Annual Report 2011

Malawi Support Group Annual Report 2011


On behalf of the committee I am pleased to report another excellent year in fundraising. Once again we received very generous donations and continued on with the theme of fundraising independent of the parish with the sausage sizzle at Bunnings a major contributor. The celebrating of St Kizito's feast day gave us the opportunity to present the CD to the parish which has resulted in generous donations. We also made a presentation to OLHC schoolchildren preparing for confirmation who submitted drawings afterwards for later judging. This was very successful in providing future interest from the children and the school.

Extension of the support to our sister parish.
Our fundraiser continues to support the children attending the Catholic School of Mt Silize (40 of whom are orphans) for their daily school breakfast, the nursery school at Ntandire and school books and fees. Fr Taylor informed us in his letter ‘The feedings programme at Ntandire and Mtsiliza for the children is going on well and breakfast is provided for over 200 children during the week. It encourages the parents to send their children to school. Also the school fees for the children attending secondary school is a real blessing. This term I paid school fees for 35 boys and girls. They are so happy to be going to school. Some do very well, others poorly but all are grateful to have time at school.’

Activities this year
• Our Crazy Whist night held in the gathering area continues to be an enjoyable social event.
• The Bunnings BBQ was a great success as a consequence of good planning and hard work.
• Raffles continue to provide very good outcomes in terms of funds raised and in the delight of ‘winners’.
• Donations continue to blossom and the collection this year in conjunction with presentations to the parishioners were indicative of the generosity of parishioners.
• The Theatre night ‘Private Lives’ was superb entertainment supplemented with further donations.
• On Saturday 5th November we were again entertained and danced to the wonderful music of the "The Degenerates" who donated their services for yet another dinner dance and we look forward to the event continuing on again next year. Our hall resplendent in streamers and balloons in Malawi colours was a catalyst to engendering a real party atmosphere. It turned out to be a relaxing enjoyable night where the band members and their families all joined in together. Each person contributed to the supper shared on a common table. Whilst only 28 tickets were sold at $10 to total $280 the total raised was $1090 due to unexpected donations on the night and beforehand.

Once again I would like to thank everyone for support throughout the year and to those who individually recently gave very generous donations. A little money goes a long way and your generosity makes possible many projects that otherwise would not happen for these very poor yet burgeoning joyful communities.
The warm heart of Africa says thank you. Link

Greetings from Ireland from Fr Taylor

Greetings from Ireland. I have just arrived home. No place like home! I will return to Malawi on 20th July. I need the rest! - But also just to get way from activity and play some golf.
St Kizito’s is doing fine.
I am sending you the photos of the 2 classrooms we have built for the children at the nursery school at Ntandire, ‘Out Lady Help of Christians Marie Mthandiza wa Akhristu’. It can also be used for meetings, choir practice etc. I used some of your money for chairs and tables. It has folding doors so the rooms can be used for larger meetings. My nephew in the USA sent me $5,000 for bulding – I will visit him next week
The feedings programme at Ntandire and Mtsiliza for the children is going on well and breakfast is provided for over 200 children during the week. It encourages the parents to send their children to school. Also the school fees for the children attending secondary school is a real blessing. This term I paid school fees for 35 boys and girls. They are so happy to be going to school. Some do very well, others poorly but all are grateful to have time at school. The photos are not great! I am also sending the negatives,
With kind regards and blessings to the Malawi Support Group
Fr Frank Link

Update from Malawi

The Video below ...



The pictures in the clip is of the school children in Malawi and the opening ceremony for the new church where children were being confirmed which I attended when I was last in Malawi. You can hear their joyful singing later on in the clip. This clip was shown to supplement a talk given with another member of the Malawi Support group to our local school children preparing for their communion. At the end of the talks we handed out paper for the students to draw a picture about life in Malawi and the best 3 pictures are to receive prizes.

