For news and information from The Malawi Schools Project
please see our new website at www.themalawischoolsproject.org.uk
FANTASTIC WINE DRAW AND CONCERT
A huge THANK YOU! to all who donated wine, bought tickets, or otherwise contributed to our Grand Wine Draw. We had 6 wine baskets, a magnum, and a bottle of Wiston sparkling wine with a tour and tasting at Wiston Estate.
The draw was conducted at our Songs for a Summer Evening concert in Steyning, West Sussex on 1st July. A really lovely evening with fizz and canapés wonderfully created by MSP's trustees. It was a great fundraiser, with fabulous prizes. We were all so busy singing and serving that we completely forgot to take any more photos!
 |
| The prizes |
THOCCO FRANK PART 1 DIPLOMA
I am delighted to say that Thocco has been doing really well. He is almost half way through his 2 year course in nutrition and food security, and he is on course for a 2:1 degree. He is rightly proud of his achievements. Here is his part 1 Diploma, received today.
.jpg)
AND ANOTHER GLORIOUS WINE DRAW!
Our famous wine draw!
6 chances to win a basket of 6 bottles of quality wine, with drinking notes and recommendations. This is what our prizes looked like last time - and this year's will be similar - plus a mystery magnum!
Some of our baskets on display
And a close up
FUND RAISING CONCERT IN STEYNING
1st July 2022
I and some of my wonderful singing chums from The Singing Salon will be giving a small fund raising concert at a beautiful house in Steyning, West Sussex on 1st July. Do come along if you're in the area! Tickets from 01903 879800, or averil222@gmail.com includes a glass of fizz and canapés.
.jpg)
100 more girls taught menstrual hygiene, and given reusable sanitary pads
We are delighted that Enelless Pemba, who ran a very successful project for us with some of the girls in local schools pre-COVID, has been able to run a second course for us, on 24th and 25th February 2022, this time using some of her left-over materials. She tutored 120 girls over 2 days, with a programme focusing on climate change, tree planting and school cleanliness, as well as menstrual hygiene, body care and pad making, with an awards ceremony to finish. There were insufficient resources on this occasion to enable her also to tutor the girls in pad making, but all those who attended were given a reusable pad at the end of the course for their own use.
Thank you Enelless!!
 |
| Waiting to start |
 |
| With Enelless |
FUNDRAISING NEWS
Our fundraising has, of course, been affected by Covid over the past 2 years. But we have been able to run a few activities and have 3 more in the pipeline. Watch this space!
A fundraising concert 26 February 2022
Just before the pandemic, we were extremely fortunate to benefit from the kind generosity of the owner and trustees of Champs Hill, a most wonderful private concert venue in West Sussex, who supported a fundraising concert there in aid of MSP and a London charity, Place2Be. The concert was given by Vocal Fusion Acapella, a male barber shop group of which one of our trustees is a member, and the award winning Citi UK choir (finalists in Gareth Malone's BBC TV series The Choir) on 30th November 2019.
Vocal Fusion returns to Champs Hill on 26th February 2022, this time in conjunction with Kaleidoscope and Three's Company, all directed by Zoe Peate.
Fundraising stalls in Amberley, West Sussex
And we ran successful fundraising stalls in Amberley at Amberley Revival on 7th August 2021, and at the Wildbrooks Churches Christmas festival on 4th December 2021.
 |
| 3 of MSP's trustees at our fundraising stall on 4.12.21 |
 |
| Our display board |
ONE OF OUR BURSARY STUDENTS HAS A UNIVERSITY PLACE!!
WONDERFUL SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITY
For some years, MSP has been funding students at the Mpasa Community Day Secondary School. Many of the CDSS students (learners) are from very poor homes. With little local employment, families survive on what they can grow, and - if they are lucky - any surplus foodstuffs that they can sell. Many cannot afford the £6 or so per term that it costs to send their children to secondary school. For more information, see the page on School fees.
