An Ocean Grove charity that helps people from one of the poorest countries on the planet has put the call out for help.
Mphatso Children’s Foundation is the brainchild of Ocean Grove’s Robyn Casey.
Robyn visited Malawi in 2002 and was immediately confronted and challenged by the poverty and societal conditions that were impacting the local people but at the same time was amazed by their warmth and resilience in spite of these conditions.
Robyn became concerned that children in Malawi were often going for up to three days at a time without a proper meal.
Initially Robyn began a small nursery school in Mkuonda Village to ensure that the primary school aged children in the village received a nutritious meal each day and a pre-school education.
Mphatso has grown and now feeds and educates over 1000 children a day through 12 nursery schools, and is now spread along a 40km stretch of Lake Malawi.
And as the world remains in the grip of the COVID-19 pandemic, Malawi remains desperately poor, but Robyn said they remain optimistic.
“People still happy and passing on their joy,” she said.
“I went to the village yesterday. I’m trying to keep the village kids in their own areas, when I am there it is chaos.
“Took down baby formula and the kids filled the yard so quickly and were not happy when I said I was travelling back up to Mzuzu.
“Something happened on the way back from town. Muddy roads as we had heavy rain. A little boy seven or eight years old, dripping wet with a sling shot in his hand trying to catch a bird to eat.
“I stopped and gave him a small avocado that I had bought. He looked at me and said in a quiet little voice ‘zikomo’, thank you.
“I was reminded that most people here are not as worried about the coronavirus as not having enough food. It is going to be our biggest challenge.”
Mphatso’s annual car boot sale in Ocean Grove was still able to raise $4526 in March, but the people of Malawi need help.
Go to mphatso.org to find out more.
