I'm trying to raise a personal donation of £1,600 to support my plans to 'lend a hand' in Malawi. I'll be getting my builder’s gloves on and helping to mix cement, lay bricks, paint windows and assist the builders on site. I'll also be working with the Care Givers at the Mangochi Infant Home for 37 babies aged newborn to two years, supervised by professional nursing staff.
The charity 'Open Arms' started in Malawi in 1995 in response to the rising number of orphaned babies, largely due to HIV and AIDS. Traditional systems, where an aunt or grandmother would take in an orphaned baby, were overwhelmed.
Every day 320 children are orphaned in Malawi, half because of HIV/AIDS. 87 will die before their first birthday from malnutrition or illness. Staying with the family is the best solution, but formula milk costs £20 a month, and 62% of Malawian families survive on less than £1 a day. For many, keeping an orphaned baby alive is simply unaffordable. Open Arms is the only organisation in southern Malawi able to feed, house and provide medical care for orphaned babies, and support reintegration to their family.
Children return to their family when they can walk, talk and eat solid foods.