At our recent AGM we were delighted to report the election to our Board of two new Trustees. Matthew and Francesca are both much younger than the average age of the current Trustees – a welcome change! We need young voices and perspectives in the steering of our work.
Francesca has experience of work with grassroots NGOs and a strong interest in International Development. Matthew works for a clothing manufacturer with a focus on ethical trade. As such, he is very aware of the many issues facing women and children around the world. His current job in ‘social impact’ also involves managing donor projects and partnerhips. We are so pleased to have this level of expertise available to us now.
We say ‘thanks and see you later’ to the Trustees who have stepped down this year – Phil Wright, Mariot Dallas and Kate Jere. They each have strong connections with our work in Malawi and we hope to see them return to the Board at a later date.
As an addendum to our AGM today, we want to share this recorded interview with you. During a recent visit by Howard Msukwa from Malawi to Scotland, he told us about some of the barriers to education faced by girls in Malawi. Class sizes in Malawian primary schools are very high with teachers often having to work with up to 120 children per group. As Howard says, it is difficult for children to concentrate in that situation. Without good exam results the children will not be selected for the better secondary schools. There are not enough secondary school places for all the primary school children in Malawi.
So by the time secondary school girls come to the attention of the Mamie Martin Fund they have already overcome huge obstacles. They face even more problems in schools which don’t have adequate toilet facilities for girls.
The barriers faced are not only in school. Howard tells us about the attitudes of some families to girl-child education and the dangers of early marriage for young girls. While marriage under 18 is outlawed in Malawi, the law is not always applied, particularly in the North. Girls there are often in grave danger of being married before they have finished school. Howard says that the support provided by the Mamie Martin Fund is very important in keeping Malawian girls in school. ‘It sets the pace for role models in the villages.’
Howard is a rice farmer with KASFA, Kaporo Smallholder Farmers Association. They grow rice using co-operative irrigation methods and environmentally friendly farming techniques. Their rice is available in the UK as ‘Kilombero’ rice – our favourite rice! It is available from the One World Shop in Edinburgh and from Gavin’s Mill in the Glasgow area, among other outlets.
How lovely it was to meet so many of our lovely Fife supporters in person again. More than 60 people, mostly local, came to support girls’ education in Malawi and to enjoy Isabel Stanners’ wonderful baking. The blueberry scones were a particular favourite!
These joyous events remind us all of the power of community – this Fife community supporting girls and their families in other communities far away. The weather was very wet and so we had the pleasure of welcoming a group of ‘Talking Tandems‘. These hardy cyclists decided that a nice coffee and cake was a lot more sensible than cycling in the rain. They cycle on tandems, with a sighted cyclist in front and a blind or partially sighted cyclist behind. We thank them for their support of our event.
We were delighted, too, to have a Fairtrade stall at the event, stocked with colourful and interesting Malawian products from the One World Shop. Winnie Wood runs a regular Fairtrade stall at this Church and added colour and interest with Kibébé products for this occasion.
Our event raised over £400.00 (net) – the goodwill and fun cannot be measured but joy and fun rose above the wind and rain to dominate the morning. Thanks to you all.
Women and girls have the power to bring about positive change in their communities and their own lives when given the skills, opportunities and support they need. This week, from Thursday to Thursday, every pound you donate through our BigGive page will be doubled, paving the way to a brighter future for the girls we support in secondary schools in North Malawi.
Thanks to the Big Give for including us in their Women and Girls Match Funding week. Thanks to you, our donors, for doubling your difference this week.
On Sunday 15th September, MMF supporter, Hazel McIntyre, joined over 9,000 others to walk the Edinburgh Kiltwalk. Hazel chose the toughest option and she walked 20.5 miles (33 kms). What a great achievement! The weather was favourable so raincoats were not needed but neither was sunscreen.
Hazel walked with two friends who were fundraising for the Salvation Army – an important charity with a very long history. We were delighted to get a good-luck message from The Salvation Army on Facebook during the day. The walkers travelled from Glasgow to Edinburgh by train and Scotrail wished them luck too, on the socials.
Hazel has raised a whopping £800.00. This will go a long way in Malawi. The total costs of supporting an MMF girl at boarding school is £500.00 for a year and Hazel has exceeded that target magnificently.
Thanks also to the support team who did the socials and helped in practical ways during the day. These Kiltwalks are amazing events – why not consider joining one next year? Here’s a comment from new MMF volunteer, Francesca, to encourage you:
“Being able to experience the Kiltwalk for the first time in Edinburgh is unforgettable. The environment full of motivation and love is inspiring. I have never seen faces so full of determination not only due to the challenge of the walk but of what they achieved for their desired charity/NGO. I am truly grateful to be able to support those competing and can’t wait to join next year.”
What do you think of when you hear ‘Trustee’? Those old men in top hats in Mary Poppins when there was a run on the bank? Twinsets and pearls and a long shiny table? Read on and I’ll tell you about being a Trustee for the Mamie Martin Fund.
Mariot Dallas
It’s a voluntary role with serious responsibilities. That could be daunting, but the Board is a team, and we work together. Each of us brings our experience and expertise to help make sure the Fund operates in line with our constitution and helps girls in schools in Malawi get their secondary education. We use your donations to pay their fees.
As Trustees, we commit to attending meetings, now mostly on Zoom. We share the responsibility for making sure we have productive and positive discussions and that we spend your donations wisely.
I hope that doesn’t sound dull. It really isn’t. Meeting online means that our Malawian Advisers and our Malawi Country Director can join the meeting. Provided all the tech works well, we can hear firsthand about how your donations are being spent. My favourite times are when we hear about young women who have left school and are making their way in paid work because they have completed their secondary education.
