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Christmas Lunch for 600

Thankfully, the Christmas lunch for 600 children took place before the devastating rains this week that have affected many parts of Malawi

Sarah’s blog 31/12/25

As 2025 comes to a close, we thank all those who have helped us to support the most vulnerable in rural Northern Malawi. A few days before Christmas there was a lunch for elderly people and then, delayed because of a local funeral, Christmas lunch for 600 children.

So Christmas Day was even busier than usual for Levison and his team of volunteers, no day off for them. There were hundreds of children in need of food looking forward to their party. Christmas Day was a mammoth task of providing Christmas Lunch for 600 children.

The food crisis in Malawi is impacting the vulnerable children we are helping to support. Most of them are orphans, living with extended family, and all are living in extreme poverty. Some don’t even have enough to eat once a day. The situation is extremely serious.

That’s why even more children than usual turned up on Christmas Day, knowing they would be given a substantial and nutritious meal. Some children are walking miles for this free food. Some are carrying younger siblings.

Preparing food, cooking and serving 600 meals is exhausting and backbreaking work…and must seem endless. We are so grateful for the volunteers, without whom none of the children would be fed. We can only afford to run the feeding programme once a week and there are no big charities feeding children in schools this far north. Thank you so much to the donors who donated funds to pay for the food for this year’s Christmas lunch for 600 children.

Whilst we are helping support sustainable projects like planting fruit tree saplings, beehive making and rearing chickens, unfortunately, these children also need our help now. So it is a juggling act, we need to support their future but they won’t have a future without nutrition now.

We are hoping people will understand the great need from reading my blogs and looking at the photos and videos. Prices continue to rise and food is scarce. Donate money to Changing Lives Malawi

We would really appreciate if people could contribute £5 or £10 per month to ensure the feeding programme can continue to feeding increased numbers of hungry and malnourished children once a week. We would love to be able to send an extra £200 per month for the feeding programme to cover extra food costs. Can you spare £5 or £10 per month? Can your friends and family help us too? Contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com for our charity bank details.

Why not organise a 100 square competition or a weekly bonus ball competition with the proceeds going to our feeding programme? Or what about a football scratch card? There are many ways you could get involved even if you don’t think you have much time to spare.

We hope you enjoy looking at all these photos and videos from Christmas Day. These children know that they can come and will not be turned away. It is their safe place where they can play with their friends and fill their empty tummies. They don’t have many highlights in their lives…but this is one of them.

Especially over the Christmas and New Year holiday time, when most of us have far more than we need, will you join our team of supporters for the feeding programme please? contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com for bank details or to donate via our website Donate money to Changing Lives Malawi

Thankfully, the rains hadn’t been too heavy when these two parties took place. However, since then there has been devastation across Malawi. Infrastructure has been washed away, houses damaged, crops washed away etc etc. I will share some photos in a separate post. The people who do the least damage to our planet are always the ones to suffer most.

Enjoy these videos and photos of a happy day for all of these children who are all living in extreme poverty. Thank you again to those who financially supported Christmas Lunch for 600 children. And, of course, to Levison and his team for all their hard work and support for the most vulnerable in their community.

Wishing everyone health and happiness in 2026 and another busy year of Changing Lives (in) Malawi. Come and join us…it’s always about teamwork! Happy New Year and thanks again, Sarah x

World Children’s Day

Today’s blog has great photos of happy children on World Children’s Day!

Sarah’s blog 20/11/25

World Children’s Day …what does it mean? And is there a point? None of these children know about World Children’s Day. And does it apply to them? Or is it for children not living in extreme poverty?

World Children’s Day, November 20th, marks the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. It is for all children around the world. However, many children still do not have all the rights that they should do. UNCRC_summary-1_1.pdf

How many do not have a safe home? How many do not have enough to eat? How many do not have safe drinking water? How many do not have proper health care? The list could go on.

We are doing what we can to help hundreds of the most vulnerable children, living in extreme poverty, in rural northern Malawi. Things are better, but they aren’t good enough, there is still so much to do. That is why we are very grateful for all our supporters as it is always about teamwork and together we can continue Changing Lives (in) Malawi.

These are some great photos that were sent to me a couple of days ago. These children are in p5-p7 at Chambo Primary School. There are so many children needing support that the best way is to help a few at a time. They all received new clothes. The team cannot give out too many things at once as families are so desperately poor they would sell some of the clothes to try to buy some food. So, periodically, Levison and his team give out clothes to those most in need.

