Tag: students

100% exam pass rate S2 BFSS

Amazing exam results at Bright Futures Secondary School! Congratulations!

Sarah’s blog 18/8/23

We are all absolutely delighted with the news that all of the students in S2 at Bright Futures Secondary School have passed their S2 national exams.

This is a huge achievement for several reasons;

  1. Bright Futures Secondary School (classrooms 1 & 2) didn’t open until 7/11/23 so they haven’t had a full school year.
  2. Resources have been limited.
  3. These are some of the most vulnerable teenagers in Malawi. Many are orphans. Most are older as they have missed out big chunks of school to try to earn money to feed themselves.
  4. No big organisations are feeding children & young people in primary schools in this area so, until they started at secondary school, they weren’t eating properly every day. Most young people in this area are malnourished.
  5. At Bright Futures Secondary School students receive a free cooked lunch each day. This might be their only proper meal each day.

Teachers have worked hard with the students and organised study classes after school and for a few days during the Easter holidays. It is dark every day at 6pm so unless students had a candle or small torch they wouldn’t be able to study at home during the evenings. Students have now been gifted solar lamps for home use.

Congratulation to the students, to the teachers and to Levison for overseeing the whole project. It is even more vital that phase 2 of Bright Futures Secondary School is completed by mid September so that these students can continue their learning journey in S3. If you can, please donate to https://gofund.me/ece5753a as we need to continue building on this success. Thanks for supporting us to support the students, Sarah x

Agricultural Classes at Bright Futures Secondary School

Agriculture Classes at Bright Futures Secondary School

Sarah’s blog 10/05/23

Agricultural Classes are a core part of the curriculum in Malawi. The students at Bright Futures Secondary School are amongst the most vulnerable in Malawi and would not have been able to attend secondary school as this has to be paid for in Malawi. Bright Futures Secondary School is free of charge.

Today is the start of the primary school leavers. These are national exams and you cannot progress to secondary school if you have not passed these exams. But you can’t go anyway if you cannot pay – even if you have passed your primary school exams.

Because of the huge level of poverty, children and young people drop in and out of school to help their families/carers earn money for food. They earn a pittance for a full day’s work with no food or water. Laston (pictured in one of the photos) worked for a farmer looking after his cows for the equivalent of £1.50 per month. Thankfully, Laston now has a sponsor and is doing well at school. So students are probably 2 or 3 years older than expected becaus they have missed so much school. The older the student, the poorer their family. Most students in these photos are still needing a sponsor to support their education. This will help us pay the teachers salaries, provide uniform and the supplies they need for school and pay for breakfast and lunch each day. It’s £25 per month to sponsor a student. Can you help give one of these students a brighter future? Or you could split the cost with a friend and pay £12.50 p/m each. contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com

Thanks to our supporters, phase 1 of Bright Futures Secondary School was completed and opened in November 22. Students (and teachers) have been working hard and will have exams in a few weeks time. We certainly aren’t expecting all students to pass their exams. We just expect them to do their best. We will obviously be delighted for those who are able to pass exams. These young people have been so malnourished and had such difficult lives that basic survival was all they could manage. Things are improving. Now all students will have a brighter future by being in school. Even if they do not excel in exams they are more literate. They will have better numeracy skills. They will also be learning skills for life. There will be far less teenage pregnancies and child marriages due to young people being in school and being fed in school even if their families cannot afford to feed them.

Self-sufficiency is the end goal for the community we are working with. However, no children in primary schools in the far north of Malawi are being fed by big agencies. All are malnourished and all are hungry. We support a Feeding Programme that feeds 500+ orphans a substantial meal once a week. We wish we could provide more money for food but we are also investing in their education. We would love you to commit to £5 or £10 per month to support the feeding programme as food is getting more and more expensive contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com

The Agricultural students at Bright Futures Secondary School have already built a polytunnel using an old trampoline frame we sent. They have started growing vegetables. They have also planted a field of sweet potato vines to produce food to eat. Now, the teacher has set them the task of clearing an area of ground by their homes to plant some vegetables. More skills for life and, hopefully, food to share with their families. Also, if successful, they will have a huge sense of satisfaction and achievement and be more confident about their skills for a brighter future. The photos are just a few of the students. We will look forward to updates from the teacher.

If you’d like to sponsor a student, contribute to the feeding programme or donate towards phase 2 of Bright Futures Secondary School to build the next classrooms then please email contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com or donate to the school fundraiser at https://gofund.me/ece5753a . Thank you for reading and supporting, Sarah x

Agriculture Lessons at Bright Futures Secondary School Reviewing the first week of Bright Futures Secondary School

Sweet Potatoes, Maize & Beans

Students were busy planting sweet potato vines after lessons today

Sarah’s blog 04/04/23

It’s Easter School Holidays in Malawi as well as here but we had arranged to support an Easter Study School for students. We had to arrange for them to be fed each day so they would be able to concentrate and study. We are still looking for supporters to contribute towards these extra costs please. contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com for our bank details or text FEEDING to 70480 to donate £5 towards feeding these hungry, vulnerable students. As the saying goes….every little helps!!

