Category: Volunteers

Community, Donations, Education, Fundraising, Healthcare, Malawi, Volunteers

Volunteers Jeremy and Norma assist for 3 months in Ruarwe

Phunzira

Nyumba ya Masambiro and Ruarwe Health Centre were delighted to host volunteers Jeremy Dobbs and Norma Coward for three months. Jeremy and Norma joined us from the UK for July, August, and September 2025. A retired GP and midwife respectively, their main aim was to spend time supporting Paul Kabuzi and the medical team at the health centre, but once they got to Ruarwe, they got stuck in with so much more.

Initially supporting Paul in seeing patients, and supporting midwife Dan with antenatal appointments, care, and teaching, as well as the distribution of reusable maternity pads, they then took on reorganising the clinic, which needed all hands on deck following both Covid-19 and a subsequent cholera outbreak. They provided funds for much-needed medications and organised and funded the repair of all inpatient beds, as well as the toilet and shower plumbing systems at the clinic.

Meanwhile, in the afternoons, they both got stuck in at Nyumba ya Masambiro. They helped to reorganise the library, creating new labels so that all the books could be easily found and facilitating the distribution of excess books to Bunga CDSS, Khondowe CDSS, and Stepping Stones Primary School. They painted two beautiful murals on the library walls and refreshed the existing ones, which had faded over time. They worked with Stanley, the NYM nursery school teacher, to teach phonics, nursery rhymes, and early reading skills to the children, and then headed into Ruarwe Primary School to paint two murals there as well at the request of the teaching staff.

We would like to extend a huge thank you to both Jeremy and Norma for the incredibly generous gift of your time, your financial contributions, and your energy during your stay in Ruarwe! Yewo chomene! We all look forward to welcoming you again in the future!

Community, Education, Malawi, UK Schools, Volunteers, Youth

Stories Without Borders: From Scotland to Ruarwe

Phunzira

We are delighted to share the joyful news of a special collaboration that has connected learners across continents through the power of storytelling.

In 2023, two teachers travelled from Inverkeithing, Scotland, to our community in Ruarwe. During their visit, they worked closely with learners at both Ruarwe Primary School as well as youth visitors to Nyumba ya Masambiro to collect and record local stories — tales of daily life, imagination, culture, and hope.

At the same time, back in their own school in Scotland, students were also busy writing and sharing their stories. The result is a beautiful exchange of voices and experiences, bridging communities through creativity and mutual learning.

We are proud to announce that these stories have now been officially published into books. Even more exciting, copies of the books have arrived in Ruarwe, where learners can see their words in print and read the stories of their friends in Scotland.

The books are now available at the NYM Library, where community members, students, and visitors are warmly invited to come and read them.

This project is a wonderful reminder that while our communities may be separated by distance, stories have the power to bring us together. We extend our heartfelt thanks to the teachers, students, and everyone involved in making this cross-cultural journey possible.

Healthcare, Malawi, Testimonial, Volunteers

Volunteer testimonial – Claire Eatwell

Phunzira

We would like to extend a huge “thank you!” to volunteer Claire who volunteered with us in Ruarwe for 4 weeks. A qualified doctor from Australia, with experience with remote working there, Claire worked alongside the staff at Ruarwe Health Centre and really got stuck into life at Nyumba ya Masambiro and in the village. She has written a wonderful summary of her time here in Malawi: 

“🇲🇼I was thanked by community members for coming to work at Ruarwe Health Clinic because it is so remote that not even local Malawian doctors want to go there. It is only accessible by boat and foot. There are no roads. There was no running water for most of my time there and only electricity to a few key buildings in the village.

It was a no-brainer for me to go to Ruarwe; it is all I’ve ever wanted to do. I have been fully aware of my privilege since I was young. Lucky to be born into a wealthy white family to very healthy and loving parents in a country where others were and continue to battle a multitude of devastating illnesses and hardship. 

My role in Ruarwe was to give the medical assistant a break. He has been working 24/7 365 for the last 7 years. Yes, that is right he has been on call for the last 7 years and receives a whopping salary of approx. $500/month. I would see everyone in the morning clinic, and he would “switch off,” answer any questions, and see the very sick patients that’d require inpatient observation. 

Yes, it was tough. I was using a translator the whole time, so nothing was quick and easy. Were there cultural barriers? Yes, of course, but that happens everywhere you go. Would I do it again? Yes, of course. 

Thank you to Phunzira and NYM for making it possible. Thank you to Philippa for making the whole experience amazing. Thank you to the Ruarwe community, NYM staff, and clinic staff for welcoming me in and helping me every day. Tawonga chomene 🖤❤️💚”

Thank you Claire for giving your time to the community and we very much hope to see you here again soon!


