Time
line


Smile Malawi is now into its eleventh year; and so much has been achieved in that time. Here’s a timeline of the key milestones on our journey so far…

If you are interested to know more about a particular event, click on the link below and you can read the relevant newsletter produced at that time.

Time
line


  • May


    The idea for the charity is conceived by founder Elspeth Baecke after seeing the plight of street children in Africa on Comic Relief


  • May


    Land at Ndokota farm next to Kapeya village purchased (24 acres)


  • February


    Construction starts on the first building of the children’s home


  • February


    Smile Malawi donates 30 tonnes of maize to the local village during the famine following an emergency appeal to supporters


  • April


    Smile Malawi approved and registered as an NGO in Malawi.


  • July


    Discussions with local Director of Social Services to identify the first children in most need i.e. with no extended family to support them


  • July


    Mirriam, the home’s matron is hired with local ladies as helpers

  • November


    The first children arrive – 7 girls and 4 boys – aged 3-12 years old


  • May


    Smile Malawi funds a borehole to bring fresh water for the village


  • September


    Older children start at Machemba Primary School (with 1600 pupils!)


  • May


    Approval to take in 8 more children


  • September


    Smile Malawi welcomes 6 more children – 4 boys and 2 girls


  • December


    Four more children arrive, including Elijah aged 12 and his sister, Funny aged 14, making a total of 21 children at the home to celebrate Christmas


  • June


    Elijah found to have a hole in the heart condition; luckily he receives a life-saving operation by Magdi Yacoub through the Chain of Hope charity in Maputo, Mozambique


  • September


    Another two children arrive, making 23 children


  • December


    Smile Malawi throws a Christmas party for 674 village children complete with chickens as gifts for their families


  • May


    Further development of the gardens to make the Home self-sufficient in maize, fruit and vegetables – and pigs!


  • August


    New staff join Smile Malawi and two more children, brothers rescued from the streets of Blantyre by Social Services



  • Grace, one of the older girls, starts at secondary (boarding) school


  • April


    Two more children arrive (making 27) and talks start with the chief for Smile Malawi to take in some of the village orphans as part of its outreach programme


  • October


    Six village orphans are given a home; work starts on a new building as separate accommodation for all the boys with the help of visiting volunteers from the UK


  • May


    The 19 boys move into their new home


  • October


    12 year old Natasha has hospital treatment for meningitis (funded by Vandyke School in Leighton Buzzard);



  • Additional fundraising appeal paid for new school uniforms, shoes, fees and books for all the children now at school


  • April


    More medical emergencies, more maintenance work on the Home and a newcomer, a six year old orphan called Mphatso or Gift


  • April


    More medical emergencies, more maintenance work on the Home and a newcomer, a six year old orphan called Mphatso or Gift


  • March


    The Smile Malawi family now has 39 children and 21 staff


  • October


    A celebration of Smile Malawi’s 10th Anniversary


  • April


    Severe flooding in January causes damage to homes and crops; special appeal launched to help orphanage staff rebuild their homes and provide food for other surrounding villages


  • October


    Work completed on a new guest house in traditional ‘round house’ style ready to welcome visitors who want a holiday and make a difference

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Where the money goes


Since we are a small charity, nearly all the money that we receive from our supporters – either from fundraising events or from regular monthly donations – goes directly to pay the costs of running the home in Malawi and the children. The pie chart below shows these proportions, based on the 2014-15 accounts, of the total expenditure of just under £49,000:



Expenditure 2014-15

Your
Donations



Here are some examples of how your donations pay for our essential costs:



£5 per month feeds a child.

£10 per month pays for the staff care costs per child.

£20 per month pays for the secondary education costs for each child aged 12-19.

 

People

Glad Munthali, Chair of the Trustees

Glad is Malawian and lives in Malawi, close to beautiful Lake Malawi. Trained in banking and financial management, he now runs his own business dealing in transport.

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Elspeth Baecke, Founder

In 2003 Elspeth was watching Comic Relief on TV and her heart was wrenched by seeing the plight of orphans and children in Africa, who had no other option but to live on the streets. She realized that she could do more than simply donate money, she could actually do something practical to help.

Read more
Mirriam Kamanga

Mirriam is our Matron and has been with us since the first children came in 2006.

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