The Mamie Martin Fund (MMF) is primarily financed by individual donations; some of these are regular and some are one-off or part of a fundraising project. As well as this core funding, the following projects, or funding streams, have been established over recent years.
Governance
All funds managed by the Mamie Martin Fund are subject to the same governance as core funding; selection of pupils is made on the same basis, viz., of need only, and the girls’ welfare is overseen by the MMF Malawi Manager in the same way. Reporting is done to donors and major stakeholders once a year, usually in September/October.
Cameron Endowment Fund
In recognition of the lifelong work of Colin and Alison Cameron, a fund of £50,000 was received from the Scottish Government in August 2017 for the purpose of enabling MMF to support 23 additional girls at secondary school and two at university. The fund was spent over four years and the University support was delegated to the Soko Fund, with whom MMF has a partnership agreement.
An additional grant of £50,000 was awarded to MMF in 2018 to support a further 22 girls at secondary school and two at university. Again, this fund is being spent over 4 years in order to provide support for the pupils and students over the full course of their studies at either secondary school or university.
The girls supported by these endowment grants are known locally as ‘The Alison Girls’. The ‘Alison 2’ girls are now in their final year of secondary school (or university). Two places are being held for girls who have had to miss some schooling due to pregnancy and childbirth.
This fund is financed by the Scottish Government and not available for individual donation.
Katy Fund
Established by a private donor in 2021 the Katy Fund is a four-year project which will support girls in the Diocese of Karonga schools and Mchengautuba Community Day Secondary School in Mzuzu.
Responding to the need for particular support in Forms 3 and 4 of secondary school, as evidenced by World Bank and UNICEF research and our own local feedback, the Katy Fund focuses on girls in those senior forms. It allows MMF to support girls in Chitipa, in the far north of Malawi, for the first time.
A total of 26 pupils are benefiting or have benefitted from one or more years of fees paid and other support.
The Katy Fund is open to further donations which would allow MMF to continue this focus on more senior school classes. Contact MMF at admin@mamiemartin.org
Lancashire West Methodist Circuit
Since 2022, this group of 10 churches in West Lancashire has been supporting 6 girls at St Mary’s Karonga. These girls started in Form 1 in 2022 and will be supported until they complete their schooling. The project will support 6 girls / 24 school years.
This project has a JustGiving Campaign page and is primarily funded through the Circuit community, though is open also to the wider public.
https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/LancashireWest
The Pat Fund
Established by a private donor in 2022, the Pat Fund supports 5 Deaf girls at Embangweni Secondary School for Deaf Children for the 6 years of their secondary education there. These girls are amongst the most marginalised groups in the country.
Thompson Scholarship Fund
Established in 2018 in recognition of the lives and work of Jack and Phyllis Thompson, the Thompson Scholarship Fund has supported girls at Embangweni Secondary School for Deaf Children since 2019. Three girls were initially supported by this Fund and that number has been 6 since 2022 as the Fund continues to attract strong support. Read more >>>>
This fund is open to donations from the public at https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/thompsonfund
Ready to Learn Fund
Mercy Sibande, Malawi Manager, holds a fund from which girls are given small grants for items such as soap, transport, writing materials. All payments made are recorded by Mercy and reported quarterly.
Initially the provision of reusable sanitary wear was part of the Ready2Learn Fund but it quickly became apparent that all of our girls need these items and so we have fundraised separately so that we can provide these without pressure on the Ready2Learn Fund. The sanitary wear is sourced from Supreme Malawi, a Malawian business in Nkhata Bay, with whom we have an excellent relationship.
Each of these projects includes a budget for our Ready to Learn Fund but meeting the needs of girls supported by these projects is not constrained by that funding; if core MMF funding is needed, it is used.
It is possible to donate to MMF and ask for that donation to be allocated to the Ready to Learn Fund or to the provision of sanitary wear.