Our partner, Starfish Malawi, is a Christian organisation that has been supporting communities in Malawi since 2003. They share Mission Directs vision that every child should have access to education schooling is a path to ending the poverty cycle. Starfish actively encourage student sponsorship (for secondary school and beyond), school linking (they have 45 UK schools linked to schools in Malawi), childrens clubs, community activities (including a weekly health clinic), nursery classes, womens workshops, Bible-teaching and much, much more!

We are fundraising to build a further 2-classroom block and teacher accommodation for the new Trinity Primary School in Moyo village about 15 minutes drive from Salima. The school serves several villages where there was no school prior to 2019. Children previously had to walk several miles to the nearest school. Our partner, Starfish Malawi, identified the land for the school and the chiefs from the surrounding villages agreed to the land being ring-fenced for a new school. The first 2 classroom block and toilets were finished in 2020 and the school opened. The Government's Education Department has formally adopted the land for the school and has provided teaching staff. Further fundraising by volunteers during the pandemic has allowed building to start on the second 2 classroom block. With nearly 400 children already registered the need is great. Our volunteers will get involved in building and painting projects.

The school classrooms are being constructed on a concrete plinth to prevent flooding during the rainy season. The main structure is traditional clay bricks and mortar with a metal roof. The women of the surrounding villages are making the bricks from local clay. By investing their time in making bricks the women have a sense of ownership of the school. This in turn provides an incentive for the mothers to ensure that their children attend.

By involving the local community in donating the land and investing in the school building there is a great sense of ownership and partnership. 75% of all schools in Malawi are developed in this way.

Malawi has a low life expectancy, high infant mortality and is among the world's least-developed countries. Malawi's economy is based on subsistence farming (i.e., most people grow their own food and sell any surplus at the roadside). About 22% of land in Malawi is used for agriculture which contributes 80% towards the country's economy. Main exports include cement, tea, sugar, maize and hydroelectricity.