We were delighted with the large number of questions afterwards combined with obvious enthusiasm and courteous attention by all of the boys and girls. A few points to the talk are as follows:

Ntandire compared to here
Our school here is about the same size as the catholic school that we support in Malawi depicted in the clip- the pictures show children at school. The teachers there spend time each morning making breakfast for all the scholchdren; a mixture of maize soy and sugar to ensure nobody is hungry. As you can see in the clip they have similar classrooms but not the facilities. When the students go home it might be to a small house or village with huts made of mud brick with thatched roofs.

Early beginnings over 30 years ago

From inception the best way to help was thought to find people willing to become leaders of communities, to help in the building of churches schools and communities. Earlier on the current priest was hijacked and shot on his way back to the airport and only just survived this attack. When that happened he felt a peaceful spirit wash over telling him that everything would be okay and that feeling of fearlessness has never left him. Today 47 communities have blossomed under his stewardship.

Today these 47 communities covering 12 000 parishioners all help one another. Each has chairmen, a secretary and treasurer and many have constructed small properties which they can rent out to provide a pool of funds to help people in need. Each community takes responsibility for their people to ensure every person keeps their own medical records so that if they need to go to hospital they will have record of prior treatment. You can see their joy in the video of the church opening at Ntandire. Last year the first lady (wife of the president) visited this area and was impressed with the community spirit and all of the work being undertaken.

Malawi is the warm heart of Africa
Malawi is often known as the warm heart of Africa because the people are very warm and friendly and I did not encounter a single rude Malawian the whole time that was over there. Most Malawians live with their extended families in huts grouped together in villages. A spirit of neighborliness’ and sharing dominate their existence.

The support group has helped these communities over the past 10 years in number of different ways: to renew two churches, build accommodation for AIDS sufferers, erect classroom shelters, electrify school buildings, build a security wall, provide funds for seeds and fund the church at Ntandire. More recently we are providing sustenance for all of the schoolchildren, scholarships for education and school fees for those who canot afford them

The community at Ntandire has just finished building a kitchen in the nursery school from a gift of ceramic stoves which cuts down on the wood used by more than 50%. .The woman there started the nursery school with over 100 children who are also fed 3 times a week and take turns to teach and cook on a voluntary basis. The school fees project we fund and the funding of the children for both places are going very well and we look forward to seeing even more new leaders emerge. Soon will come the time when we see the last of the missionaries needed as these vibrant communities become self sufficient. That day is fast approaching.
Whilst in Africa I listened to many people’s stories, including that of a grandmother, whose experience was typical of many in their community in terms of church, faith and children. It wasn’t until later that I learned that her husband had died the previous year from HIV/AIDS. She was also infected and acknowledged her past sorrow, but lived a joyful existence. She had let go of her physical suffering and, by focusing on the spiritual, transcended her past sorrow for present joy. While we have great concern for her and the many others, including orphans, who carry a heavy burden through no fault of their own, their joyful spirits, unimpeded by the severe material hardships they endure, remain a true testament to their faith

Snapshot of Malawi

Malawi, situated in southeastern Africa has a population of nearly 15 million and was first a British protectorate of Nyasaland in 1891 and became independent n 1964. The current President Mutharika won a second term in 2009 and has helped the country progress with agricultural reform with assistance in fertilizers and better methods for farming. The country borders Mozambique Tanzia and Zambia and is one of least developed countries in the world heavily dependent on agriculture with about 90% of the population living in rural areas
Malawi's climate is tropical with a rainy season from November to April. The country is dominated by Lake Malawi which drains into the Zambezi river through the Shire River.
The May 2009 presidential and parliamentary elections were declared free and peaceful giving President Bingu wa Mutharika and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) a mandate for a second term of office. Women won 21% of the seats, increasing their representation by 50% from the 2004 to 2009 Parliament.