MSP has been running a bursary programme at the school for 5 years. We currently support 45 learners.
In August we received the wonderful news that DAVIS JOHN,
one of our bursary students, had been offered a place at Lilongwe
University of Agriculture and Natural Resources to study for a BSc in Animal
Science. There were apparently 24,000 applications nationwide for
3,000 university places this year so he has done very well. And very few
students from this poor part of the country - let alone those from the poorest of homes - are lucky enough to be offered a
university place.
 | ||
| Outside the office making a loan application |
One of our advisers in Malawi, local head-teacher Dorothy Mafukeni, tells us that Davis is really hardworking and dedicated. He is the eldest of 3 children. He lost his father when he was very young. His mother provides for them all with some piece work and subsistence farming. He told us that he would have dropped out of school, had it not been for the MSP bursary.
We are determined to support Davis through university if we can, in the hope that he will be able to bring real long term benefit to the local community. There are virtually no grants available now, and sadly, he has applied for but been unable to obtain a loan.
So we are looking for a donor or donors who would like to sponsor or part-sponsor Davis’s education. The sums involved are very manageable. I estimate the total cost of the 4 year course, including tuition fees and accommodation, at around £5,000.
If anyone would like to be involved or to find out more, please please let me know at themalawischoolsproject@gmail.com.
MORE ABOUT MSP's BOOKS
 |
| Books in West Sussex packed and ready to go |
Those of you who have followed MSP will remember that some time ago we were able, courtesy of two other charities, The Book Bus and The Book People, to despatch a collection of children's books to Malawi for use by local children.
It took some time for them to get there (!) and by the time they did, visiting Malawi had become difficult.
Last year, our local adviser and wonderful helper Dorothy visited Mangochi, where the books had been delivered, and with the help of local literacy/teaching organisations and schools arranged for the distribution of the books - some in the Mangochi area, others back in Mpasa.
 |
| Now in Mangochi, awaiting distribution |
Some went to the Bolera Literacy Centre
 |
| A big "Thank You" from the Bolera Literacy Centre |
 |
| The Bolera Literacy Centre in action |
Some went to the nursery school near Mwanazanga Primary in Mpasa.
Some went to a nursery and literacy project run by the former head of the Book Bus and his wife in Mangochi
 |
| Sorting the books at Mangochi |
 |
| Dorothy handing books to the head teacher at Mwanazanga Primary |
It had been our original intention to set up our own reading circles. Sadly, we were unable to make that happen. But we are delighted that the books have been made available to children who are enjoying them, and professionals who are able to work with them to help literacy locally.
Our Star Pupils get College and University Places!
THOCCO FRANK
In summer 2021 we received an approach directly from one of our bursary students, Thocco Frank. Thocco is the second of 5 children. His mother provides for them with a little piece work, and of course farming.
 |
| Thocco's home |
 |
| Thocco's mother |
On his own initiative, he had applied for and obtained a place at a private college - Domasi Development College - to study nutrition and food security. It's a 2 year course, with on-the-job-training, and an examination system which relies on exams set in the USA and UK. Our wonderful headteacher in Malawi, Dorothy, visited the college, and Thocco, and advised it would be well worth supporting him.
 |
| Thocco Frank |
 |
| Some of the college buildings |
 |
| Thocco's computer |
 |
| Dorothy at Domasi Development College |
With financial support from MSP she obtained a smart phone and (reconditioned) laptop for Thocco, prepared a budget, and made arrangements with the college to pay Thocco's fees direct to the college authorities. We pay for his tuition fees, accommodation, food, supplies and materials, and expect, all-in, that Thocco's course will cost us (or rather our fantastic donors) between £2,500 and £3,000 for the 2 full years.
 |
| ...... and his phone |
We very much hope that Thocco's on-the-job training placements will give rise to a successful career opportunity in a sector which could bring real benefit to his community.
School Fees continued.....