Maize is getting more and more scarce and more expensive as it is the rainy season and also because a lot of maize is being redistributed to the south of Malawi for the victims of the recent cyclone, meaning that it is becoming really difficult to secure enough food.

We sent some money last week as Levison had been able to secure some maize and beans towards feeding the students for the next two weeks. However, due to heavy rain and flooding, it wasn’t safe to go and fetch these supplies. Three days passed with heavy rain and the roads were more and more muddy. Would there be any food for students on Monday?

Levison was able to make a shorter journey on Saturday, in between the rain showers, to collect sweet potato vines. These were paid for by a donation for which we are very grateful. On Sunday late afternoon Levison and one of his staff set off to collect the maize and beans knowing that it was needed for the next day. However, their truck got stuck in the mud….they were there for 6 hours until another truck passed and was able to pull them out of the ditch. Nothing is ever easy or straightforward. I don’t think any of us realise just how difficult things are every day. However, thankfully, they returned with some food.

After lessons today, some of the students at Bright Futures Secondary School, helped with planting the sweet potato vines as part of their agricultural lessons. This crop is far less labour intensive than maize and, hopefully, the sweet potatoes should be ready after three months. There still won’t be a huge harvest considering that 500 hungry children turn up every weekend to be fed, but it is on the right road to self-sufficiency and these students are learning important skills for their futures.

Thanks for reading and supporting these vulnerable students, Sarah x

A visit to the Health Centre

Sarah’s blog 21/2/23

Some of the wonderful donations of clothes and knitting for babies that have been donated were delivered to the Health Centre that is near to The Foundation. There is a maternity ward in the health centre and staff are very happy to have the connection with The Foundation and to receive clothes for the new babies.

Levison and the teachers at Bright Futures Secondary School want the young people, who are receiving free education, school meals, uniform etc to give back to their community. A trip was organised to the health centre today for some of the students to go with their teachers to deliver the baby clothes and blankets. They also cut the grass round the buildings and swept debris from the outside areas.

It looks like everyone enjoyed the visit and the staff and mothers were delighted to receive some clothes for their babies. On the last visit there were some new born babies but today there were some older babies with their mums and also some women who were due to give birth. One person commented that these gifts had come from angels….so thank you so much to each and every person who has knitted blankets and baby clothes or donated baby clothes that their own children have grown out of. You can see where your gifts have gone and that they are very much appreciated. Enjoy the photos and thanks for supporting, Sarah x

The latest beautiful donations from Torrance Church that I received on Sunday. These will be going on the next container.

Bible Knowledge & the gift of bibles

Thanks to St Michael’s Church Slateford Road, Edinburgh for helping to support the students at Bright Futures Secondary School.

Sarah’s blog 3/2/23

Last year we had a very generous donation of lots of preloved bibles from St Michael’s Parish Church, Slateford Road in Edinburgh.

Bible Knowledge is one of the subjects on the school curriculum in Malawi. Yesterday, there was time to open some more boxes and the bibles were given to the students at Bright Futures Secondary School. These will be so helpful with their studies as previously all the teenagers were trying to share only a few bibles between them. Thank you so much to St Michael’s Parish Church for supporting the students’ education.

I asked Levison when I saw these photos that he sent me yesterday why some of the students were in casual clothes. He said they got absolutely soaked through on their way to school. It’s currently the rainy season and most of these students do not have a rain jackets. You can see in the photos that some of the students have flipflops/sliders or will have walked in bare feet to keep their school shoes clean. Do you have a good rain jacket that you no longer need or that your child has outgrown that we can send to these vulnerable students please? contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com

Also, I mentioned to Levison that everyone looked very serious in the photos. He told me it was because these photos were taken just before lunchtime and these students hadn’t eaten since the day before so they were really hungry and tired. We must try to find more support with feeding these young people. Can you commit a small monthly amount to help provide breakfast to these orphans as well as them receiving a free school lunch? There isn’t much at home for them to eat and they cannot study properly if they are hungry and malnourished. Will you help by committing £5 or £10 per month to help provide food at Bright Futures Secondary School. Because costs have risen so much, we estimate that it will cost £25 per student per month to feed them breakfast as well as lunch, so whatever you can give towards this will make a difference. We can’t do it on our own. We always say it is about teamwork and you are a valuable part of our team. contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com

Thanks for reading and supporting these vulnerable teenagers, Sarah x

Bright Futures Secondary School – We are Changing Lives Malawi

Sarah’s blog 16/12/22

I wrote the following on my personal page last night… and am very thankful for all that has been achieved and will continue to be achieved through determination, hard work, teamwork, trust and truth, and the help of our supporters.