Healthcare, Malawi, Volunteers

Phunzira’s Volunteer Program reopens

Phunzira

After years of closure due the COVID-19 and the subsequent maintenance and reopening phase, we are delighted to announce that Phunzira’s Volunteer Program has reopened for both Nyumba Ya Masambiro and Ruarwe Health Centre. Our first volunteer, Rachel, joined us in Malawi for three months from Mid July to Mid October. A qualified nurse from the USA, Rachel helped daily at Ruarwe Health Centre as well as getting stuck in with community health visits to the wider catchment area with the Health Surveillance Assistants from the clinic team and by running First Aid sessions with both the NYM staff and Clinic Staff.

Rachel was really valued by the whole team, community members as well as staff at Zulunkhuni River Lodge, where all volunteers stay during their placements in Ruarwe. Rachel, we thank you for your hard work, for getting stuck in with so much while you were here and your cheerful demeanour throughout your stay. We would love to see you back some time very soon! Yewo Chomene!

Business, Education, Nursery, Volunteers

2022 NYM update

Phunzira

Despite the sad closures of NYM’s main activities at the community centre, in December 2022 some small parts were re-opened with great joy from the staff and surrounding communities. The library is running and being visited primarily by students to access during revision time due to its wide range of academic text books sourced in Malawi and UK. We are also happy to announce that the youth centre is currently being used by a children’s nursery, with free-of-charge access to the large room and recreational/ educational resources. In addition, donations are being sourced in order to provide medicines to the two nearby village clinics, where not even basic drugs such as paracetamol are available due to nationwide government shortages. The maize mill business has also received an injection of cash, allowing for essential maintenance work and the purchase of maize, to sell directly from the centre. All other activities in Ruarwe village still remain closed due to insufficient funds since the start of Covid – it has been a very challenging time and we are extremely grateful to our staff and supporters for keeping us alive over the last two years. We hope that by the end of this year the maize mill and its subsidiary businesses generate enough funds to re-open the weekly youth club and sporting events, at which point we will look towards starting up the volunteer programme again – it has been missed dearly in Ruarwe!

Community, Malawi, Volunteers

2021 Covid closures

Phunzira

Sadly NYM’s community centre in Ruarwe village still remains closed due to Covid-19 and insufficient funds. However, the maize mill business is open sporadically and helps to employ its two necessary members of staff (cashier and miller), as well as contribute towards the employment of two extra NYM staff members to look after and maintain the centre during its current closure. We are very thankful to all the staff in Malawi for their swift and transparent actions in managing the emergency donations we received for coronavirus provisions over the year, and we hope they will all be re-employed by the end of the year to re-open the community facilities and workshops once again. We are also grateful to our supporters out there for all the generous donations and offers to volunteer – we will assess the situation again in a few months so keep dreaming of Lake Malawi and watch this space!

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!

Education, Healthcare, Malawi, Testimonial, Volunteers

Volunteer testimonial – Kate Probert

Phunzira

Nyumba ya Masambiro and Ruarwe Clinic have just hosted volunteer Kate Probert for 5 weeks. A qualified nurse from New Zealand, with particular experience in youth healthcare, Kate got involved with many of the activities in Ruarwe including working at the clinic, assisting the clinic staff to set up the Youth Friendly Health Services program, repainting the children’s corner of the NYM library and much more.
As Kate said of her time in Malawi:

“Volunteer and live in a beautiful jungle, right on the lake with not onlythe staff but the whole community that open their arms and welcome you in. It’s a no brainer.”

Kate, you really got stuck in in your time in Ruarwe and have made a real and lasting impact on the community here. Thank you so much for sharing your time, expertise and energy with us and we very much look forward to you coming and joining us again some time in the future. Tawonga Chomene!

Education, Malawi, Volunteers, Youth

Volunteer Denise Dolan

Phunzira

This spring Nyumba ya Masambiro was delighted to host volunteer Denise Dolan, a qualified teacher from Ireland. She came to join the team at NYM for 6 weeks to share her wealth of knowledge and experience with the staff for the benefit of the community.
During her time in Ruarwe, Denise started a Go Girls project together with local volunteer Mary. The Go Girls program offers small group seminar sessions for young females to provide information, advice and discussion topics to empower girls to seek good information, make good choices and further themselves. In a society where female empowerment and gender balance are sadly lagging far behind international levels these sessions offer a great space within which girls have access to information to allow them to make the best of themselves. Yewo chomene Mary and Denise!
Denise also assisted with the redecoration of the children’s section of the NYM library, repainted all the library signs, and undertook a range of activities with the children such reading the Very Hungry Caterpillar and then painting egg box caterpillars and beautiful butterflies among other things. Denise, it was a delight having you to join the team in Ruarwe, thank you so much for all your hard work! Tawonga chomene!