Mac in the UK!

Mac is in the UK, fundraising, meeting donors and friends and hopefully not freezing to death! He has just arrived in Scotland to stay with Amanda.

Grant from Kitchen Table Charities Trust

We are delighted to report that the Kitchen Table Charities Trust's Grants Committee has approved a grant of £6,500 towards the cost of building a rehabilitation and training centre for orphans and other vulnerable children at Manasseh Township,  Blantyre.

In a letter to Mac Nkhutabasa, Brian Donaldson (the Chairman of the KTCT Grants Committee) said," John Humphrys founded the Kitchen Table Charities Trust to help small charities like yours that succeed in transforming people's lives with very little money.  It gives us at KTCT pride and satisfaction to be able to support the work of the Chimwemwe Children's Centre,  and we wish you and your colleagues every possible success with this project and all your future activities."

The grant will enable Chimwemwe Children's Centre to commence building before the Malawian wet season.

Rotary boat trip raises £380

Many, many thanks to Dennis and the Howe of Fife Rotary Club for another very generous donation!

Dennis Beattie organised a boat trip from his house, up the Tay to Perth and back, followed by drinks and a buffet meal. He would not accept any contributions towards the day, but there was a bucket put out for donations. Dennis very kindly asked for the donations to be given to Chimwemwe and Amanda Fleet accepted the money on Tuesday from the club.

The support that the Rotary of the Howe of Fife give is enormous and we can never thank you enough.

Just back!

I'm just back from Malawi and have had a fabulous (albeit tiring) time out there.

So, what's new?

Well, the hope is that we will be able to take over a building previously used by another charity group that worked with children (but which seems to have folded) to be able to house the children who are still on the streets. With any luck, they will be able to move into this building by the start of July.

We are also trying to put together budgets to get funding to build our own centre and are hopeful that we will be able to make a start on that before the end of the Malawian winter (UK summer).

More detailed updates soon!

Army Cadets Raise £250

The Royal Signals (Kinross) Detachment of the Black Watch Army Cadet Force has raised the magnificent sum of £250 for Chimwemwe. Pictured below are some of the detachment presenting a cheque to Amanda on Thursday 10th February, 2011.

We are all enormously grateful for the continued support that the cadets are giving. A big thankyou from all of us at Chimwemwe!

Mac cycles to Success

August 2010:Mac Nkhutabasa has completed a sponsored cycle ride from Blantyre to Lake Malawi to raise funds for Chimwemwe. The gruelling ride took place over the last weekend in July, 2010 and has raised K200 000 (approximately £900).

Afterwards, a tired Mac was pleased with the achievement.

“The money raised will help the project enormously. We are looking to be able to buy some land and this event has gone a long way to helping us achieve that goal.”

The land will be useful on many levels. Firstly, the goal is to be able to build a centre for the project, which will have office space, space for the children and also kitchens to help with providing a good meal each day to the children. In addition, the land will be used to teach the children how to grow vegetables - an essential life-skill that orphans would otherwise miss out on. The children are very excited about this, although more excited about eating the food that will be grown!

We are hoping to be able to raise the rest of the money needed to buy the land very soon.

A Sewing Machine brings Hope

July 2010:It is 1 o’clock in the afternoon. Saidi Selemani, emerges from his small dark house in Bangwe, one of the poorest townships in the city of Blantyre. He is smiling widely. Two children aged between nine and eleven are playing outside his house. He has come home to welcome them back from school and then collect sewing materials for his business at the nearby market.

His shop is full with customers, on the wall there are new clothes he made. His welcome demonstrates pride and joy in his family achievement.

Saidi lost his wife four years ago and he has struggled to raise the children as a single parent. Only a year ago, Saidi’s two children, Betty and Flossy were begging on the streets of Blantyre because there was no food at home. During its street outreach, a Chimwemwe volunteer met Betty and Flossy and befriended them. After spending time with the children, a visit was made to their family. After exploring different ways on how the girls would be helped to live at home and go to school, Saidi asked if Chimwemwe would help him by getting him a sewing machine.

The donation from the Rotarians in the Howe of Fife, allowed a sewing machine to be bought and given to the family. Saidi is very thrilled that finally he is able to feed his family, and also that his two daughters are now back into school and attending classes regularly. Chimwemwe is also very pleased because it is benefiting from the sewing machine as Saidi is helping us in making other children’s school uniforms.

Now, Saidi, 40 years old is living a transformed life through Chimwemwe’s support. The daughters are now back into school and Saidi provides for the family through his business of sewing clothes.

“I am proud that my children are now back in school. I know they have a bright future. Thank you to Chimwemwe for helping me to meet my family’s needs.”