These photos could be from a school anywhere in the world. From these photos we cannot tell how big the school is, how new the school is, which country it’s in or how well off or poor the children and their families are. We cannot tell how much trauma they have been through, whether they have parents or are orphans living with extended family. We cannot tell whether they have eaten more than the one free school meal they have at school each day. That’s exactly how it should be.

As I keep saying, our little charity runs on a shoestring and, because we are volunteers, takes no money for salaries or admin whatsoever. All money goes to the projects we support. We have had to accept that the building of a school was going to have to happen in stages because of costs involved. I also keep saying that it’s all about teamwork. Some might have time, talents or contacts or spare money. All of us have care and compassion.

Phase 1 of Bright Futures Secondary School opened on 7/11/22. It has been such hard work, here and in Malawi. But we’ve achieved. Two classrooms have been built. Staff accommodation has been built. Desks have been made. Tables and chairs arrived on the container. School uniform and school equipment arrived on the container. Levison bought some basic science equipment when he was in Mzuzu. (We will buy more when funds are available).

There is so so much more to do for which we are relying on the generosity of others. But we are achieving. We are Changing Lives Malawi. These children are not to be pitied. They only require to be nurtured. Education is their way out of poverty. Bright Futures Secondary School will provide them with brighter futures.

I was feeling overwhelmed earlier on today as it has been busy and stressful but I went for a little sleep and am feeling much better now and that’s what prompted me to write this.

I am so proud of our charity and the small team of volunteers and I want to thank them all. I want to thank everyone who supports us and makes everything possible. We couldn’t do what we do without you. However, there is one person who has worked harder, longer hours than anyone else, in order to see his dream become a reality. He was one of these children. He has achieved and wants the same for each and every one of these vulnerable children.

So I just want to say Levison Mlambya I am so proud of you. Look what has been achieved for the children. We are a good team. Thank you all. If you would like to help then please email or message me contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com www.changinglivesmalawi.com or donate at https://gofund.me/44a92444 and feel free to spread the word by sharing this post and others. Thanks, Sarah x

Bright Futures Secondary School – Science

Sarah’s blog 15/12/22

The teenage boys and girls have been working with the new science equipment that was bought at the weekend when Levison was in Mzuzu.

With the money that was available, he was only able to buy the bare minimum but it is a start. We do need to find funds for more expensive items like microscopes so if anyone would like to contribute towards buying more science equipment then it would be very much appreciated or if you are local to me and have a microscope that is no longer needed then please let me know contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com

I have put the links in to our Christmas fundraising – there are still some calendars available to purchase at £10 each plus £2 p&p, we have alternative gift cards as well as cards and paintings to purchase. Why not put a loved one’s name on one of the buildings at The Foundation as a Christmas gift? Any donation over £500 can do this….. a unique gift!

We must keep our fundraising efforts going to ensure that phase 2 of Bright Futures Secondary School will be built next year. So if you can help then please either email me of donate here https://gofund.me/44a92444 One classroom costs approximately £10,000 to build, so it’s a big ask but we know that together we can make this happen for the children. Thanks for your support and enjoy these photos of the boys and girls at Bright Futures Secondary School, Sarah x

Christmas Fundraising & news update – Changing Lives Malawi

Bright Futures Secondary School – desks, chairs, uniform & exams – Changing Lives Malawi

Bright Futures Secondary School – Desks

Sarah’s blog 3/12/22

It’s been another busy day for Levison. In preparation for the long journey to collect the boxes from the next container, which will hopefully be arriving very soon, Levison took the truck to get two new batteries today.

He also called in at the carpenter who is making some desks for one of the classrooms. We were delighted to have received a donation towards these desks and, as always, we are very grateful for the support. The carpenter agreed to make the desks for £20 each and they will be ready for collection on Tuesday. If anyone would like to purchase a desk for the other classroom, then please do let me know. contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com 130 chairs are in the container that is arriving very soon, so the school is really taking shape and pupils will have more uniform and school bags.

There is still a lot to buy and also continuous costs for Bright Futures Secondary School, so here is the link for our fundraiser https://gofund.me/44a92444 if you would like to make a donation. We are hoping that the builder will be back at The Foundation this week to start measuring out the area for the next classroom block.

