Friday 13 March 2015

Clean water - from Dorset to Malawi



It's often on a Friday, the end of the working week that a story comes my way and I feel inspired by the incredible generosity the people of the UK show time and time again for the people of Malawi.

And today is no different, young pupils at Sherborne Abbey Primary School focused their fundraising efforts for ten months last year and raised enough to install an urgently needed water tank at Mbinda Primary School - a school very different from their own, but one they wanted to help in order to improve life for some fellow Primary School students on the other side of the world.

http://www.joshuainmalawi.org.uk.gridhosted.co.uk/current-projects/#water
They raised an incredible £1,000 by organising a Lentern breakfast, making bracelets, collecting money at the Harvest Festival, selling cakes and more.

And it’s not stopped there - this year they are focusing their efforts on raising money for urgently needed textbooks - what superstars they are!

It is estimated that more than 2.4 million people living in Malawi don’t have access to clean water. As a result roughly 3,500 children die every year from diarrhoea caused by unsafe water and poor sanitation.

http://www.joshuainmalawi.org.uk.gridhosted.co.uk/current-projects/#waterThis water tank will ensure that some of the most vulnerable children in Malawi are no longer at risk from drinking unsafe water at school.

We are delighted that the two schools have formed this link and when our trustees David and Marjorie Pearson were in Malawi earlier this year they delivered letters from pupils at Sherborne Abbey Primary School to pupils at Mbinda - and all 60 have been responded to. It looks like the start of a fantastic long distance friendship - and many more happy Fridays to come.

http://www.joshuainmalawi.org.uk.gridhosted.co.uk/current-projects/#waterJoshua runs a range of water projects, from constructing water tanks and bore holes, too educational workshops on how to make water safe and how to use it properly to keep healthy. To find out more click here.

If you would like to partner with a school in Malawi, contact Heather on heather@joshuainmalawi.org.uk to find out more.