GTOC
Glad Tidings Orphan Care
Glad Tidings Orphan Care
Who does it help?
Glad Tidings Orphan Care (GTOC) is a Community Based Organisation located, supported by Starfish Malawi, in the heart of Ngolowindo in Malawi.
Ngolowindo is a rural area suffering extensively from the challenges of living in poverty, with the local communities facing inadequate levels of income, fragile food security and a lack of education and investment.
Since the programme started in 2003, we’ve seen more than 4228 Orphans and vulnerable children registered, who are then monitored and supported in education, health, psychosocial and physical wellbeing.
The centre continues to serve the Ngolowindo zone with good health care outreach services, a Saturday children’s club (motivational talks, Christian faith teaching, games and lunch), 4 nursery schools and After School Clubs.
Currently 525 are registered to attend the nurseries and since the nurseries begun in 2004, a total of 4228 children have enjoyed free nursery education offered.
Latest News:
Glad Tidings Orphan Care Report: January 2024
Glad Tidings Orphan Care Report: July 2023
Glad Tidings Orphan Care Report: January 2023
Glad Tidings Orphan Care Report: July 2022
What does it involve?
Driven by an incredible passion and heart for the people of Ngolowindo, GTOC currently has one main centre and three satellite nurseries run by a dedicated team of staff and volunteers. There are several activities taking place at the GTOC centres, including:
Gateway
Providing girls with vital reusable sanitary health kits to give them the freedom to go to school and study during their periods. Glad Tidings has a long established and dedicated group of women who come together to make the kits.
Click here to read more about Gateway Programme
Social Welfare Programme
The social welfare programme at Glad Tidings aims to protect and support vulnerable and orphaned children. A team of 6 key workers work alongside parents, guardians and members of the community to improve the lives of over 240 children in Ngolowindo through activities such as home visits, workshops for guardians, open health clinics and nutritional or material support.
Nursery Education
Pre-school education provides an important foundation for learning and development. Research has found that good quality education for disadvantaged children in their early years encourages all round development on physical, intellectual, creative, social, moral and emotional levels.
Medical Clinics
GTOC, funded by Starfish Malawi, is based at the heart of a rural community in Salima and has a catchment area of over 13,000 people. Working in partnership with the local health services, Starfish Malawi has facilitated holding seven clinics for many years in the GTOC building , however, when Hope Clinic opened in 2021, behind the main GTOC building all the specialised children’s clinics were moved into the children’s wing of the clinic and are now run by the government health workers. This allows the local community access to essential medical treatment for their children and the main outpatients clinic provides adult and children’s healthcare of a general nature.
The Glad Tidings building, which was originally a house, now just accommodates the nursery school and a sewing group. Now that the clinic is open the nursery classes, held in the original Glad Tidings building, are able to utilise more of the space available.
Food and Farming
The environment is a popular topic with schools on our linking programme. Recently, several partnerships installed an irrigation kit in the Malawi school, which allows them to grow food even in the dry season. At Chitiwiri we have already seen great success with the project and as a result have installed an even bigger one at Glad Tidings, where the garden is flourishing and producing vegetables.
With funds donated by the Michael Jackson Legacy, Starfish has created an orchard of fruit trees and trees with medicinal benefits that will benefit the community of Glad Tidings Orphan Care, as well as local primary schools. The aim of this project is to provide fruit to supplement diets and to educate the community about the nutritional importance of a varied diet including fruit, fibre and vegetables. There are mango, quava, lemon, pawpaw, orange and moringa trees planted in the two acre site.
To read the latest report please click here
Case Study
Apile and baby Zainabu
Orphaned when she was 10, Apile Kasim married a young man from another district at the age of 18. Shortly after their daughter Zainabu was born, her husband’s business collapsed and Apile returned to live with her guardians in Salima. When Zainabu was only one week old she cried constantly, and was unable to sleep because Apile was experiencing problems producing breast milk. Her health visitor suggested a change in diet, however despite her best efforts, nothing changed, and Zainabu’s weight started to drop very quickly, threatening her life.
Hospital Transport
The Disability Transport Fund is a programme that Starfish runs in partnership with The Malawi Council for the Handicapped (MACOHA) which is a Government agency dealing with people who have various disabilities. Each and every one of the disabled children undergo an assessment to diagnose their condition in order to be referred for surgery, if needed. Starfish co-ordinate the Disability Transport Fund for such disabled children (up to 18 years) to attend hospitals for their surgery – many of whom would not be able to access this due to the parents having very limited funds. The fund also provides for a family member or guardian to go with the child.
Click here to read the report
