Last year
Joshua supporter John Evans decided to do exactly that, by running a Tuck Shop
at work and donating all the profits to Joshua. John was a volunteer with QuestOverseas in 2006, helping to build a double classroom block, and in 2012 he tackled
the three peaks for Joshua. But in 2013 he decided to take on a different challenge, and
he raised an incredible £750 in the process.
This
money has been used to support some of the neediest families in Malawi with maize during the "Hungry Season."
This is a six month period from roughly November until April, when thousands of
families maize supplies are running low and they simply don't have enough food
to eat every day.
The money
John raised has donated 70 bags of maize to the poorest families during this
period - with each bag providing two meals a day for a whole month - This works out at a total of 21,000 meals - incredible!
Chikumbutso Chilumba (pictured) lost his mother when he was just
eight years old. Abandoned by his father he and his two siblings are cared for
by his grandmother, but she's in her mid-sixties struggles to earn enough money
to support them all. As a result on the day I met Chikumbutso in November last
year, he had not eaten.
Sometimes
Chikumbutso is forced to miss school in order to earn money to ensure the
family can eat. But John's Tuck Shop effort has ensured that Chikumbutso
doesn’t have to do this, and can stay in school, focus on his studies and work
towards his dream of becoming an engineer “Coming to school is important to
me because I want a good future.”
We would
like to say a huge Thank You to John for his incredible fundraising efforts on
behalf of some of the world’s poorest people. Who knew a chocolate treat could do so much good?
