sponsors Archives

Why vulnerable teenagers need sponsors

Whilst there is still so much to do to improve the lives of the most vulnerable, here are some of the reasons how being a sponsor can and does make a difference.

Sarah’s blog 18/7/25

Levison sent me a graph today with information about teenage pregnancies in Malawi. I knew the rates were high but I am shocked by just how high. Chitipa District, in the far north, has one of the highest rates of teenage pregnancies in Malawi. Over half of teenage girls age 15-19 become pregnant. The actual figure is 543/1000. Since Bright Futures Secondary School opened in 2022 there have been only 2 teenage pregnancies.

As well as helping to vastly reduce teenage pregnancies, here are some of the ways that having a sponsor is helping to give vulnerable teenagers, living in extreme poverty, hope for a brighter future:

Secondary School has to be paid for in Malawi. None of the students who attend Bright Futures Secondary School could afford to go to secondary school without having being matched with a sponsor to help pay for their education. There are so many more young people wanting this opportunity.
Being matched with a sponsor means that, as well as their education being free, each student at BFSS, receives a substantial and nutritious school lunch each day. This, for most, is their only meal of the day, and means their families don’t have to worry about feeding them with the family’s very limited food supplies.
Having a nutritious lunch each day is helping students to stay healthy and help them concentrate on their lessons.
Being matched with a sponsor means free school uniform, stationery, shoes and a torch for studying at home.
Being matched with a sponsor means that there is hope for a brighter future through education, instead of doing piece work in the fields for a pittance.
Being matched with a sponsor means that students are kept busy at school and after school activities and less likely to get into trouble.
Being matched with a sponsor means that young people have access to counselling as all have lost family members and lived through trauma. Bright Futures Secondary School takes a holistic approach to caring for the students both in and outside the classroom.
Being matched with a sponsor means that girls are far less likely to be married off too young. Some families are so desperate they consider giving their daughter to an older man in exchange for a dowry to feed the rest of the family. Levison has managed to prevent girls as young as 11 being married off.
Being matched with a sponsor is helping ensure young people are more literate, numerate and have skills for their futures.
Being matched with a sponsor is giving vulnerable young people, living in extreme poverty, choices and chances that they wouldn’t otherwise have had.

We need more sponsors to ensure that more students can have these opportunities and have hope for a brighter future for themselves and their families. Will you help us help them please? It is only £25 per month to sponsor a young person. You can sponsor as an individual, a business or a group of friends or family. It might be the most important thing anyone ever does for that teenager. Will you make a difference to one young person and change their life? contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com .

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our sponsors and supporters for helping to make a difference to each of the students. Also, for the teachers at Bright Futures Secondary School, to Levison and the rest of the team …. a huge thank you. When we see statistics like this it is very clear that, although there is much to do, we are Changing Lives (in) Malawi. Thank you, Sarah x

S2 students received new uniform and stationery when they sat their exams recently

planting banana tubers in practical agricultural lessons

Students prepared the ground and planted sweet potato vines as part of their practical agricultural lessons. This crop helped feed them and their fellow students.

BFSS – S2 JCE Exams

Independence Day in Malawi

our new QR code to make a donation

The New Staffroom – Planning for September

Lots happening in preparation for more teachers & students at Bright Futures Secondary School in September.

Sarah’s blog 02/05/25

Now that the rainy season is over, it is far easier to get on with building work. As there will be four classes next year at Bright Futures Secondary School, and more teachers need to be employed, a staffroom is needed. As you will see from the photos, the builders are working really hard and it won’t be long until it’s finished.

All students at Bright Futures Secondary School have been matched with sponsors to support their education. Secondary education needs to be paid for in Malawi and none of the young people we help to support would have the opportunity to progress past primary school, even though they passed their primary school leavers exams. Teachers salaries have to be paid, students receive a free school lunch every day (for most their only meal each day), school uniform and other clothes, stationery and exam fees are all free of charge to students.

As everything is free of charge for these vulnerable young people who are living in extreme poverty, we cannot unfortunately accept additional students who do not have a sponsor helping to support the costs of their time at Bright Futures Secondary School. Levison told me this week that recently he has had over two hundred young people pleading for places at Bright Futures Secondary School. Their families have not been able to keep up payments for the secondary schools that these students are attending and they have been chased out of school due to non payment of fees. Unfortunately, all Levison can do is to take a note of their names. This is a really difficult situation. The more sponsors we have then the more students can attend Bright Futures Secondary School.

We are already thinking about September when there will be a new class of S1 students to find sponsors for. It is still only £25 per month to help support a student. If you would like to express an interest in supporting a young person in September then please email contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com . We also have younger children who are needing immediate support if you would like to be matched with one of them we would be very grateful.

Right now we are raising money to buy soap for all the children and young people who use the feeding programme each week, Bright Futures Nursery, Bright Futures Secondary School and Chambo Primary School. There is always soap for handwashing and showering at Bright Futures Campus but the vast majority of these children and young people do not even have one bar of soap at home. The Malawi Government have issued guidelines to help protect against outbreaks of the MPox virus. Thankfully, there are none in that immediate area but we must help with preventative measures. You can either email for bank details to donate or give via this link https://donorsee.com/project/27307?share=1 .