Special Equipment for Malawian Cooking
The Malawian cooking methods are basic ones and you don’t need any special equipment to cook any of the dishes in the Malawi cuisine. Your everyday cooking pots and pans are enough to cook a complete Malawian meal. However, if you want a true Malawian food experience, you should know that cooking is still done the traditional way in Malawi. In the vast majority of Malawian homes, food is cooked over a wood fire using a tripod made of three supporting stones. Women (and children helpers) are responsible for everything concerning the food from market shopping to dish washing. As Nshima is eaten with the hands, everyone washes in a communal bowl before and after the meal. Many Malawians have mud stoves outside of the house, where they cook bread.
St Kizito

Friday 3rd June was the feast day for st kizito - the boy martyr who was burned to death along with 25 others for failing to renounce his faith and submit to the King of Uganda back in 1886. Today his spirit lives on in the warm heart of Africa Link

Annual Report 2010

Introduction

On behalf of the committee I am pleased to report another successful year's fundraising which was helped by some very generous donations and fundraising independent of the parish in relation to the sausage sizzle at Bunning’s. What we missed out on this year was in celebrating St Kizito's feast day which we need to earmark for next year. We also saw our article published in St Patrick’s Mission’s publication which was of delight to Fr Taylor.

Extension of the support to our sister parish.

Our fundraiser has now been extended to not only support the 300 children attending the Catholic School of Mt Silize (40 of which are orphans) for their daily school breakfast, school books, and school fees and to allow 15 boys and girls to attend secondary and post secondary school but also now to Ntandire. At Ntandire the woman of the Church have started a nursery school with over 100 children who are fed 3 times a week.

Activities this year
Our Crazy Whist held in the gathering area continues to be an enjoyable social event.

The Bunning’s BBQ was a great success as a consequence of good planning and hard work. The Theatre night ‘Murder is Announced’ was great entertainment supplemented with further donations.

We were entertained in the previous year end and danced to the wonderful music of the "The Degenerates" who donated their services for a sixties dinner dance and we look forward to the event again this year

Once again thanks to everyone for a splendid result. Link

Malawi dinner dance to the tune of the “Degenerates”

 

 

 

We held another Fundraiser last Saturday when we were entertained and danced to the wonderful music of the "The Degenerates" who donated their services for our dinner dance.
A total of $773 was raised inclusive of the raffle, ticket sales and donations. What a pity more parishioners were not able to attend this most enjoyable night of music from a marvelous band whose performance seems to become more polished each year.

However the MALAWI SUPPORT GROUP wish to thank the few parishioners who attended and enjoyed a range of music from Christmas carols to Abba and a host of other fantastic dance numbers where a well known parishioner couple really showed their prowess. A few people even enjoyed the evening by just sitting, watching and tapping their feet to the playing and singing by the talented group.
Thankfully the numbers were made up on the night by a band member who is also a Malawi support member bringing along a large group of family and friends along that brought the ticket sales up to a total of $310. A door prize of chocolates and a bottle of wine was won by one of the visiting supporters.
A number of parishioners who could not attend made donations towards the function and these were even added to by others on the night that gave an amazing total of $320 worth of donations for the benefit of our Sister Parish. Thank you so much to all who contributed in this way.
A raffle was run on the night for the great prize of a $100 account that was donated by the manager of the Catholic Development Fund. This raffle raised the amount of $143 that brought the total raised from the function to $773.
Thank you again to all who continue to support the Group in it‟s work Link

Malawi dinner dance to the tune of the “Degenerates”

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Letter from Fr. Taylor

Dear Lindsay & Malawi Support Group,

I am promising when I get free I will learn the computer skills!

At this time I was giving a retreat to sisters and nice to get a break from the buildings.

The wall around the church at Ntandire is progressing. The Christians are building it up to 2.5 metres. They finished building a kitchen since they received a gift of ceramic stoves to cut down on the wood used by more than 50%. .The woman of the Church have started a nursery school with over 100 children. They are fed 3 times a week. In 2011 I will build 2 classrooms for babies and high babies. The women take turns to teach and cook on a voluntary basis – fantastic! The school fees project and the funding of the children for both places are going very well.

