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May 2025 Newsletter - Highlights - Click here

from the Starfish UK & Malawi Teams.

Dear Friends and Supporters,

This month we have a few news items to share with you which we hope you will find of interest.

There are always things happening in Malawi that give us encouragement and joy but there are also challenges where we need to ask for more resources or funding.

This month is a mixture of these which will bring new hope and security to the communities in Malawi.

However, here are some of the highlights.

Secondary school at Ngolowindo.

Village Schools Malawi (VSM) have agreed to partner with Starfish to build a new secondary school near to Ngolowindo.

This is so encouraging as it will provide a much needed facility in the heart of the village communities where we work and will enable those students at the local primary school who pass their end of school exams to have the possibility of continuing their education local to their homes.

The UK team saw a school being built by VSM in Chapsinja and said how it would be wonderful if one could be built near Salima. That conversation is now bearing fruit!

Our Nurseries need extra classrooms

Three of our nurseries managed by Glad Tidings at Moyo, Jonasi and Kundayi need an extra classroom connected to the existing building.

This will enable all three classes at each nursery to be under cover and on a good floor, rather than being on the ground under a tree.

We are fortunate that we have space to do this at each location, but we will need additional funding for it.

We will be launching an appeal for this in due course once budgets have been completed.

Update on the Maternity Wing

Following the recent inspection of our new facility by representatives from the local health authority, they were impressed by the building and the quality of what has been constructed.

There are one or two small items that they wish to be done but have said that they would like the unit open within the next two months.

We are currently finalising the simple solar power solution pending the full solar installation when the full funding has been provided by the funder.

The result of the inspection was really encouraging to us and to the clinic team.

Harvest at Chitiwiri

We have received great news of the community feeding programme at Chitiwiri primary school. Their maize harvest was really good and has yielded a large crop.

This will now be stored and then ground into powder so it can then be used for cooking porridge for the children in the next hungry months.

By giving the children a free meal each morning when they arrive at school means that the absenteeism rate has lowered considerably allowing the children to be in school and able to give more attention to learning as they are not hungry.

Container – the final days

The container leaves for Malawi on 1st June so we are now in the last few weeks of collecting items.

It is filling up with many wonderful donations that will greatly help the children and communities in Malawi.

If you have any questions or need details of where to bring your donations, please text Jo Taekema 07942 88015.