Here is the link to the post about our fundraising gifts and cards. We still have some of our lovely calendars for sale and they would make a great gift at only £10 plus £2 p&p with all money going to the school project. Christmas Cards & Gifts – Changing Lives Malawi I hope everyone is having a good weekend and thank you again for supporting us to help the vulnerable children in Malawi. Thanks, Sarah x

Sports at Bright Futures Secondary School

Sarah’s blog 16/12/22

Everyone is settling into a routine at Bright Futures Secondary School. Here are some photos from today of some of the young people. The boys have been playing football and the girls netball and football. The teachers are in the black and white stripe tops, being great role models for the teenagers and ensuring that the girls (as well as the boys) are playing team sports, keeping fit and healthy physically and mentally, learning new skills and growing in self-esteem.

I am still busy trying to raise money for desks and more textbooks then onto phase 2 of the school. By building two more classrooms, more vulnerable teenagers will benefit from a free secondary education as well as a hot nutritious lunch each day at school. Thank you to all those who have supported our fundraising. If you are able to donate to help provide desks and more textbooks, then here is the link https://gofund.me/44a92444

Thanks for reading and supporting, Sarah x

Please will you sponsor me?

Sarah’s blog 14/11/22

The teenagers who have started at Bright Futures Secondary School have all had a very difficult life. Some have had an extremely hard time. They have had to miss a lot of school to work for a pittance to try to earn a few coins to contribute towards food in their homes. That’s why they are all older than you would expect. The older they are, the more school they missed and the longer they have had to work.

Some young people not yet been matched with a sponsor. Having a sponsor will help pay for their place at school. It will help towards the stationary they need, the exam fees, uniform, other clothes, a blanket, soap, toothbrush & toothpaste, a wind-up torch and a school bag. It will also help towards providing a nutritious hot meal each lunchtime.

It’s £25 per month to sponsor a child. You can do this as an individual, as a family, a business or a club or two friends can split the cost. This might be the most important thing that anyone ever does for one of these young people. As well as financial support, they will know someone cares about them. They will know they are important and that someone is willing to invest in their future. Can you be a sponsor to one of the young people please? contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com

We recognise that the commitment of being a sponsor is not for everyone, so we are also looking for people to commit to £5 or £10 per month to ensure that all the students receive a nutritious hot meal each lunchtime. contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com These teenagers need a team around them in order that they can succeed and be the best they can be. They need to be warm and have food in their tummies to be able to concentrate on their studies. They shouldn’t be so cold at night they can’t sleep. They shouldn’t be so hungry that they can’t concentrate. They have been given the gift of education and they need to have the opportunity to succeed. Please can you be part of the team supporting these young people to be the best that they can be?

Here are some of the young people who need your help. Please do get in touch if you would like to support one of them or support our school lunches at Bright Futures Secondary School. Thank you, Sarah x

Bright Futures Secondary School – Let’s build this school

Sarah’s blog 30/08/22

It’s time for an exciting update on Bright Futures Secondary School. Lot’s of hard work has been going on here and, of course, in Malawi to try to make this a reality for some of the most vulnerable young people in rural northern Malawi who would otherwise miss out on secondary education.

It’s so difficult when trying to manage everything on a shoestring and costs are rising. However, where there is a will there is a way. This school is desperately needed and, therefore, it will happen.

Because of the rural location, accommodation is needed for teachers. The first block of teachers accommodation is almost complete and the work on the foundations for the first two classrooms of Bright Futures Secondary School is about to be begin. This is just the start….we have so much more to do. We need you on our team to help these vulnerable young people out of poverty and to a brighter future.

All the bricks that have been made have been dried and stacked into kilns and the first of the kilns was fired. It was covered in mud and a fire lit in each gap. One person was responsible for each fire, ensuring their fire burned brightly all through the night. The kiln will now be left for over a week to cool down again, the mud will be removed and the bricks will be ready to use.

We really do need your help to ensure that education is available to all these vulnerable young people. Education is their way out of poverty. To make a donation here is the link https://gofund.me/44a92444 Let’s give the gift of education…it might be one of the most important gifts you every give a vulnerable child. To get in touch contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com Thanks for reading, Sarah x

This year’s S3 and S4 students

Sarah’s blog 30/3/22

Here are the thoughts of Angela, Naomi, Chancy and Tamiwe. Education features in most of the young people’s answers to the questions they’ve been asked and it’s interesting that the majority want to be able to help others who are in similar situations to themselves. Hopefully, because of the generosity of their sponsors, they will then pay that forward as adults by providing a helping hand to the vulnerable in their community. Thank you to the sponsors for enabling these young people to have the gift of education. Unfortunately, Angela wasn’t there on the day photos were being taken but we will get another photo of her soon. If you can help us with fundraising, a financial donation or would like to sponsor a young person for £25 per month then email contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com thanks for reading, Sarah x

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