Malawi Orphan Fund

<< Previous Post: 2025-08-13 So Much to See >> << Next Post: 2025-08-16 Of Land and Laptops >>   The mission of the Home of Hope is, ‘From Infancy to Independence.’ Education is at the core of that. In Malawi, only Primary Education is state provided. Many, many families do not have the resources for young people to receive secondary education, which means they may stay in a cycle of poverty. Here at Home of Hope, all the children are able to receive free secondary education and then the option of vocational training. The number of students going on to university is also rising, with 12 students heading to university this year. We are privileged to be able to help them on their way with the gift of a laptop amongst other things. These young people can go out into the world equipped to find work which could support a whole family and change their future. It is wonderful to hear of past students who are now working in fields such as healthcare, banking, tailor...

  <<Previous Post: 2025-08-12 Bravehearts>> << Next Post: 2025-08-14 Helen's Day >> If you come to visit Home of Hope (more on that later), don't expect to see everything quickly. There's so much!  These photos from this morning give just a flavour: Home of Hope from above, this morning ⓵ Primary School ⓶ Secondary School ⓷Vocational Training Centre ⓸ Clinic Home of Hope's Vocational Training Centre (VTC). Learning practical skills  Students not going on to Higher Education (University etc.) can learn a practical course at the VTC. Four skills are offered at present: Carpentry & Joinery; Tailoring & Fashion Design; Brick Laying; Fabrication and Welding, with more to follow. Electric Maize Mill The low hum of the Maize Mill Second to the cockerels and call-to-devotional bell (think school assembly), an early sound each day except Sundays is the low drone of two electric milling machines - housed not far from Home of Hope's main entranc...

  << Previous post: 2025-08-11 - The Education Challenge >> << Next post: 2025-08-13 So Much to See >> A proper day for us at Home of Hope includes playing with the children. Even though it's winter here in the southern hemisphere, Malawi's colonial past means that  August is the long school holiday, and almost all children are back in villages with one or more parents or relatives. Most of those who remain during our visit are children who have no safe context to return to. They live here all year round. Lucy Chipeta (daughter to Reverend & Mrs Chipeta who had the vision to found this place) always used to tell us, "You don't realize how much it means to these children that you spend time with them. They have no-one outside. You make them know they are noticed and loved." Hannah Applegarth, pictured above, is Youth Minister at our home church in Bedford, UK. She's heard a lot about Home of Hope over the last while and is here with ...

<< Next Post: 2025-08-12 - Bravehearts >> At a little past six o'clock this evening, as we arrived at Home of Hope, Malawi, the tropical sun had already slipped swiftly behind the Mchinji Mountains. In the cooling dusk, we found children and mothers waiting outside to greet us. They sang songs of welcome in Chichewa; we shared a few words, we prayed. Most of all, we were happy — happy to be back in a place we’ve come to love, among people who embody what it means to love life and live joyfully despite disadvantage and difficulty. Before we travelled from England, some of our group shared what they were looking forward to: “Renewing friendships and seeing wonderful people at Home of Hope responding to challenges with resilience and positivity.” – Gillian “Revisiting the warm heart of Africa, returning this time with more insight and knowledge of the people, their passions, and their needs — which I hope will support me when working alongside the school teachers and shari...

We left Home of Hope, Mchinji at 8am this morning. Before we left we fitted in preaching at Devotions (pic 1 the children ant devotions) and Breakfast with Lucy. It was lovely to share our final meal with Lucy and we were able to just chat as friends. So now to look back, and mention some things which haven’t been mentioned yet. Cynthia. Cynthia runs the pads enterprise at Home of Hope. I was able to spend some time catching up with her and her youngest daughter Tanya. Cynthia calls her children my children as we are sisters. I have known Cynthia since she was 15 and I was 19 so we are close. I would love to share some of the videos with you, but without strong enough WiFi I am unable to upload the videos to YouTube. On Thursday the Home of Hope received over 100 young people looking for a place in Form 1 and at the boarding house. All these children have families, however they are unable to afford to send their children onto Secondary school. They each had an interview and 40 children...