'Tis The Season

21.12.2016

‘Tis the season for giving, and that’s exactly what our volunteers here in Lifuwu Village have been doing this month.  From increasing community access to water to financing the construction of new school buildings, to providing educational materials to students, our volunteers have worked hard to make sure they had a lasting positive impact here in Malawi.

Through donations, volunteers Sandra (of Germany) and Tanja (of Switzerland), were able to accomplish quite a lot in their short stay here.  Access to clean water is one of the biggest challenges here in Malawi, due to a number of factors.  Local natural water sources are often polluted and unsafe for human consumption, and there is a lack of an adequate number of boreholes to serve the rapidly growing population of Malawi.  Within Lifuwu Village, we determined that of the few boreholes we do have, a very high percentage of them were damaged and in disrepair due to prolonged use and a lack of maintenance.  Sandra and Tanja saw an opportunity to help the community, and through their donation were able to have 5 boreholes repaired.  They didn’t stop there, however.  Shortly after, construction of a brand new borehole began within the walls of Tiyanjane, the nursery school that help2kids sponsors here in Lifuwu.  Having a water source within the walls of Tiyanjane will lessen the burden placed upon the teachers, who already face a very high student to teacher ratio.  The borehole will also assist the feeding program that operates at the school, which is in place to ensure the nutritional demands of the young students are met. 

 

 

 

 

 

Both Sandra and Tanja felt impassioned by their time spent at Tiyanjane Nursery School, and wanted to help out at the school even more.  Their next step was to repaint the classroom building, including decorating the inside walls with pictures of animals and educational material.  Thanks to their efforts, the many students at Tiyanjane can continue to learn in a more beautiful and happy environment. 

A Second gracious donation came in through the efforts of Sintija, a volunteer from Latvia.  Sintija enjoyed supplementing as well as leading classes at Kazembe Primary School each morning, and saw a way that she could help out the school by fundraising from her family and friends.  After consulting with the teachers, Sintija determined that the school sorely needed educational materials, as they lacking enough textbooks, pens, and exercise books for the students, and teacher’s guides and attendance books for the teachers.  Something as simple as a surplus of writing chalk can make all the difference, so Sintija set out to provide these items that were so badly needed by the school.  The generosity of her friends and family was very apparent, as she was able to purchase over USD $800 worth of educational materials for the school.  The donation was presented to Kazembe teachers and students, and trees were planted in honor of Sintija and her supporters, Kazembe School, and help2kids.

 

 

 

 

Last but certainly not least, construction of a new outdoor classroom block has begun at Lifuwu Primary School, financed as well by the lasting donation of Sandra and Tanja.  This classroom provides a sheltered place for the students who attend the school to learn, without fear of exposure to the elements.  Currently, the school is over capacity and students have been taking classes underneath trees, but are often forced to end early when the rains come.  With this new building, classes will be able to continue in an educationally prosperous environment, free of unwanted distractions. 

 

We are so incredibly thankful and lucky to host such generous volunteers who care so deeply about our community.  We happily welcome anyone who wishes to join forces with us with open arms, and a warm ‘takulandirani ku Malawi’.