I can see donations from Balfron Primary School, Strathblane Primary School, Cherry Tree Nursery and All Saints C of E Junior School in Maidenhead. Can you see any other schools or nurseries I have missed? If you message me then I’ll add them in contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com Many thanks to everyone who has donated clothes and school uniform to make the lives of these children a little bit better.

These are a couple of ways you can help support children to have a better and brighter future. https://gofund.me/72d809c06 or https://donorsee.com/project/28717?share=1 or you can email me for bank details contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com

Thank you for helping to make these children smile, Sarah x

Supporting New Mothers in Malawi: The Mother & Baby Project

Today’s blog has photos and videos from a visit to the maternity ward at Chambo Health Centre.

Sarah’s blog 7/11/25

There is a maternity ward at the local health centre. Many of the new mums are living in extreme poverty and don’t have clothes & blankets for their babies, hence the need for the Mother & Baby Project.

We have some lovely supporters who are talented at knitting and crocheting and others who have donated clothes that their babies have outgrown. So we have been able to send lots of baby hats, clothes and blankets.

The idea is that, as well as receiving clothes at birth, if mum and baby return after a few weeks to collect some more clothes, the health care staff will have an additional opportunity to check that mother and baby are well.

Students from Bright Futures Secondary School visited Chambo Health Centre with some of the boxes of donated baby clothes & blankets. Everyone was very thankful for their visit and delighted to receive gifts for their babies. The new mothers are exhausted and in pain but had expressed their gratitude on receiving the lovely gifts for their newborn babies.

After students had helped sort out some gifts for the babies, they also helped by tidying and sweeping round the exterior of the health centre.

The lady speaking in the video is a relative of one of the newborn babies. She said she wished that when she had her babies that there were gifts like these and help available. It is her prayer that changes like this continue to happen in her grandchildren’s lifetime. She is speaking the local language, Chichewa.

The young man who is speaking in English is Mphatso, one of the students at Bright Futures Secondary School.

Many, many thanks to everyone who is supporting this very important project and letting new mums know that they, and their babies, are important and special. Without your help and ongoing support there would be no Mother & Baby Project.

I am planning to visit Malawi in June next year. The Mother & Baby Project is one of the projects I am passionate about. It’s making a difference to the vulnerable mothers and their babies. I would also love it if we were able to gift bars of soap to the new mums. This is one of the projects I am raising funds for in my GoFundMe ahead of my visit next year. It would be amazing if you could make a small donation to make a big difference. https://gofund.me/b8e7bf36c

I hope you enjoy the great photos and videos, Sarah x

Tidying and sweeping outside the health centre

Students from Bright Futures Secondary School outside Chambo Health Centre

To donate to the sewing project to purchase more material for sewing reusable sanitary towels to beat Period Poverty here is the link https://donorsee.com/project/29253?share=1

Bright Futures: Helping Vulnerable Students Thrive

Please help sponsor my education at Bright Futures Secondary School

Please support the education of one of these students. All are living in extreme poverty and all want a brighter future through secondary education.

Sarah’s blog 21/9/25

Levison and some of the teachers met with students today who want a place at Bright Futures Secondary School when the new term starts again tomorrow. Each young person has been interviewed to ensure that they are serious about their education and will work hard.

These are the young people who need a sponsor to help support their education. Everything is free at Bright Futures Secondary School for these students who are all living in extreme poverty, many of them are orphans living with extended family. As well as free education, these students will receive a free school lunch each day. This is, for most, their only food each day so it is vital that they receive a nutritious meal each lunchtime. The small amount of food in their homes can then be shared amongst the rest of the family.

Students also receive school uniform, underwear and shoes. They have school bags and water bottles and the stationery they need. Each student receives soap, toothbrush & toothpaste and a solar lamp to use at home as it gets dark year round at 6pm in Malawi.

Will you sponsor one of these young people please? Will you give them a brighter future with choices and chances that they wouldn’t otherwise have had? Will you help change the life of a teenager through education? It is only £25 per month to sponsor a young person. You can do this as an individual, a family, friends sharing the cost, a club or a business. Anyone can be a sponsor. Will you help? It might be the most important gift anyone can give to one of these teenagers. Which young person would you like to give the gift of education to today? contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com

Levison said they had put their best clothes on to come and see him today. Many of those clothes had been gifted to them from the boxes we send. But look at Lidiwero’s shoes. They are too small for him and starting to fall apart. He will receive new shoes this week. Ethel, you might notice, has been affected by malnutrition when she was younger and her growth has been stunted. Yet despite the challenges they face, these young people are determined that they want to have an education and have a brighter and better future.

