ALL ABOUT NATHAN

Nathan Godoya is a brilliant young man from Nkhata Bay, Lake Malawi. He is motivated to gain an education in travel and tourism so that he can build a future for himself in the Malawian tourism industry which holds many opportunities.

I was fortunate enough to spend most of 2017 in various parts of Africa, the majority of which was in Nkhata Bay. One day, during a walk through the beautiful countryside I met Nathan Godoya, a student studying at one of the private secondary schools near his village. We became friends immediately and he taught me so much about life in rural Malawi and his culture. He introduced me to his Grandmother who was raising him as his parents had relocated to South Africa, a common scenario in rural Malawi, to work and send money home for him and his siblings. His Mum was away for 6 years in total. His Dad is still in South Africa, supporting the family from afar.

Recently Nathan was facing the same path as his parents and so many others from his community. During a recent conversation he told me of his plans to sell his phone in order to buy a passport and travel to South Africa in order to pick up work there as his secondary education had been completed but no further funding was available to advance him on to further education.

This to me seemed a terrible waste of a brilliant student who I knew would no doubt flourish if he had the means to continue with his studies. Between us we put the wheels in motion and he attended an interview at Malawi Institute of Tourism. He was offered a place on the 3 year Diploma in Tourism on the spot.

So now....we fundraise!!

I will update the page regularly with information on Nathan's journey, the first instalment of which will be tomorrow (7th Feb 2022) as he travels from his village to Mzuzu to settle in and join his fellow students.

The figure I have calculated and am trying to reach includes...

• 3 Years Course Fees (Exam fees, Books, Uniform, Medical fees, Practical fees, Internship fees)

• 3 Years Accommodation at a hostel in Mzuzu

• A Laptop

• Travel Expenses

I could go on but that's probably enough for now. THANK YOU for reading and for any support you can offer. I can 100% vouch for Nathan and what a fantastic guy he is. I am of course aware that he is just one of so many who deserve a chance to reach their full potential but I know Nathan well. He is my friend and I observed first hand what a stand out student and young man he is.

Any help will go directly towards improving his prospects.

With love,

Elisa