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We have now managed to establish direct contact with Mitsidi Primary school through the good services of Dr Jo Thorp. We
thank her for her efforts on behalf of the parish and for taking time
out from her busy work schedule in Blantyre, Malawi, to visit the
school on a number of occasions and for sending us the photographs and
report for our display last month.
Dr Thorp has returned with more photographs and video material.
These will let you see and hear the actual people your donations are
helping. It is very illuminating to be able to see and hear teachers,
pupils and volunteers in an environment so different from our
own. We will have an opportunity to see this material early
in January, when Dr Thorp will share her personal experiences of
Mitsidi with us.
As a parish, we will then need to explore whether there are other ways in which we can help the children and the school.
In the meantime, we have two pieces of correspondence from
Malawi. The first is a brief history of Mitsidi Primary which the head
teacher, Mr Felix Likwangulo has written for us.
The second article is written by Mr Lawrence Palika,
the local manager in Malawi who coordinates the Mary’s Meals programme
in all the schools in the Blantyre area. He provides an insight
into the work and thoughts of the volunteers who rise early to travel
to the school to prepare the maize porridge for the children.
(NOTE: If you have ever visited Africa, you will know that
African women often sing beautiful call-and-response harmonies as they
work and then break into “ululation” - a series of spontaneous
high pitched whoops along with clapping - a form of audience
participation.)
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Anniversary Project 