Will you help one of them today please? The more students that we can match with sponsors, the more students can attend Bright Futures Secondary School. Together we can continue Changing Lives (in) Malawi. Thank you for caring. Sarah x

Great Exam Results from Chambo Primary School!

Kumbukani, thankfully, is already sponsored

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!

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

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

International Women’s Day 2025 #IWD2025

#IWD2025 We are highlighting the story of one young woman whom we help to support. We want all women to have equality & empowerment and the choices and chances they deserve.

Sarah’s blog 8/3/25

HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY #IWD2025
The themes for 2025 are – Accelerate Action for ALL women and girls: Rights, Equality & Empowerment.

For International Women’s Day, I’m going to share with you part of the story of one of the young women who has been supported for the last few years. Her life is hard and she is living in extreme poverty. There are lots of issues in this story, so it is very apt for International Women’s Day.

Maria had missed out on a lot of education due to her family circumstances. Being so poor, she had to work for a pittance to help buy food. Maria came to Levison and said that she wanted to be able to attend secondary school. Levison could see what a hard worker she was and so gave her some extra coaching so that she could pass her primary school leavers exams…which she did and was delighted.

We found a sponsor for Maria so she could attend secondary school free of charge and she progressed well, passing her national school exams at the end of s2 (final exams are at the end of s4).

Maria lives with her aunt and her younger sister and has a two hour walk to get to school. That in itself is a huge burden and exhausting and shows real commitment to getting an education.

However, Maria became pregnant. We do not know the full story. Maria will not talk about it, nor did she actually realise she was pregnant until one of the women who helps with the cooking noticed. Maria was supported to attend the health centre regularly and, because she was having a nutritious school lunch each day, she was in fairly good health whilst pregnant.

Maria had a very difficult birth. Her aunt stayed with her at the hospital. Patients have to have someone with them to help care for them and have to provide their own food. Conditions are very basic. So Maria and her aunt were supported with food during this time.

Thankfully, Maria gave birth to a healthy baby boy – Wakisa. Maria asked to return to school for the new term and her aunt agreed to look after Wakisa during the school day.

This has been really hard for Maria but she is dedicated to her son and has been trying to navigate being a new mum, a full-time student and living a distance from school in extreme poverty.

Her son, Wakisa, has been poorly on and off for a few months so Maria has either been at the local health centre with him, at home with him or sitting in class worrying about him. How could she think about her lessons when she was thinking about Wakisa and also worrying about how to make life better for her and her son and provide for him?

Maria has now made the decision to drop out of school as she was getting more and more behind with her work and she obviously wanted and needed to be with her son. As she has a good work ethic, Maria has been trying to find piece work in farmers’ fields to earn a pittance.

I cannot imagine how hard life is for Maria and so many young women like them. But they don’t give up. They keep trying to do the best for their family. They have no choice.

Maria is still sponsored at the moment even though she has dropped out of Bright Futures Secondary School. So that means she will get a monthly food parcel to help supplement any other food coming into their home. However, we need to give her a hand up not a hand out so she cannot be sponsored forever.

Little Wakisa has also just been sponsored, so he will also have a food parcel each month. So those are two good practical things that are happening for Maria and Wakisa, thanks to their sponsors.

Because we know Maria is such a hard worker we do want to support her to get back on her feet and feel like life isn’t so hopeless. If you would like to help Maria then please do email contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com

Let’s make a difference to young women like Maria so that they can bring up their families to have a better and brighter future with choices, chances and opportunities.

The village chiefs, during a recent conversation with Levison, said that by keeping girls in education it has lowered the teenage pregnancy rate greatly. Obviously, pregnancies will still happen and also because of long distances walked in very rural locations, girls and women are still very much at risk.

I am glad that things are improving for girls and women but there is a great deal more to do. I always say it is about teamwork, so if you’d like to be part of Maria’s team and make a difference on International Women’s Day #IWD2025 then let us know. contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com Thank you again to all our sponsors and everyone who supports our work. Thank you, Sarah x

Maria (top right) during a science lesson at Bright Futures Secondary School

Maria recently working in a farmer’s field for a pittance whilst carrying her son on her back

Maria and Wakisa after receiving new clothes for him, a blanket, a food parcel and soap

“My name is Maria Chizumira. I was schooling at Bright Futures Secondary but I have dropped out of school because I need more time to get food, soap and other resources for my child. It was my wish to continue with my education but circumstances have made me not to.”

