Mac joined Joshua at a time when our vehicles were little more useful than wheelbarrows.
Over
the years she has suffered at the hands of Malawi’s “interesting”
roads, not to mention encounters with minibuses, pot holes, ditches,
flower beds and roundabouts.
However the marriage of Mac to John the driver has enabled Joshua to sustain its operations over the past few years. John has taken Mac by the hand and has given her a new revived and fresh outlook towards the challenges of working for Joshua.
But Mac is not as vibrant as her earlier days and requires a weekly oil top-up.
Although there is no harm in giving Mac a weekly gin and tonic in the line of a top-up, a good engine overhaul would indeed be a very welcome Christmas gift.
Having Mac healthy is so important to our work because Mac:
• Deliver’s Likuni Phala to Joshua’s 10 Community Based Childcare
Centres which serve over 2,500 meals a week to the poorest infants.• Takes volunteer health workers out into rural communities to run weekly Health Clinics for under-fives at our Community Based Childcare Centres.
• Gets essential supplies to schools, including uniforms, books, stationery and much more.
Can we revive Mac? Can we restore her glory?
Yes.
Let us respect and restore all that is worthwhile and let us continue
to make ends meet along the way. Splashing out on short term quick fix
solutions may suffice – but for the long term, an old dog for the long
road philosophy may have a lot more substantial long-term benefit for
Joshua and the community as a whole. Come what may, tidzakhoza (we will
survive).What are our options?
1. Give Mac an engine overhaul with locally available non-genuine spare parts: £2,0002. Give Mac an engine overhaul with Toyota spares (locally sourced): £5,000
3. An additional paint job will cost about £2,000
4. Buy a new second hand car to support Mac: £7,500