We have started the new academic year and I have a balance of $500 which will start some of the new students and also pay for the existing ones who haven’t finished. I do have a list of the students and how much they receive. I‘m sure I should send it to you by email sometime. I will recruit someone to help me. We are having a visit from the ‘First Lady’ on the 23rd October, so the women are busy for the festival. Thanks for your letter and photo. Enjoy life while you can. Once again a huge thanks for your support. Kind regards. Francis Taylor Link

Bunnings sausage sizzle

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Suasage sizzle at Bunnings

On the 31st July the Malawi Support Group and very able volunteers manned the sausage sizzle at Bunning’s to raise money for the first time outside of church and parishioner related activities; their efforts proved most successful with well over a thousand dollars raised reflecting excellent prior planning, good team work with facilities provided by Bunning’s.

At the end of the day only 5 sausages remained from the 78 kg of sausages purchased.

This fundraiser complements others and donations, all of which are crucial to the feeding programme and assistance for the 300 children attending the Catholic School of Mt Silize. The children– 40 of which are orphans are reliant entirely on our funding for their daily school breakfast, school books, school fees and to allow 15 boys and girls to attend secondary and post secondary school. Link

letter from Fr Taylor.

Dear Lindsay and the Malawi Support Group,

Greetings from Malawi. Your continuous generosity to support the children and schoolgoers is a constant source of wonder to us in these difficult times. It gives us strength to continue the Lord’s work in caring for his poor ones.
I received your most generous donation of $3,500 on 29th March. It enables us to continue the feeding programme for the 300 children, including 40
orphans, buy school books and pay school fees for 15 boys and girls who go to secondary and post secondary school. Thank you all for your
generosity. With God’s blessings
Fr. Francis Taylor. Link

Mt Silize Catholic School children enjoying breakfast

 

 

 

 

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Mt Silize Catholic School children enjoying breakfast

 

 

 

 

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Mt Silize Catholic School children

 

 

 

 

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Annual Report 2009

On behalf of the committee I am pleased to report another splendid year's fundraising which was only marginally below previous years helped by some very generous donations.

This year our funding as previously outlined is directed towards humanitarian type projects identified and confirmed with Fr Taylor whilst I was in Malawi.

Activities this year

Our Crazy Whist night was again held in the hall and continues to be an enjoyable social event.

We were entertained and danced to the wonderful music of the "The Degenerates" who donated their services for a sixties dinner dance.

A presentation luncheon serving Malawian cuisine in the gathering area afforded the opportunity to expand on aspects of my Malawian visit.

Our theatre night continues to be an ejoyable experience and this year’s comedy play's performance was outstanding albeit our attendance numbers continue to fall.

Raffles continue to be popular successful fundraisers.

At our AGM current office bearers confirmed their continuance for the 2010 year. Link

The warm heart of Africa

The catholic journal Kairos has published an article on page 16 of the 19th edition for the period 18th -30th October entitled “The warm heart of Africa” which can be viewed by clicking on the heading or the link. Link

Presentation luncheon to OLHC – Eltham

I gave another more comprehensive presentation on the 15th August 2009 -with the help of a DVD - which had been kindly put together for me- about my visit to Malawi. The presentation was followed by a lunch prepared by the support group members with the emphasis on Malawian flavours. Those who attended gave generous donations. One member – by courtesy of Wikipedia- also presented his research findings about Malawian food just before we sampled all of the delicious dishes. His presentation is listed below for those who may be interested:

