreds of miles on their motorbikes giving lectures in their various fields of expertise.
Here are photos of the finished building. There will be more photos and videos of the two new classrooms shared over the coming weeks. If you would like to support our charity to ensure that children and young people have a brighter and better future then please do get in touch contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com You can help by sponsoring a vulnerable young person’s education, or supporting the weekly feeding programme. There is a food crisis in Malawi and food is scarce. None of the children and young people we support have enough to eat. Or would you like to make a donation to an existing sustainable project or to a new one?
Thank you again to Vets with Horsepower. Thank you for all the organisation that goes into your trips. Also thank you to all the people who attended your lectures and contributed financially to enable the two new classrooms to be built. We are delighted that slowly and surely things are improving for that community and people living in extreme poverty. By supporting vulnerable teenagers through education and opportunities to learn new skills for life, they have brighter futures. They now have choices and chances that they wouldn’t otherwise have had. Thank you also to the people who support and sponsor the vets to ensure that they have the time off work and backing they need to give these lectures for their charity. Also to their families for supporting each of their trips. As we say about our charity too….it is always a team effort!
Thank you for making a difference and supporting us to continue Changing Lives (in) Malawi, Sarah x
Thanks to their teachers, students at Bright Futures Secondary School have been growing and selling maize.
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1/1/26
Firstly we would like to wish everyone a happy and healthy New Year! I had to double check that I’d written the date correctly…it’s going to take a few days to remember that it is now 2026! Bright Futures Secondary School students are learning business skills.
Today’s post is a short one but is filled with hope for a brighter future for students. They are all vulnerable, have nothing and are living in extreme poverty. We cannot begin to imagine just how hard life must be, especially with the current food crisis and the heavy rains which have destroyed homes and crops as well as infrastructure.
However, this post shows that, bit by bit, things can change for the better. This is just a tiny drop in the ocean compared to how things need to change and how much money is needed to help this community back on its feet. It is a start and is a small good news story worth sharing at the start of a new year.
Teachers at Bright Futures Secondary School have been supporting students to grow vegetables. The students had planted a field of maize and have just sold half of the fresh maize (corn on the cob) to traders to sell at the market. The students will use the money to buy more seeds and fertiliser to plant more crops. The students are learning business skills for their futures.
This is such a great cross-curricular learning experience. As well as the agricultural skills they have learned during a complete growing cycle, they are learning about business opportunities and working together as a team.
These students will have far more skills for their futures as they become increasingly confident and learn to be entrepreneurs. They live in such a rural location that it is very likely that many of them will be working on the land in some form when they leave school. Having the opportunity of secondary education means that their numeracy and literacy skills will be better and will help them whatever they do for work in future.
Look how happy they are to have achieved and have been trusted by their teachers to be part of this project. Their self-esteem is growing and, hopefully, there will be more good news stories like this to report. Your support is important to ensure these students can continue learning new skills and continue achieving. The end goal is always self-sufficiency but we need you as part of the team to ensure this can happen.
Levison specifically asked me to mention two teachers who have worked hard with the students on this project. Thank you to Mr Kanyimbo and Mr Msukwa for supporting the students in this ongoing project. Your hard work is greatly appreciated and you must be very proud of what your students are achieving.
Thanks for reading and supporting Changing Lives Malawi. If you’d like to support a specific project like this then please do email contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com Thanks, Sarah x
The first video shows the maize being driven off to market by the person who purchased it. The second video shows students; Levi, Amos, Hilda and Bernard.
“Since the beginning of the Beekeeping Project, BFSS students are taking a great responsibility and full participation of the activities taking place.” Quote from a teacher at Bright Futures Secondary School.
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Sarah’s blog 11/12/25
I am excited to post these photos and videos of the first finished beehive. As an educator, I am genuinely delighted by the amount of cross-curricular learning that this beekeeping project has encompassed so far. Obviously, there is more learning to happen as the project continues. I apologise that I am sharing so many videos and photos…but they all help to tell the learning journey of the project and students at Bright Futures Secondary School. Look what can happen when we invest in the next generation and give them choices and chances for a brighter future. This is the story of vulnerable students and how they have worked together, learning new skills to create their first finished beehive.
