Category: Community

Community, Healthcare, Malawi

Maize mill activity during the COVID-19 pandemic

Phunzira

While Nyumba ya Masambiro and Phunzira have had to put the majority of their activities on a complete hold during the global Coronavirus pandemic, we have made the decision, in conjunction with NYM, to keep the Maize Mill open with a new set of rules to implement strict social distancing and hygiene practices to protect both the customers and staff. Residents of Ruarwe, given its remote location, do not have access to any shops or market places for food. They grow their own, occasionally barter and trade, and rely heavily on government-subsidised maize for their daily nutrition. The Maize Mill is therefore essential for food security.

We are delighted that, since the opening of the Maize Mill, a steady flow of customers continues to come on a daily basis to mill their maize. To make sure that everyone remains as safe as possible, customers currently queue outside the milling house with minimum 1 meter distancing from person to person. As they approach the milling building they wash their hands with the soap and water provided for them. The miller and cashier each have a personal handwashing station within the milling house and they wash their hands between each customer interaction.

We are delighted that NYM is able to maintain the Maize Milling service safely at this time, and we will continue to monitor the situation in Malawi and will make changes where necessary.

Community, Malawi

COVID-19 update

Phunzira

After much discussion, having kept an eye on the situation and assessed the information available, we have decided to close Nyumba ya Masambiro and suspend all volunteer activities effective immediately and until further notice. We have not made this decision lightly – we are sad to have to close the centre and we understand and appreciate the great value that volunteers can add to Ruarwe and its surrounding communities. It is important that we too spread the message of social distancing at this difficult time.

As of a few days ago, the Foreign and Commonwealth office declared that all non-essential travel to Malawi should be avoided due to the risk of quarantine on arrival. This afternoon, President Peter Mutharika announced multiple measures to combat this strain of Coronavirus, including the closure of Malawi’s borders to all those travelling from countries affected by COVID-19, the closure of all schools, universities etc, and restriction of congregation of large numbers of people within Malawi.

We are sorry to have to put this in place. We very much look forward to reopening the centre and hosting volunteers in the future, once the circumstances change.

We wish all our friends and supporters the very best at this trying time. Stay safe!

Community, Donations, Education, Fundraising, Malawi

Donation of exercise books, pens and pencils to primary schools

Phunzira

At the end of the year, previous Nyumba ya Masambiro volunteer Mecki very generously donated funds that allowed the purchase of 300 exercise books, 300 pens and 300 pencils. These were distributed to the primary schools in Ruarwe, Mazomera and Nkhoso.

The NYM Project Coordinator, Ishmael, had a wonderful time distributing the materials and sends his deep gratitude on behalf of NYM and the 3 primary schools for this generous donation. The kids were elated!

While state primary education is free in Malawi, parents must provide the exercise books, writing materials and school uniforms for their children, and those without these items are turned away from school. Sadly, for some, even these small costs are prohibitively expensive so this donation allows many children to remain in school, which is fantastic.
A huge thank you to Mecki for fundraising and providing this fantastic donation! Yewo Chomene!

Community, Fundraising, Malawi

The new maize mill engine arrives in Ruarwe!

Phunzira

On Sunday 24th November, there was a palpable buzz of excitement throughout Ruarwe as this was the day that the new Maize Mill engine, funded through a grant received from Africa Direct, arrived in Ruarwe village. The engine was purchased in Lilongwe by Frank Msuku (Project Manager at NYM) and Castaway Nyirenda (Bursar at NYM). A recommended mechanic, with extensive experience planting and maintaining such engines, accompanied them from Lilongwe to ensure correct and safe handling of the machine along the journey. The passage took them from Lilongwe via Mzuzu to Nkhata Bay by road and then on to Ruarwe via the Ilala Ferry.

On arrival in Ruarwe, there is no jetty to allow easy offloading of this very heavy piece of engineering and so the mechanical crane on the ferry had to be used to load the engine onto the service boat and then a group of strong village volunteers lifted the engine onto the beach. It was nerve-racking and thrilling to watch everyone come together to get the engine safely to its new home in the milling house! We’re so pleased that the mill is up and running! Thank you to everyone who helped on the journey.

Community, Malawi, Youth

Senior youth shelter under construction at NYM

Phunzira

We are delighted to announce that Nyumba ya Masambiro is building a shelter for senior youth community members. The government initiative of Youth Friendly Health Services, which uses the youth hall to meet once a week and discuss issues relating to the youth and health, has highlighted that there is nowhere that the senior youth can meet, hang out and socialise away from alcohol in the bars and pubs of the village. Senior youth members have recognised that they need a safe space in which they can socialise independently and they approached NYM to see if such a space can be created.

NYM has board games such as chess, draughts, bawo, cards, dominoes and more. The senior youth will be able to use these and chat in an alcohol-free safe zone. The shelter is being constructed from as much existing material from around the centre to ensure that the building is as sustainable as possible with minimal impact on the environment. We are delighted to be able to offer this space as a solution to this issue, brought to us by the community in Ruarwe.