We are also still fundraising to buy notebooks and pencils for students at Chambo Primary who have none https://donorsee.com/project/25617?share=1

The students at Bright Futures Secondary School are also still fundraising to have their own beehives. This will give them more agricultural skills as well as providing honey and an income from selling surplus supplies. https://donorsee.com/project/25476?share=1

I’d like to thank everyone for the ongoing support we receive, both here and in Malawi. It’s always about teamwork and, playing our small part of a team, using our skills, we can do great things and help continue Changing Lives (in) Malawi. Thank you, Sarah x

The new staffroom at Bright Futures Campus is taking shape

Support the Ng’ambi Family: Donate for a New Roof

Sarah’s blog 4/3/25

Recently, we highlighted on social media the Ng’ambi family who are living in extreme poverty, very much in need of help as their situation is dire. The mother has four children. Her husband was ill but also left them on their own.

Their small home has a roof made from branches and leaves and has huge holes in it. It is rainy season and their home is full of water and there is thick mud on the floor. The five of them huddle together on dirty blankets. They need help!

We need your help to purchase metal sheets to replace their roof. Two of the children have been sick from malaria recently…mosquitos love the rainy season and they have no protection from all the bugs and insects.

Thankfully, after our appeal, we have sponsors for all four children which means, as well as them continuing to access the weekly feeding programme, each of the four children will receive a food parcel once a month. This will supplement any food Mrs Ng’ambi is able to buy through doing piecework.

All of the children in the Ng’ambi Family will receive new clothes and blankets from the boxes that arrived on the container, but the immediate issue was to give them some food to eat.

Levison bought maize (which has doubled in price) for the family, thanks to donations we received from generous supporters. The family was asked to come to see Levison. Naomi (the eldest) was missing as she is unwell but the rest of the family came. Mrs Ng’ambi was so thankful for the food that they have been given. She said “Is it really happening to me? It is like I am dreaming. Thank God! I didn’t expect this.”

So if you would like to help us enable the Ng’ambi Family to have somewhere dry to sleep, please do consider making a small donation to help us help them. You can email for bank details contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com or donate at https://donorsee.com/project/26482?share=1 Thank you for continuing to support the most vulnerable children and young people and their families in rural northern Malawi, Sarah x

Thanks to generous donors, Mrs Ng’ambi can now feed her children and they have been given clean clothes.

As you can see, the family is malnourished, dressed in rags and have no shoes. They will be given clothes, shoes & blankets from the boxes we have sent.

Sylvia, having a nap on the dirty blankets/sheets that the family share on the earth floor. As soon as it rains, they are wet and the floor turns to mud.

This is the roof on the family’s home. Look at the huge gaps where the rain gets in. Please help us help this family have somewhere dry to sleep.

Clean clothes and food, Mrs Ng’ambi is very thankful.

Lots to do before the new term

Sarah’s blog 21/8/24

There are so many things that are happening and I am just hoping they all come together in time for the new term starting.

Everyone in Malawi is working hard on building staff accommodation and checking supplies for the new term as well as setting up income generating projects as well as planting vegetables to eat. Applications for the new teaching positions have been received and are being reviewed. This is in addition to the pastoral work that Levison does for the most vulnerable children and continuing to source supplies for the weekly feeding programme.

Here, Jackie is doing an amazing job with crunching numbers and making the donations we have received go far. There is never enough money for all the wish lists and requests that are needed to support 500+ of the most vulnerable children and young people but we are trying our best. Currently, Jackie is ensuring there is money to buy more text books as well as all the various supplies needed for the accommodation block build, wages and other monthly costs. We really are grateful for all she does.

What am I doing? Sometimes that is difficult to answer lol. Some days, caring responsibilities take over and I don’t have as much time to give as I’d like to our charity, but I can only do my best with the time I have. Other days, I am working hard from morning until evening ticking off jobs on my list as I go. I am trying to make our charity known to more people with the hope that more donations will come in over time. I’m trying to find more sponsors so young people can go to secondary school and have a brighter future. i work closely with Levison and we are a good team. I’m writing blogs, and updating social media as well as liaising with potential donors…. and (when there is time) writing new grant applications. Oh and packing boxes with my husband Stuart who does an amazing job of organising all of the boxes to be packed properly, labelled and taped up ready for the next part of the journey to Malawi.

One of the goals that we are working towards is to help the community we are supporting to be self-sufficient. We have some small projects on the site DonorSee. Here is the income generating pig project link which just needs a few more people to donate and then it will be totally funded. https://donorsee.com/project/23894?share=1

https://donorsee.com/project/23995?share=1 is the link to help us provide more textbooks for the students at Bright Futures Secondary School.

https://donorsee.com/project/24114?share=1 is the link to help provide seeds for the students at BFSS to grow their own food.

Below is a previous post with details of the students who are looking for a sponsor to help them take up their place at Bright Futures Secondary School. All of these students passed their primary school leavers exams, which is excellent, but they need your help to support them at secondary school contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com Thank you so much to everyone who helps and supports us to make lives brighter for the young people, Sarah x

5 weeks to find sponsors for 11 vulnerable students

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