Malawi Orphan and Community Project
This project seeks to support disadvantaged children in the Pen Sulo district through construction of community infrastructure and improvement of educational resources.
History
Quest was invited to visit the Joshua Orphan Care Centre Project in 2005. Since then three volunteer teams have worked together with the Centre, its voluntary staff and the communities to improve the lives of orphans in the locality. Objectives
To provide volunteer support to self-help community groups in the Pen Sulo district of Blantyre in Malawi, and to apply volunteer donations to sustainable development through construction of feeding stations, school buildings, developing tree-planting, school scholarship funds and related projects to improve the livelihoods of the rural communities. Achievements
- Constructed two 2 classroom schools;
- Plastered, painted and constructed the floor, doors and windows of classroom;
- Renovated two small community owned businesses (sewing centre and bakery) and funded business and accountancy training for co-operative owners;
- Sponsored 61 children through 5 years of secondary education;
- Constructed pit latrine;
- Co-ordinated HIV Awareness Day for local community, national TV, radio and government officials
- Organised several tree planting days with members of the local community
- Designed and painted several murals for community educational resource centre;
- Constructed outdoor ‘play centre’ for Pen Sulo community orphans.
Future Plans
Over the next two years the main aim will be to construct a two-room classroom in Kachumbe, complete both a clinic in Pen Sulo and a feeding station in Sigerege. A larger school building is also planned for this village in 2008/9. Each Quest volunteer’s donation will continue to fund a child through 5 years of secondary education. Other aims include building permanent accommodation for the communities of the Baluti township. A key focus of this project is also to help our project partners to develop community awareness on environmental education, deforestation and HIV. 
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