COVID 19 might have put the world on lockdown, but at Open Arms, our overarching aim to build brighter futures for vulnerable children in Malawi remains strong. This year's newsletter brings you some of the stories that your support is making possible and you can find an electronic version at the bottom of this page.
Taking on the challenge of change
These are undoubtedly challenging times. Our infant homes in Malawi have seen numerous changes as we continue with our own lockdown to keep children protected. Cases of Coronavirus are still rising slowly in Malawi and we are monitoring this with medical experts. Our teams, our children, and our volunteers have continued to step up to the mark, and we're grateful for all of your support in raising over £30,000 in response to our emergency appeal.
In our annual newsletter, you can see what life is like as our infant homes and how our children and staff are coping. Charlie has written a letter outlining plans for the future, what Open Arms infant homes will look like going forward, and why we need you support more than ever.
Changes that last a life time
Last year your impact was life changing.
In a snapshot, 24 toddlers returned home to their extended family, 90 children were supported in residential care. Although schools are temporarily closed in Malawi, we now have ten nursery schools offering local access to early years education. 514 children benefited last year from a daily meal and a year's nursery education, giving them a head start to their learning and improving nutritional and developmental outcomes.
However, we don't want to stop there.
Your support is vital this year to keep these services open, when they will be needed the most.
If you can help, please consider giving a donation to provide essential nutrition and medical care to babies who have been orphaned or abandoned in Malawi. You can make sure they have secure care so that they can recover and return to their families as healthy toddlers. Donate by clicking here.
£20 provides a month's supply of formula milk for a malnourished baby
£75 provides a year's community-based nursery education in a remote village
£300 gives a baby the vital care they need in our homes for one month, including care, medicines, food and clothing
£1,000 supplies all the milk, food, and medicines for our home for one week, providing nurturing care for around 60 babies around the clock.
Read our annual newsletter below for stories from Malawi and around the world
Through your support, children like Langton have survived an incredibly difficult start and developed into a healthy boy with a strong foundation for his future. He will continue to thrive at home with his own family thanks to our early intervention. Mercy Yusuf, who is newer to our infant home, now receives the care she needs to recover from a traumatic start to life, grow, and develop, before returning to her family when she is older. You can also read some of the success stories from our community outreach team too.
Check out what some of our dedicated fundraisers have been doing during lockdown, and find out how you can give your time, skills, and support to help the children in Malawi not only survive but thrive through these challenging times.
Your donation will help children in Malawi grow up healthy with the love of a family
Donate