April 2024: CorpsAfrica projects update
The FOMA Trustees have approved grants for 8 new CorpsAfrica projects. Volunteers working alongside their placement communities will soon be able to get the projects up and running – they include rebuilding two Under 5 healthcare clinics, installing hand operated water pumps, renovating several classrooms, reconstructing a bridge, building a toilet block and a new kitchen for a community based child care centre. Good luck to all those involved – we look forward to hearing updates soon.
Keep an eye on our project pages for reports and photos.
FOMA Garden Party 2024
The annual garden party will be held on 13 July 2024 and will help to celebrate FOMA’s 55 years. There will be tea, cakes and a chance to catch up with friends from time in Malawi, as well as browse the pop-up fundraising shop to support our community projects.
If you are interested in attending, please contact sec.foma@gmail.com to request a booking form and consider a donation towards attending the event.
Spring Meeting 2024
FOMA held the first event of 2024 on Saturday 13th April. 26 members joined a virtual meeting to hear from three recent FOMA grant recipients talk about the project and impact it has had in their community – the three projects were CorpsAfrica Makanani Bridge, Cove Collective Kitchen Project and Patient Support Association Water project. Thank you to all those that attended and a big zikomo also to our speakers!
January 2024: FOMA grants – new projects underway
FOMA Trustees have recently awarded grants to 7 organisations in Malawi to support community projects. Over the coming months communities in Blantyre, Zomba and Machinga will benefit from improved water supplies through renovated boreholes and water systems. School students in Mulanje will soon be learning in a new classroom and new toilets will be constructed in Kasungu. In Karonga expectant mothers will find new beds and mattresses in the maternity wing of a rural health clinic and in Blantyre disabled adults and children attending a physiotherapy clinic will be supported with mobility equipment. Keep an eye on the FOMA Project pages for further updates and photos soon.
PACODS
2024 Project Summary
A £1000 grant to support the refurbishment of beds and purchase of new mattresses for the maternity wing at Lupembe Health Clinic in Karonga District.
Buthelezi Sichali, Executive Director at Partner for Community Development Services (PACODS) states that the health care clinic serves approximately 25,000 people. Women attending the clinic to give birth currently have no beds so this grant will increase comfort and dignity, reduce infection and support better mother & baby health.
This project is currently underway – please check back soon for an update!
Joint Villages Development Initiative (JVDI)
2024 Project Summary
A grant of £1000 to support the connection of Malonje Village, in Zomba District to the water board to maintain a clean, safe water supply. The grant will help to purchase the pipes while the community will help dig the channels to place them in.
Thandie Maufulu, Director of JVDI, explained that the water connection point is approximately 20km from the village and once connected, it will help stop the need to walk the long distances to fetch water and reduce water related diseases.
This project is currently underway – check back soon for an update!
HO HO Action Plus
2024 Project Summary
A grant of £1000 to support the construction of 4 toilets for people that have settled in Nthunduwala village in Kasungu district after relocating from tobacco estates.
Noah Nhlane, Programmes Manager with Ho Ho Action Plus states that the project’s main focus is health related as it will help solve the sanitation challenges for homeless people in the area.
This project is currently underway – please check back soon for an update!
Rural Education Support and Rehabilitation Unit (RESARU)
2024 Project Summary
A grant of £1000 to support the reconstruction of a borehole as Nansonjo Primary School in Blantyre. The borehole was damaged by Cyclone Freddy in 2023 and restoring it will once again provide a clean water supply to the students, teachers and surrounding households. The grant will help purchase the equipment needed to repair the borehole while the community will provide other materials, labour and support.
Brown Mtekela, Programme Coordinator with RESARU explained that the project will reduce the burden of travelling long distances for clean water and also help in reducing the incidence of waterborne diseases such as cholera.
This project is currently underway – please check back soon for an update!
Annika Children’s Initiatives
2024 Project Summary
A grant of £1000 to support the renovation of a classroom at the Chingoli Primary School that was damaged in 2023 during Cyclone Freddy. The FOMA grant will help with activities such as fixing the roof, walls, floor, doors and windows and also painting the blackboards. The local community will provide river sand, bricks, fetch water and other necessary works throughout the project.
Blessings Mukhumba, Grants Office at Annika explained that another functioning classroom will help reduce overcrowding in the current classrooms and improve student facilities. In addition, in order to protect the school from future storms, each surrounding village has planted 10 trees on the school campus.
This project is currently underway – please check back soon for an update
AMECA
2024 Project Summary
A grant of £1000 to support the purchase of physiotherapy equipment such as wheelchairs, standing frames and crutches to aid rehabilitation of patients attending the AMECA Health Clinic in Blantyre.
Ruth Markus, CEO and Founder of AMECA said that the grant will be ‘life transforming’ for the adults and children with disabilities that are supported by the physiotherapy clinic.
This project is currently underway – please check back soon for an update!