Possible engagement in a Scholarship and School-Feeding Program in Malawi/Africa

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We think about supporting schools in Malawi, one of the poorest countries in Africa. There are some possibilities to help, which we at present evaluate. One possibility is investing into education of local poor children e.g. in the Phalombe district. Thereby we focus onto a scholarship- as well as a participation of a schoolfeeding-program.

(Photo: by Verbeke Homes, El Doret, Kenya, with the friendly consent for usage)

Mrs. Swea Sela, doctor-to-be, who at present stays close to her examination at the Justus Liebig University Giessen, has visited within the framework of her Global Health Engagements amongst others, Malawi and has practiced in the Holy Family Mission Hospital, Phalombe for more weeks to take care for the stationary patients. Via an emotional newspaper report of Swea, we became mindful of the problems in Malawi and she waked up our interest for a possible commitment by our foundation. Please read extracts of her research reports: Malawi, a small country in Africa, surrounded by Tanzania, Mozambique and Zambia, is one of the poorest countries of the world. 17 Mio. people lives here with rapidly increasing population rate. Each woman in average bear 5,5 children. The country is affected by poverty of many families, illness, high death rate, missing school education and missing agriculture infrastructure.

In rural areas there does not exists electricity, less medical health care is available and most of these people have to undertake a long journey to reach these facilities. Accessory the patient-centred care as well as medicaments is very expensive. Undernourished Children, tuberculosed patients, lepers and burns affected the environment of the people in the countrified regions of Malawi, where half of the population for living has not more than 1 US$ per day. In fact many children are going to school nowadays, but also a lot of children are getting no education by the fact, that they have to work and help their poor parents in the field work.

The habitation in Malawi, where Mrs. Sela assisted at the Hospital in Phalombe, the southern district of Malawi, was arranged by the Heidelberger University medicine students (Malawi Med. e.V.). Mrs. Sela recommended by her impressions she got in Malawi, that an engagement especially in school education of primary or secondary schools could contribute that more young pupils will be motivated visiting more school teachings.

She explained that a school-feeding-program once under the support of NGO’s and foreign aid has started but their participations are decreasing. The feeding program should get some new impulses to bring children back to school and not that the must working at the field of their families. In school the pupils will be provided with food, free of costs. Also Mrs. Sela recommended to connect the support of a feeding- program with a scholarship sponsoring for a lower school in e.g. Phalombe, Malawi (e.g. purchase and providing of books, learning computers, support of needy talented pupils or students) .

We recognize that a participation in one or both of these programs is a good starting point for our foundation to support education effectively. In that matter we would like to invest in education especially for the poor children in e.g. a Phalombe district school. In this regard we are in contact with the local NGO’s and German aid-organizations. We sponsorship these new project with own funds, but nevertheless we would be very grateful if you would share by your contributions that we common can include more young children getting education in Malawi.

(Photos: by Malawi Med. e.V., Heidelberg, Germany, with the friendly consent for usage)