Robin's South Downs Walk for Malawi School

Want to join me in making a difference? From 26-31 July I'm walking the South Downs Way National Trail from Winchester to Eastbourne - 100 miles across the southern backbone of land that falls off a cliff - literally - into the English Channel. The weather will be hot (hopefully) and the miles will be long (16+ each day) and all to raise money to benefit Action for Sustainable Communities Foundation, and any donation will help make an impact. Thanks in advance for your contribution to this cause that means so much to me.

More information about Action for Sustainable Communities Foundation: We aim to alleviate poverty through health education, school education and by empowering communities to develop local skills and better farming techniques. This will enable them to become economically self-sufficient in a sustainable way and to promote an understanding of the importance of the environment in which they live.

This particular project is to build a secondary school in Malawi, one of the poorest countries in the world and enable hundreds of children to break out of poverty and improve their prospects.

Over 200 children in the rural Mzimba region of Malawi have never experienced secondary school or are having to walk 10 kilometres or more to the nearest school over difficult terrain without breakfast or lunch.

Having their own secondary school will give these children a well-grounded education, attain better jobs and give them a sense of pride and achievement. The government have agreed to provide teachers if we can build the school .

The children will be given a meal when they arrive at the school and alongside their lessons, they will learn how to grow vegetables in the school’s permaculture garden in a sustainable way. There will be an equal enrolment of girls and boys to ensure equal access to education.

In Malawi, this grassroots project is led by a group of people who represent parents of children who will study at the school as well as Community and Church Leaders. Local families despite extreme financial hardship have come together to raise the money to begin the building of the school but their funds have run out. In the UK, a new charity ‘Action for Sustainable Communities’ has formed to support projects such as this one. One of the trustees, Newton Matupi originally from the Mzimba area in Malawi, is working closely with the community to ensure all building work is carried out to a high standard. All funds are tightly accounted for, with photographic evidence of progress.

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