Gifts for the Children

Sarah’s blog 12/08/24

Levison and his team have been busy opening the boxes that arrived recently. As Sunday is the day to run the feeding programme, word had got round that there might be some gifts given out yesterday. However, far more children turned up than was expected… there were well over 500…many arrived early…so it was just going to be too much to give clothes out in a sensible way, ensuring everyone got something that fitted them. Everyone will get something, but it will have to be done over different days.

These children are all living in extreme poverty. Many are orphans who live with extended family. Families struggle to feed children every day… so the feeding programme is vital. Once a week isn’t nearly enough but it’s all we can afford at the moment. As families struggle to eat, they certainly don’t have money to buy clothes.

We didn’t send as many boxes as usual on that container as we had sent lots of tables and chairs for the classrooms. On the next container there will be more boxes and, as well as preloved clothes for the children, there will be lots of boxes of books for the school literacy project.

There were over 70 nursery age children today (most of whom go to Bright Futures Nursery). It was decided that they would be the easiest age group to give gifts to first. They all received new clothes and a soft toy each and Levison took these lovely photos of some of the children who are aged between 4 and 6.

After the youngest children had their gifts, then the next age group received clothes too. If you’d like to make a donation to help the feeding programme or help with the cost of sending boxes then please do email me contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com

We hope you enjoy these photos and videos and do let me know if you recognise any of the soft toys as having being donated by you! Thanks to everyone who supports us to help hundreds of children and young people, Sarah x

Bright Futures Campus – hundreds of children turned up early this morning hoping for gifts as well as being fed.

Over 70 children age 4-6 received clothes and soft toys

You can hear the excitement and chatter as the children come together to be with their friends and know that they will have a good meal today. We wish we could feed them more often than once a week but we need more financial support for the feeding programme

The children and young people are thanking everyone for the donations and support

5 weeks to find sponsors for 11 vulnerable students

5 weeks to find sponsors for 11 vulnerable students

These young people need a sponsor to help them access secondary education which isn’t free in Malawi. Will you help please?

Sarah’s blog 10/8/24

Thank you so much to the generous people who have come forward and offered to sponsor a young person to go to Bright Futures Secondary School. We are so grateful for everyone who sponsors one of the young people we help to support.

Secondary school is not free in Malawi. So, unless these young people receive help, their education stops at the end of primary school whether they pass their primary school leavers exams or not. This doesn’t seem fair. They are all living in extreme poverty. Many are orphans living with extended family. None can pay school fees. All of them know that education is their way out of poverty and to a brighter future with choices and chances.

The new school term in Malawi starts on 16th September. Will you help us please? We need to find sponsors for all of these young people. You can sponsor as an individual, a family or two friends can share the cost. It’s only £25 per month to change a young person’s life. Or if 5 friends shared sponsorship of a young person then that’s only £5 each per month. Please could you ask your friends?

Apart from paying the teachers’ salaries, the biggest cost is food. At Bright Futures Secondary School each student gets a substantial, nutritious meal each lunchtime. For most this is their only meal of the day, so it is vital. Families, knowing that the students are fed at school, don’t have to worry about feeding them at home. This is how poor families are. They just do not have enough to go round.

I’ve enclosed the link to my original blog about looking for sponsors but the photos in this blog are the young people who still need your help. Please contact me to ensure we can help. It takes teamwork. Thank you so much, Sarah x contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com

12 weeks to find sponsors for 14 vulnerable students

Child Sponsorship/P8 Chambo Primary

Sarah’s blog 20/5/24

Morning everyone! I’d said that, as our 5th birthday is coming up at the end of May, I would be highlighting some of our projects. We have received lots of preloved books recently for our School Literacy Project which will have a big impact on literacy levels. We are collecting another big donation of books from Strathblane Primary School today and are very grateful for their support.

Most of the orphans and vulnerable children we support attend Chambo Primary School where there are over 500 children across 8 classrooms. The students in p8 are about to start their national exams on Wednesday. They cannot go to secondary school unless they pass all these exams. Even if they pass these national exams, unless they have the funds they cannot attend secondary school as only primary education in free in Malawi. None of the children we help to support can afford school fees. So should they only have access to primary education because they are living in extreme poverty?

https://donorsee.com/project/23503?share=1 This is a link to our fundraiser to supply the students with stationery at Chambo Primary School. Please click on the link to see the video. A generous donor has agreed to match what we raise up to the total of $200. Please support this project.