Malawian Food

Despite its natural riches, Malawi remains a very poor country. In this little country most people are subsistence farmers. This means they grow most of their own food in small gardens. If a family has extra food, they take it to market to trade for other necessities. Malawi cuisine has remained largely free of culinary influences from the outside world, until the late 19th century, with the exception of the use of cassava, Peanut, and chilli pepper plants which arrived along with the slave trade during the early 1500s. These foodstuffs have had a large influence on the local cuisine, but less on the preparation methods. Malawi cooking has remained mostly traditional. The staple food in Malawi is Nsima (which is the Malawian equivalent of Zambian Nshima and is made either from cornmeal, maize or ground, dried, cassava.) Nsima is a thick porridge that can be moulded into patties and served with either beans, meat, or vegetables collectively called Ndiwo. Other Malawian dishes are prepared with rice, cassava or potatoes. However, the keystone of any traditional Malawian meal is starch; the relish is a secondary element intended to give flavour to the food. Because the Malawi people have always been farmers, this meal is highly regarded because it gives the necessary energy to work in the field all day.

So all over Malawi, the meal is composed of two main dishes: the starch (Nsima) and the relish (Ndiwo). While the recipe for starch is mostly the same all over Malawi, the relish is very different from region to region. In the east of Malawi, it is made mostly from vegetables, as meat is expensive and most people can’t afford it. The basic ingredients in this region are rice and foutou (massed plantain and cassava) and fufu (fermented cassava). A variety of local ingredients are used while preparing other dishes like spinach stew, cooked with tomato, peppers, chillies, onions and Peanut butter. Cassava (manioc) plants are also consumed as green salad. A traditional recipe for the basic vegetable Ndiwo includes Onion, tomatoes and green vegetables, especially cassava.

The Malawi Lake, located in the eastern regions of Malawi, is a great source of various types of Fish. The main types are Chambo, Mlamba (Catfish), Usipa, and Kampango. The people that live around the lake use the fish to cook delicious relishes and other foods. A traditional Ndiwo made from fish is the Curried Chambo fish. The main ingredients for this dish are: fish fillets, lemon juice, flour, onions, curry powder, fruit chutney and carrots. Chambo (Tilapia fish) is the country’s speciality and the main lake delicacy. Another traditional food is Wali wa samaki, made from salmon, vermicelli, Onion, carrots, rice and seasonings.

In Malawian cuisine there are some exotic recipes based on insects. These dishes have different preparation methods than other dishes. Ana a Njuchi (wild bee larvae) are dried and then fried with salt and dried again. They are served as a relish or appetizer. To cook bwamnoni (large green bush crickets) you have to remove wings and horned part of legs. After that, boil them in water for five minutes, then dry in the sun. Fry with a little salt and a little fat if desired. This dish is served as an Ndiwo relish. The nsensenya (shield bugs) are washed and fried with a little salt until they are brown and also served as a relish.

Special Equipment for Malawian Cooking

The Malawian cooking methods are basic ones and you don’t need any special equipment to cook any of the dishes in the Malawi cuisine. Your everyday cooking pots and pans are enough to cook a complete Malawian meal. However, if you want a true Malawian food experience, you should know that cooking is still done the traditional way in Malawi. In the vast majority of Malawian homes, food is cooked over a wood fire using a tripod made of three supporting stones. Women (and children helpers) are responsible for everything concerning the food from market shopping to dish washing. As Nshima is eaten with the hands, everyone washes in a communal bowl before and after the meal. Many Malawians have mud stoves outside of the house, where they cook bread. Since Nshima and Ndiwo are the essential elements of the Malawian cuisine, there are some special tools used when cooking these dishes. One of these tools is mthiko, the cooking stick that is specially made for cooking Nshima and Ndiwo. Link

Leaving Ntandire celebrations and relaxing at Lake Malawi

Immediately above is Dyson and above myself with Fr Taylor and Dyson's son Alex relaxing at beautiful Lake Malawi.

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speeches at Ntandire

Above seated with Peter - Chairman of the parish council and Fyness

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Ntandire celebrations

The gift of a goat for Fr Taylor and crucifix for OLHC .

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Ntandire celebrations

The celebrations in the church and later outside with the gift of a goat.

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