I am happy to say that we have been able to continue the payment of school fees throughout the pandemic. This year we will be supporting 45 students - sadly a reduction on previous numbers brought about by big increases in fees, and crucially in government-levied examination fees, which have together more than doubled the amount payable per student. But our funds support the school and the staff at large and we remain the school's largest single donor.
And I continue to enjoy the many WhatsApp messages I receive from friends on the ground, including the school headteacher, who recently (with the help no doubt of Autocorrect) apologised for his "erotically" presented school fees table. Now that takes some doing! I shudder to think what mad messages I may have sent in reply!
FOURTH SCHOOL BLOCK FINISHED!
Our New School Block
I am happy to say that - COVID, storms and travel restrictions notwithstanding - we have now completed a fourth school block at Mwanazanga Primary School. The whole of the credit goes to a stream of astonishing donors, who gave so generously to make it happen, and to good friends in Malawi who saw the whole project through on the back of funds and budgets supplied by MSP. It looks like this:
 |
| The front |
 |
| A classroom, with blackboard |
 |
| Disabled access and storm drain |
You may think it's rather like the other 3 blocks we have built - and yes, it's pretty well identical. But this time we have added disabled access, even more termite protection and electrical wiring, in the hope that the electricity grid will one day be connected.
This means that we have now doubled the school’s capacity. And since there are now more than 1,850 students on the register, they need all the space they can get.
Wholly managed by friends in Malawi
MSP entrusted the handling and management of the block to two good friends in Malawi – Dion Makina, the delightful carpenter, pastor, school governor and very kind host, with whose family I have stayed each time I have been to Malawi: and Dorothy Mafukeni, until recently the deputy headteacher of Mpasa CDSS (Community Day Secondary School) where we run our bursary programme, now head teacher of a new, private secondary school nearby.
Dion took this video while he talked to the contractor as he prepared the wall for the blackboard.
Together Dion and Dorothy have seen the project through to completion, pretty well on budget, and almost on time. There was a little hiccough towards the end, when the contractor found his workers leaving him. I discovered that he had given us such a good price in order to get the work, that he wasn’t paying his men enough. Of course we put matters right and work resumed. And Covid has put paid to Dion and Dorothy's hopes of a grand civic opening - though I'm delighted they've been able to take credit in the community for it.
Supported by the community
All the local chiefs have been behind their efforts, and have helped to motivate the community. We need them. They make and provide the bricks, and do a lot of carrying of bricks, quarry dust and water for the build. We have received some nice, warm thank you messages from the head teacher and the chiefs as a result.
I am delighted that this has
been a 100% local effort. They haven’t needed to have some odd white
woman telling them what needed to be done. I hope they will have enjoyed developing some project management skills. And they have rightly been able to
take all the credit for the work.
For more, see the page on School building.
Some more photos......
 |
 |
| Chief of Chimenye and local chief of chiefs with Dion (in the striped shirt) who assists MSP locally |
Coronavirus in Malawi
Malawi has been one of the latest African countries to report coronavirus cases, all said to have involved people returning from the UK. It is one of the the least able to fight the disease. The government has closed the schools, urged people to work from home where possible, and banned public meetings of 100 or more, and the president and ministers have taken a pay cut to fund health work. Information about the disease is available on radio and television, and online. But most of the people we work with in Mpasa have no access to modern forms of communication. And exhortations by the government to keep apart and begin rigorous hand washing mean little in a community where people live in cramped, overcrowded homes and often cannot afford soap to wash themselves and their clothes, let alone indulge in hand washing repeatedly during the day.
All of the children we support are from poor homes. MSP’s trustees and I have taken the decision that we cannot leave these families completely without help. We have initiated a modest public information campaign in the villages nearest to Mpasa, and we have provided funds for the chiefs to distribute soap to the poorest of families, together with an information leaflet produced by the secondary school. So far 150 families have been helped in this way. Distribution to the poorest of the children at the secondary school will begin tomorrow.
