Malawi 2014

Feedback to the Rosetta Trust

Culford School

Contents

3. The Char Char Trust

4. Good News Orphanage

6. Rhino Reports

7. Refl ection on Clean Water

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Our aims for the funding awarded to us were to distribute Char Char chests to 4 schools and to improve learning at these schools.

The schools we delivered the chests to were Makata, Ndirande LEA, Ndirande Matope and Chitsime. They all really appreciated the chests and showed great enthusiasm when we showed them how to use the materials inside. Chitsime school were most grateful as the week before we visited them their school offices where they kept all their teaching equipment was burnt down in the local elections.

Most of the schools had already received Char Char chests in previous years, we got to see how much they had used the chest and how beneficial it was for the children. Most of the schools were running out of materials so they found the new resources even more helpful and it proved how much they had used the chest. We have taken Char Char materials to Kachere and Nankhufi schools in the Napper valley aswell. When we delivered the chests it was really satisfying to see how happy they were to receive them. It also felt reassuring to see how they had used the previous chest and how they would therefore use the ones we presented to them.

To complete our aim of ‘improving the learning of the schools’ we went back to the schools to give some lessons using the resources, not only to teach the children but to give the teachers some ideas about how the chest can be used.

The teaching was really interesting to see the difference between English and Malawian schools. It was also really encouraging to see how much the children wanted to learn. The chest supports different subjects that we taught; one group taught geography and used the Char Char maps to aid learning. Another group taught English reading and used stories from the Char Char books. The word cards inside the chest were particularly helpful for the English Language lessons. Throughout all the lessons we encouraged the use of the new Char Char dictionaries and the learners found these really helpful.

Our recommendations for future donations and funding would be to keep topping up the resources in the chest throughout the year as this will encourage them to use them more. Another idea we had was to make smaller chests that can be stored in each classroom. At the moment they have one big one in the office which they have to keep going back to. Having the smaller chests in each classroom would mean the chest would be used most lessons.

Char Char Chests:The Charchar Trust

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Good NewsOrphanage

Our aim for Good News orphanage was to improve the living conditions for the children. Good sanitation should be available to everyone. We decided to focus on the building of two new lavatory blocks, which was something Stephen Zulu had informed us that they needed.

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Whilst at the orphanage, we have managed to complete the brick work on one of the new lavatory blocks. Several of the Culford Malawi team helped to mix mortar, lay bricks and worked alongside the community. We also discovered that several other projects were awaiting completion and therefore our priorities were reassessed. The previous years’ project, which involved building a new dormitory block, was unfinished and still required a floor. We were able to give them the money to finish this within the month.

In addition, we found that there were several smaller projects that needed attention. This included broken beds, ripped mosquito nets, lack of bedding, shortage of maize, poor infrastructure, poor medical facilities and a very poor harvest, resulting in a shortage of vegetables. We split into smaller groups and managed to make a huge impact. One group sewed up the holes in the mosquito nets, which will be potentially lifesaving. Another group smashed bricks for the dormitory floor, so that it can be laid as soon as possible, benefiting the children who are currently in cramped rooms. There are 122 children in two dormitories; the girls’ room only has 15 bunk beds and the additional space will improve this. In future, Culford will provide new mosquito nets for each bed, whilst on a larger scale, vast improvements to the sick bay would massively benefit everyone at Good News.

Once again, thank you for your generous donation to help the orphanage. We hope you can see how beneficial it has been, and will continue to be for future Malawi expeditions to come.

By Katie, Jess, Johanna and Zoe

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Rhino ReportMvuu Camp Malawi

Thank you for your donation to help the protection of the Black Rhino at Thank you for your donation to help the protection of the Black Rhino at Liwonde National Park. Liwonde National Park.

Even though we didn’t see the Rhinos we witnessed how the lodge is Even though we didn’t see the Rhinos we witnessed how the lodge is helping to protect them. However when we went on a bush walk, the helping to protect them. However when we went on a bush walk, the guide showed us footprints of a black Rhino. The guides said that they guide showed us footprints of a black Rhino. The guides said that they were fresh and we saw more evidence that it had been feeding on a were fresh and we saw more evidence that it had been feeding on a nearby tree.nearby tree.

There is currently a very significant threat of poaching in Liwonde There is currently a very significant threat of poaching in Liwonde National Park. This issue needs to be addressed urgently and the Malawi National Park. This issue needs to be addressed urgently and the Malawi National Parks Department has very limited resources to continue National Parks Department has very limited resources to continue effectively protecting the remaining animals.Unfortunately four of the effectively protecting the remaining animals.Unfortunately four of the rhinos have been poached in the last year, this is of course devastating rhinos have been poached in the last year, this is of course devastating and we hope that further progress will be made with your funding to and we hope that further progress will be made with your funding to educate the local communities further on the importance of protecting educate the local communities further on the importance of protecting them. The villages are living in close proximity with them and need to be them. The villages are living in close proximity with them and need to be educated on how to deal with them when they are placed in a dangerous educated on how to deal with them when they are placed in a dangerous situation. situation.

The overall aim of the project is to continually monitor the black rhino, to The overall aim of the project is to continually monitor the black rhino, to maintain high levels of security and reduce poaching risks. A vital element maintain high levels of security and reduce poaching risks. A vital element to monitoring is fitting tracking and monitoring devices into the horns of to monitoring is fitting tracking and monitoring devices into the horns of most of the rhino, as well as to setting up a rhino monitoring team with most of the rhino, as well as to setting up a rhino monitoring team with a vehicle to assist in monitoring them and conduct anti-poaching patrols. a vehicle to assist in monitoring them and conduct anti-poaching patrols. Rhino have been successfully conserved in Liwonde National Park in the Rhino have been successfully conserved in Liwonde National Park in the past, but still exist only at fairly low numbers, so this project needs to be past, but still exist only at fairly low numbers, so this project needs to be maintained until numbers reach higher levels. maintained until numbers reach higher levels.

The rhinos’ toenails are being individually notched, which will aid in The rhinos’ toenails are being individually notched, which will aid in identifying each individual from their tracks. This is another way of identifying each individual from their tracks. This is another way of keeping a count on the progress of the black rhino.keeping a count on the progress of the black rhino.

By Emma Beardmore By Emma Beardmore By Emma Beardmore By Emma Beardmore By Emma Beardmore

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Refl ection on:Our Involvment with Clean Water for Malawi

Since the generous donation made by the Rosetta Trust earlier this year, the team behind the Clean Water for Malawi presentation have seen first-hand how the money is being spent. In Malawi, we got the chance to see the team restore a well in a very remote village, miles and miles away from any other clean water source. It was exciting and interesting to see exactly what the money was providing.

The team of men took apart the pump while someone took us to see their alternative water source; a small muddy puddle which was drained from the nearby river. No bigger than 1x1.5x.2 metres in volume, the murky, sorrel coloured water was used for irrigation, drinking, cooking and cleaning. By the time that we returned to the rest of the party, the pump nearly had all of its internal workings removed and the team had made great progress.

On behalf of the Culford team, CWFM and the people in this village in Malawi, I would like to thank you again Mr Gillis for your life-changing donation, and the chances you have opened for hundreds of other Malawians’ future.

By Elliot Phillips

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Culford SchoolBury St Edmunds,Suffolk,IP28 6TX

+44 (0)1284 385350www.culford.co.uk