Dear Friends,

I have good news to tell today! Joseph is reporting once again that all Heart of Africa projects -apart from one gardening project, where the bore hole was broken and they cannot do watering - are functioning well and bringing money for the community groups which are caring for the vulnerable in their villages.

Of course for us, making money is not impossibly difficult. Well, it can be hard work and we might not get as much as we would like to, but generally speaking we get some money from somewhere. But in the country like Malawi, majority of people have no opportunity to do so. No opportunity what so ever. Therefore, if a community group there can start making something that brings an income it is a reason for celebration.

Apparently the tailoring projects -you remember, we bought 5 sewing machines - are doing well and clothes are selling. Couple of groups have bought a second roll of fabric now.

There is also a good market for donuts and mushrooms and the Mjamba group have been selling vegetables and peanut butter.

Tinsmith project is also making money, although they have a problem in the rainy season -now- as the roof of their workshop is broken. They are asking for plastic to repair it. I feel tempted to put a note in the post.

Fuel briquette group is ready to start promoting their products. They have been working very hard and have a big pile of briquettes and stoves to sell.

I was also delighted to hear that UNESCO has given a medical kit and a stretcher for UPILE Home Based Care Group, which is looking after terminally ill people. The lack of medicine there has been worrying me; this is welcome news indeed.

Although all this is a reason for joy, we are not stopping there: Heart of Africa will continue raising funds to give more support for these communities. At the moment the main aim is getting enough money to build an orphan centre in UPILE. I plan to take the money there to ensure that it will go exactly where it should.

There are very few orphanages in Malawi as traditionally family members have always looked after the children if parents die. But nowadays it is getting more and more difficult for them to do so and, as a result, children may possibly be abused or not given proper care. This is the reason the volunteers in UPILE want to build a centre for the children they are looking after. A place where children can stay permanently or occasionally if so needed. A place they can call home.

The first step in the project is to buy land. Luckily the land prices are slightly (!) different to the UK ones. When this land subject was mentioned while I was there, I totally dismissed it as an impossible task. Then afterwards Joseph asked: "Do you know Teli how much the land would cost here?" I obviously knew that it was very, very much cheaper than in UK, but didn't quite realise how much cheaper. The UPILE group is now looking for a suitable piece of land on which to build the centre and big enough also for a vegetable garden and playground. Construction work will also need our support but volunteers will make the bricks and build the house; we would only need to buy plaster, windows, doors and the roof. I feel very excited about this; it is another reason for a celebration to have such a worthwhile project to support.

On World AIDS Day last week the discussion panel on BBC Radio 4’s  ‘The Moral Maze' debated whether or not it is our duty to care about the AIDS sufferers. As my little orphans in Malawi have lost their parents mostly because of AIDS, I also asked myself this question. But I don't feel it is a duty, I rather think it is more a privilege than a duty. After all, the privilege to care for and help others is the only privilege that truly counts.

A very big THANK YOU for caring about these children and for making this good news letter possible.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS,

Teli

Reports