Today, we have started to send money to Malawi to commence our Emergency Accommodation Block.

Having volunteered in Malawi for many years helping orphans, the one thing that always shocks me is how some family members can treat orphans.

Over the years, I have come to know many children who are living in their family home but when their last remaining parent passes away, sometimes a relative, often an estranged auntie or uncle would arrive at the home and evict the child, so that they can live in it or sell the home for their own benefit.

Children that are going through the heartbreak of losing a parent at a young age are then faced with everything familiar to them evoked.

It seems so cruel. And it is for this reason that we are building an emergency accommodation block in Dowa, as we want to care for as many of these recently made homeless children as possible.

Of course there are a lot of families in Malawi who do take in recently orphaned relatives and we will continue to support this way as our priority. Often these families need some support from Great Minds Bright Futures like extra beds, clothes for the children and the guarantee of school fees paid.

It is important for our team on the ground to quickly assess the needs of the children and either work with their relatives to care for them or suggest emergency accommodation.

If you would like to support the building or operation of our emergency accommodation, then please get in touch, we would welcome your donation.

Additionally, the emergency accommodation will also serve visitors, as it is being built so that it can provide two separate functions.

We want to encourage as many visitors as possible to Dowa to meet and inspire the children and with this facility we will be able to offer cheap accommodation on site to aid our work. There are no guest houses nearby, so visitors will save time and money not travelling from and staying in expensive Lilongwe hotels.

What visitors are required?

We want Malawians who want to volunteer their time to have access to our accommodation.

We want Westerners who want to share their skills to have access to our accommodation. So if you are a teacher, nurse, builder, electrician, plumber, solar panel installer, librarian, project manager, doctor, plasterer (insert your own profession)…  then we want you to stay in our accommodation.

To find out more about volunteer opportunities, please email info@greatmindsbrightfutures.co.uk

Thank you

Dave Armstrong