Firstly, beekeeping was identified by staff as a project that might help the school towards self-sufficiency. Beekeeping will be part of the agriculture lessons which are a core subject on the Malawian curriculum. I then engaged with potential sponsors to raise funs for some carpentry tools. Also I asked for funds to buy wood to build beehives. I posted short videos that had been made by school staff and students.
Once the money had been raised and transferred, the supplies were bought and the project got underway. Firstly students researched beehive designs in books that we had sent which are in Emmas’ Rainbow Library on Bright Futures Campus. They then drew their preferred design. Students were supported by teachers and a carpenter to learn how to use the tools. Then they cut the wood to size and constructed the first beehive which has happened over a few weeks.
This week, students found a good place in the nearby woods and, with the help of their teachers, were able to place the first finished beehive to wait for the bees. Students had also been tasked with searching for some beeswax to put in the hive which will help to attract bees.
As well as learning to use carpentry tools for the first time, students have researched, collaborated, designed and supported each other to achieve. You can see from the photos and videos how much they are enjoying the project and the responsibility that they have been given. It is wonderful to see how much they are growing in confidence during their experiences at Bright Futures Secondary School.
One of the teachers who has been supporting the students told me;
“Since the beginning of the Beekeeping Project, BFSS students are taking a great responsibility and full participation of the activities taking place. So far, they have learnt the following;
knowing the requirements for beehives through research
designing the beehive through technical drawing
making the beehive with full use of carpentry and joinery skills
installing the first beehive in the nearby forest
The students are appreciating so much for the establishment of this project and wish to see the fruits of the project.” (Teacher)
I shared information about the first finished beehive with people who donated funds to enable the beekeeping project to happen. One of them made the following encouraging comments which I have shared with the teachers and asked them to pass on to the students.
“Very exciting to see how this project has been progressing. I genuinely appreciate you taking the time to update us. You might suggest that, as their next step, they research how to plant a ‘pollinator friendly’ garden, which kinds of flowers bees like (eg blues rather than pinks), the importance of keeping some flowers in bloom at all times throughout the year etc.” (Donor)
Who knows what these young people will do when they leave school? They are all living in extreme poverty and have been suffering from lack of food in their early years and have faced the trauma of losing family members and lots of other hardships. This has affected their ability to learn. If their basic needs haven’t been met then we cannot expect them to learn in the classroom.
Not all of these vulnerable students will pass their final exams at the end of S4. It wouldn’t be fair that we expected them to. Some might get grades good enough to go to college or university but cannot go because they have no funds to support themselves or to pay for their studies.
However, what we do know is that, because of the rural location, many students will find work on the land. They have had a secondary school education so, even if they don’t pass their final exams, they have had so much more education and great learning experiences than they would have if they had not had the chance to attend Bright Futures Secondary School.
Because they are attending secondary school, students have avoided the high teen pregnancy rate. They have also avoided being married off too soon. Their literacy and numeracy levels are greater than if they hadn’t had support to attend secondary school.
Some of these students may become beekeepers. Or perhaps carpenters and farmers with the skills they have learned and will continue learning through projects like the beekeeping project. With the new skills they have developed, they will be confident about their futures. Thank you to everyone who has and continues to support Bright Futures Secondary School and the vulnerable teenagers who are students.
We need to raise funds for rubber wellington boots for students to wear during their practical agriculture lessons at Bright Futures Secondary School. The rainy season has started and soon the ground will be very muddy. It’s the ideal time for planting fruit tree saplings and pine trees (which have been ordered) but will be extremely muddy underfoot. Also boots will help protect feet from the tools they are using. You can make a small donation to our appeal on DonorSee here https://donorsee.com/project/29707?share=1 or via the website Donate money and gifts to Changing Lives Malawi or message me for our bank details contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com .
I have attached the previous two posts about the beehive projects at the end of this blog in case people haven’t seen the drawings and the start of the carpentry work. I hope you enjoyed reading about the first finished beehive. Thank you again to everyone who helps us support these vulnerable teenagers to be the best they can be.
Because of your support we can continue Changing Lives (in) Malawi. Sarah x