Community, Fundraising, Malawi

Incredible grant received from Africa Direct

Phunzira

In September, Nyumba ya Masambiro was delighted to receive a grant of 2.4 million Kwacha (2.9k Euro) from Africa Direct. Phunzira applied for this grant on behalf of NYM, for the relaunch of the Maize Mill Project. The Maize Mill project was requested by the community to alleviate some of the food insecurity experienced as a result of not have easy access to a mill. The grant proposal, prepared by Philippa Mander and Rosa Nissim, was submitted in July and approved later that month.

Africa Direct is a charitable organisation registered in Ireland. From their website:

“We are an Irish Cork-based charity fundraising to support projects for people living in poverty in Africa. We are run by a membership of volunteers open to anyone to bring their own skills, ideas and backgrounds, and we are a fully voluntary organisation committed to getting the maximum funds raised ‘direct’ to our partner’s projects.”
“Africa Direct’s mission is to alleviate poverty in Africa. Our approach is to work with Africans to tackle poverty in their own home areas. We do this through supporting, funding and listening to our African partners.”

We would like to extend out thanks to the wonderful team at Africa Direct for this incredible grant – it really will make such a huge difference to the whole community within the Ruarwe Zone. Tawonga Chomene!

Community, Donations, Education, Malawi, Volunteers, Youth

A wonderful donation from volunteer Mecki Ballantyne

Phunzira

This summer Nyumba ya Masambiro was joined by volunteer Mecki Ballantyne. Mecki is an experienced teacher who worked with the Ishmael, the Youth Co-ordinator and Frank, the Project Manager to share her skills and expertise for the benefit of the youth in Ruarwe and its catchment area.

Following her return to Germany, Mecki collected together a wonderful donation of almost 40 early-years reading books for the children’s section of the Nyumba ya Masambiro library. The community children love the injection of new reading materials. Most afternoons the children’s corner of the library is filled with children of all ages enjoying the pictures and sounding out the words alone or in small groups. These books are already making a huge difference to the confidence and desire to read, which is such a vital part of educational development.

Thank you so much Mecki for your time spent in Ruarwe and for continuing to think of Ruarwe with this wonderful and generous donation. Yewo Chomene!

Community, Education, Malawi, Volunteers, Youth

The children’s area of the Nyumba ya Masambiro library gets a make-over!

Phunzira

Volunteer Kate Probert from New Zealand and volunteer Denise Dolan from Ireland have been really busy and have completed a redecoration of the children’s corner of the library at Nyumba ya Masambiro. Last decorated in 2010 when the centre was built, the new paintings, quotes and comfy seating area have made the library much more appealing to the youth of Ruarwe and we are seeing many more children coming to attend the library, pick up a book and relax in the area.

Thank you to Kate for the vision, Denise for the wonderful quotes and the staff for the translations and all the help provided – the children’s area really looks great now!

Community, Donations, Healthcare, Malawi

Donation of a portable nebuliser to Ruarwe Clinic

Phunzira

In January, Ruarwe Clinic was delighted to receive the wonderful donation of a portable nebulisation unit. Nebulisers can administer saline, adrenaline, salbutamol and more to alleviate symptoms of respiratory conditions including asthma, chest infections and more. Respiratory conditions represent a large portion of conditions seen in Ruarwe and the surrounding areas due to a number of factors, a key one being the need to cook over open fires year round resulting in regular exposure to smoke inhalation.

Out-going Zulunkhuni River Lodge managers Anneke and Hartmut, who have contributed so much to this community in their time here, donated the nebuliser unit via Phunzira. We would like to extend a huge thank you to Anneke and Hartmut for this extremely generous donation, which is being used on a regular basis and is making a huge difference to the community in how staff at the centre can now treat respiratory emergencies. Yewo Chomene!

Community, Donations, Fundraising, Healthcare, Malawi

Donation of Maternity Items to Ruarwe Clinic

Phunzira

At the start of this year, Ruarwe Clinic received a wonderful donation of maternity medical items. Donated by Anneke and Hartmut Jagau and Phunzira, the clinic received Maternity Pads, Sterile Cord Clamps, plastic Fetoscopes and Vaginal Speculums as well as Urinalysis Sticks.

Given the remote location of Ruarwe, pregnant mothers are encouraged to go to either the larger clinic in Usisya, Nkhata Bay District Hospital or Mzuzu Central Hospital to deliver. This journey and the stay away from the village, and their families as they are waiting to deliver, can be prohibitively expensive for many expectant mothers. As a result of which, many mothers remain in Ruarwe to deliver. The District Health Team is building a new and improved clinic building in Ruarwe, which will have the space, drugs and equipment to facilitate safer deliveries in the village. The wonderful Community Midwife Technician Helen Msisya from the Ruarwe Zone has been trained and assigned to Ruarwe Health Centre for this purpose. While community members await the completion and opening of this new facility, the staff at the clinic requested these items to facilitate safer deliveries already happening in the village. A huge thank you to the Jagau family and Phunzira donors for making this delivery of essential equipment possible!