As Trustees, we have decisions to make and reports to approve. For me, the financial oversight part of the role is challenging. Accounts and financial reports don’t speak to me but being part of a team means there is always someone to explain and clarify. As a Board, we talk through financial decisions carefully so that we are using your money responsibly and in line with our constitution.
We have to have a strategic plan, so that we can manage all the various tasks and responsibilities and priorities we have as a Board. The plan is also where we note the evidence to show that we are using our funds appropriately. If you are somebody who likes to break large projects down into manageable tasks, then maybe we could bring your expertise to the Board.
Underpinning all these strands of activity is the process of fundraising, including grant applications. Our Marketing team has responsibility for agreeing fundraising strategy and reports regularly to the Board.
Being a Trustee of the Mamie Martin Fund is never dull and there is a strong likelihood of job satisfaction in this voluntary role. We know that we are making a difference to the young women of Malawi and to future generations. If you are interested in becoming a Trustee, we would love to hear from you!
This poem was written by two of the schoolgirls we support in Malawi. Blandina (16) and Lucia (15) are part of a group being supported by the Lancashire West Methodist Circuit. They are now in Form 3 . Secondary school in Malawi is four years/forms. Their boarding school is just outside Karonga in the North of Malawi and consistently achieves very high academic results.
The Black Tear
A poem by Blandina Ngoma and Lucia Mbukwa, St Mary’s, Karonga, Malawi
I’m pruned from the poor even never to reach the moon which is my fate yet to arrive late I’m disposed in the dirty and never to fulfil my destiny
My hope vanished my dream became invisible and I was nothing yet you made me invincible rescued me from the uneducated and straightened my contour like a gospel singer I will praise you forever
You are indeed the saviours to wipe my tears you brought me to school took me away from my sweet sorrow that dug and dragged me below yet loud and loud my education calls from the west
‘Donors’ yes, I heard it well they are here to build me now blue and white I dress gather my future to the race enjoy the sweet of my sweat and never betray my future.
This quote from Chief Theresa Kachindamoto, Ngoni traditional leader in Malawi, sums up the rationale for our work. We support girls’ secondary education in North Malawi by paying their fees. We provide for basic necessities like soap and sanitary wear. These costs are managed locally by our Malawi Country Director, Mercy Sibande. Each term Mercy visits all of the seven schools which we support. She meets all of the MMF girls there, checks that they are well and provides pastoral and motivational support.
Education is not a luxury but a basic human need. In Malawi 47% of girls are married before age 18, one of the world’s highest rates of child marriage (UNICEF Malawi Annual Report 2022). Chief Kachindamoto, quoted above, is one of the loudest Malawian voices against child ‘marriage’. Girl children who have been married do not continue with their education.
On this International Women’s Day we reaffirm our commitment to girls’ education. In this, our 31st, year we are as sure about its importance as ever. When we were established in 1993, the importance of girls’ education was poorly understood. It is now known to be pivotal to the development of any nation.
We are funded almost completely by individual donations. Thanks for your part in supporting the vital education of these girls. Happy International Women’s Day.
Phil Wright, a new member of the MMF Board reflects on his journey to here:
“Back in February 2023 my daughter Hannah, who is currently a Mamie Martin Fund volunteer, started to follow MMF on Twitter. And so, the journey to trusteeship began . . .
From that point, MMF followed Hannah back (I think that’s how it works?) and so a link was forged. It was forged to the point of me being registered for the Manchester Marathon to run alongside Han to raise funds for MMF. Marathon duly completed, I contacted Moira (who had been a great encouragement to Hannah) and we met with her and Mercy in Skelmersdale at a brilliant tea-party where Mercy shared news from Malawi. I was hooked!!
Since then, I have joined the incredible team at MMF to help with the oversight of the charity’s work. I have been warmly welcomed and incidentally re-united with a former colleague from Malawi (who ironically used to oversee my work as a headteacher in Zomba, as part of the school’s board of trustees). It has been interesting to learn how the charity works, the impact of the work on the lives of young girls in Malawi and the important role Mercy plays as she engages with the girls at school.
The supporters of MMF are amazing and dedicated in their fundraising and awareness-raising in support of the girls in Malawi, through the imaginative initiatives they undertake.”
Elena had a very difficult start in life. Thanks to a local pastor’s wife she was brought to Karonga Girls’ Secondary School in North Malawi in 2016. Passing the entrance exam, she was given a place at the school and was also awarded an MMF bursary. She was a shy and quiet child who looked neglected and much younger than her 16 years. It was wonderful to see her appearance and demeanour changing over the next four years and she became strong and cheerful. However, her father remarried and, during the summer holiday after Elena’s second year at school, her step-mother and brother tried to give her away in marriage. Child marriage, though unlawful, continues to be a real threat to children in rural areas in Malawi.
Old sign at Karonga Girls’ Sec SchoolElena in Form 3 with stable and safe accommodation
She escaped early marriage by running away back to school. She travelled alone for nearly 100 kms, asking strangers for help with transport, till she arrived at the home of the lady who had first rescued her. Her courage was rewarded and that become her home during school holidays. Sadly the lady passed away just after Elena finished school. The living situation then became unsafe for Esther who was brave enough to seek help.
Elena did not get grades good enough for university study but she secured a local college place to study for a Diploma. Well-wishers came forward and supported her with accommodation (essential for her safety at that point) and fees. After two years, Elena proudly sent MMF photos of her graduation with a Diploma in Professional Community Development with merit. Many young women in Malawi cope with hardships and barriers. Elena is a shining example of how courage, with some help, can overcome adversity and triumph.
Elena at her graduation in 2023
We are proud to have played a part in Elena’s journey from being an undernourished, frightened child to being a confident, professional woman.
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