All of the children we support are from poor homes. MSP’s trustees and I have taken the decision that we cannot leave these families completely without help. We have initiated a modest public information campaign in the villages nearest to Mpasa, and we have provided funds for the chiefs to distribute soap to the poorest of families, together with an information leaflet produced by the secondary school. So far 150 families have been helped in this way. Distribution to the poorest of the children at the secondary school will begin tomorrow.
 |
| Soap paid for by MSP |
 |
| Awaiting distribution |
 |
| The chief of Timu village distributing soap |
2020 developments
I’m sorry to have been silent so long. All the work we have initiated in Malawi continues. Our new school blocks were completed long ago. And for the past year we have concentrated on paying school fees and providing support for the almost 100 bursary students at Mpasa Community Secondary Day School, providing incentive prizes for the children at primary school, and providing books to the Mpasa reading circles. Unfortunately the wonderful English lady I recruited to work for us in Blantyre in June last year became seriously ill and left Malawi for good in December. She had done 2 follow up reports for us, and had great ideas for taking things forward. Since then I have had 2 abortive attempts to get to Mpasa to pick up on further projects, stymied by illness, weather, and now of course coronavirus. As soon as I can get there and establish our future programme, you’ll be the first to know! And in the meantime our regular support for schoolchildren will continue.
Flood disaster relief
The children at St James's School, Coldwaltham, with whom I have set up a pen pal scheme with some of the children in Malawi, have been worried about the children in homes affected by recent flooding. Together, they have raised over £150 specifically for flood relief. I am bowled over by their generosity, their concern and their initiative. Thank you everyone at St James's School!
Thomas, whose picture this is, raised a substantial amount on his own through a sponsored walk. Thank you Thomas!
It costs £25 to provide a family who have lost everything with emergency supplies - bedding, clothes, some food, and temporary shelter. So the children have directly enabled 6 families to receive much needed help. What a wonderful result!
Together with donations from other well wishers I have now been able to send a total of £500 direct to disaster relief contacts in Malawi. If you would like to channel much needed funds through me, direct to contacts on the ground, please email me at themalawischoolsproject@gmail.com.
 |
| Thomas and St James's Headteacher |
It costs £25 to provide a family who have lost everything with emergency supplies - bedding, clothes, some food, and temporary shelter. So the children have directly enabled 6 families to receive much needed help. What a wonderful result!
Together with donations from other well wishers I have now been able to send a total of £500 direct to disaster relief contacts in Malawi. If you would like to channel much needed funds through me, direct to contacts on the ground, please email me at themalawischoolsproject@gmail.com.
Some pictures of furniture too
In autumn I commissioned some school desks for Mwanazanga. The school has no furniture. The carpenter is being a little slow (!) but so far he has made 22, and he has finally delivered them to the school. They're integrated benches and desks, and each one seats 3. The next batch is under way.
 | ||||||
| Desks at the carpenter's awaiting despatch |
Another school block
I have changed my contact arrangements in Malawi this year, and photos have been a little bit slower in coming as a result but here, finally, is our 3rd block at Mwanazanga School, taken just before the beginning of the current term. I'm really looking forward to seeing it. We bought better paint and more cement this time, so it should have a much better finish than our first 2. And this time we have added ramps. There is one child at present with a wheelchair, and of course there may be others in the future.
 | |
| The 3rd MSP school block at Mwanazanga School |
Sanitary pad training!
I wasn't there to see the training first hand, but thanks to MSP almost 300 girls at Mpasa Community Day Secondary School now have their own set of washable sanitary pads, and the skills to make more. Girls typically stay away from school when they're menstruating. A remarkable Malawi lady, Enelless Pemba, has designed a set of comfortable, reusable pads, and has established her own business, training girls to make them for themselves. MSP funded 2 days of training, and all the materials, for the CDSS girls. There are a couple of photos below, and a full set of photos from the MSP CDSS training project here.
 | ||
 |
| Enelless and the wonderful purple fabric |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)