With a lot of help from our supporters, we built Bright Futures Secondary School for the most vulnerable students. We have generous supporters who have kindly agreed to support students through their 4 years at secondary school. It costs £25 per month and this helps pay towards their education, a cooked school lunch each day, school uniform and stationery. However, Bright Futures Secondary School has lots of space for more students.

So, highlighting our Child Sponsorship Project, we need to find more kind hearted sponsors to enable more of the young people who live in extreme poverty to go to Bright Futures Secondary School. Will you sponsor a young person? Or a group of friends could share the cost? It might be the most important thing anyone does for that vulnerable young person. contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com

Please, please help us fill Bright Futures Secondary School with sponsored students giving them opportunities for a much brighter future. Silvia, Elizabeth and John are all expected to do well in their exams…please give them a chance. Through education, these children can be the brighter future for their community. Thank you, Sarah x

Advent Calendar – highlighting projects & children – day 15

Sarah’s blog 15/12/23

On day 15 we are again highlighting the need for quality education. The children and young people we are helping to support have all had extremely difficult lives and are living in extreme poverty. Secondary education needs to be paid for in Malawi and none of the students at Bright Futures Secondary School would be able to afford to pay these fees.

We are extremely proud of Chancy Chisale who is the first sponsored young person to have passed their s4 national exams and is going on to further education. Chancy’s family had paid for some of his education but then ran out of money. Chancy was a very hard worker and a promising student so we managed to match him with a sponsor and we are glad to say that he was successful. We wish him every success for the future.

Bright Futures Secondary School has only been open for just over a year. We were absolutely delighted that the whole S2 class passed their national exams in the summer. This was an amazing achievement for them and we are very proud of them.

Class sizes will always be smaller than government run schools. However, currently, Bright Futures Secondary School is running at approximately 50% capacity. We cannot afford to support more students without sponsors to help support their education costs. The decision was made that all students at Bright Futures Secondary School will get a free school lunch each day. This, for many, is their only proper meal. For some, it is their only food each day. They cannot study and concentrate without being fed at school. But this costs money.

Can you sponsor a vulnerable young person to study at Bright Futures Secondary School please? It’s only £25 per month. You can be a sponsor as an individual, a family or two friends or even a business or a school. contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com Or can you make a one off donation towards school lunches? or commit to paying £5 or £10 per month to ensure the young people get the nutrition they need through a free school lunch each day? https://gofund.me/d3cf8c3a Together we can keep Changing Lives Malawi. Thanks so much, Sarah x

Bright Futures SS – Phase 2 -Foundations

work has started on the foundations of phase 2 of Bright Futures Secondary School, however we still need your help to reach our target https://gofund.me/ece5753a

Sarah’s blog 10/8/23

Today’s blog is a bit of a photo & video dump to share how busy it has been during the last few days. Because the new school term starts in September in Malawi, there will be another intake of vulnerable students wanting to continue their education if they pass their primary school leavers exams.

Thank you so much to everyone who has contributed so far….work on phase 2 of Bright Futures Secondary School has started. However, we haven’t reached our target yet. We are taking a leap of faith that by the beginning of September we will have enough funds to buy everything that is needed. Work had to start otherwise, should we reach our target, work would never have been completed in time for the new school year.

Using bricks left over from phase 1 last year, the builders are starting on the foundations. The thousands of bricks that have been made over the last few weeks will begin to be fired at the weekend and we will share photos of that.

If you are a business or an individual wanting to support the education of some of the most vulnerable young people in Malawi, then please do get in touch contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com . A donation of £500 or above can have your name written above a classroom door or on the building. Without your help, these young people cannot achieve their potential and will not find their way out of poverty to a brighter future. These young people, most of whom are orphans, have experienced loss, hunger, extreme poverty and missed periods of school to work for a pittance to try to feed themselves. We CAN help them.

Please consider being part of the team around these young people and future students who will benefit from Bright Futures Secondary School. The link to our fundraiser to help us ensure that classroom 3 is ready by the start of September is: https://gofund.me/ece5753a. Please give if you can and share this post. Young people are depending on us to help them out of poverty. Education is the best way to do this. Help us continue Changing Lives Malawi. Thanks, Sarah x