Smile Malawi currently cares for 17 girls and 20 boys whose ages range from 4 years to 20 years old.

Here are just some of the girls wearing their traditional Malawian outfits.

The local tailor makes these clothes for us from the bright fabrics woven in Blantyre and the girls wear them for church and special occasions.

On the left is Caroline who came to us in 2006 when she was 10 years old. Her story was very sad as her mother was dying in the main hospital and it was Caroline’s job to beg all day on the streets, buy food and then go back to cook it for her mother and baby sister. Food is not provided in the government hospitals and the relatives are expected to cook and sleep in the shelter in the grounds. Her mother begged us to take her two daughters and we gave them a home shortly before the lady passed away. Caroline has grown into a wonderful young lady who is in her final year at secondary school. She is exceptionally neat and has always taken great pride in her bedroom and her surroundings. She loves to cook and look after our guests and we are hoping that we will be able to assist her into further education to study for a qualification in the hospitality field. Look out soon for more stories of the girls…