Four years ago, I made a commitment to help change the lives of young people in Malawi by giving them the opportunity to complete their education. In September 2022, with a budget of just £2,000, I started by supporting the top three students at Mbabzi Primary School to continue their education.
Last month, we welcomed 47 new students to MSP, bringing our total number of scholarship students to 125!
MSP now selects students from over 20 schools across two districts, and works with two grassroots partners to extend our reach and create more educational opportunities in Central and Northern Malawi.
Every one of these young people now has the opportunity to complete their secondary education and build a brighter future for themselves and their families. To everyone who has donated, fundraised, shared our work or supported MSP in any way — thank you. You have helped make this growth possible, and you are part of every one of these 125 stories.
Read on to learn more about some of the other highlights from the last couple of months including:
Opening our brand-new girls’ boarding facilities — helping girls access education in a safe and supportive environment.
MSP’s Start Strong Day — all our students, both new and returning, came together for a morning of connection, celebration and motivation for the year ahead.
The MSP School and Teacher Awards — recognising and celebrating the schools and teachers working hard to improve educational outcomes.
New boarding facilities opened!
One of the biggest milestones this year has been the completion of our new girls' accommodation. Over the past year, we have worked closely with UK charity Building Malawi to transform five run-down residential houses into safe, high-quality boarding facilities for 35 of our girls.
The decision to invest in this accommodation was reinforced during my visit to Malawi in June. A group of our scholarship girls took me aside and asked if we could help them find a different school. They told me that teachers were not consistently turning up for lessons and that they did not feel safe in their accommodation. Thank god a plan was already in place.
Last month, 35 of our girls visited their new home for the first time — and their reaction said everything (as captured above - this is the moment they saw their accommodation for the very first time). The accommodation provides a secure environment, live-in matron, dining room, daily meals, water, electricity and space for the girls to study, rest and feel at home.
A huge thank you to Tom Bowden and everyone at Building Malawi for the care and commitment that has gone into creating such a wonderful space for our girls.
Our Start Strong Day
Our MSP Start Strong Day marked the beginning of the new academic year and brought more than 80 students and their parents together. Students received essential supplies for the year ahead, including stationery, school shoes and books, while those in self-boarding received food supplies. But the day was about much more than handing out supplies. It was an opportunity to celebrate achievement, build confidence and motivate our students for the year ahead. We welcomed two inspiring guest speakers: Constance Congwe, who works in Malawi's e-government and digital transformation sector, and Moses Kaipa from 4G Tech Systems Malawi. Both gave motivating, engaging messages that encouraged our students to think ambitiously about their futures and the contribution they can make to Malawi. The speakers also led the prize giving where we recognised the winners from our summer Poem and Essay Competition as well as students who achieved outstanding exam results.
Recognising the Top Teachers
As part of strengthening education in our communities, we ensure that we recognise the people who make our students' success possible — their teachers and schools.
Last year we launched the Teacher and School Awards for the Njewa zone, whereby we awarded the top performing school with a cash prize for the Standard 8 teachers and a trophy for the school. This year we expanded the awards to another zone, Mpingu. Both awards are met with such joy - it is a morning of celebrations, encouragement and pride. This year we were honoured to have the Lilongwe District Education Officer attend as our Guest of Honour. She praised our work and encouraged us to expand to all 21 zones in Lilongwe. Watch this space!
Upcoming events
1st - 8th December: ALL DONATIONS WILL BE MATCHED!
We are thrilled to be taking part in the Big Give Christmas campaign which means any donations made during this week, up to £4,000, will be matched. That’s £8,000 to raise in one week. More information on this will be shared towards the end of November.
September 2027: London to Brighton Cycle!
Yes it’s far in the future, but we are excited to have secured places at this event which last year raised £1.6m for charity. If you sign up before the end of November you will be entered to win a Trek Domane Road Bike (Worth £1,600 rrp)
Join our UK Board of Trustees
We are looking for new Trustees to join our UK Board and help us shape our next chapter. As MSP continues to grow, we want to strengthen our UK Board with people who can bring fresh perspectives, specialist expertise and new connections to help us maximise our impact.
Who are we looking for?
We are particularly interested in people with experience in one of the following areas:
Education and international development
Finance and sustainability
Fundraising and partnerships
Above all, a passion for using your skills and time to make a difference to communities in one of the world's poorest countries.
Thank you, as always, for being part of the MSP journey!
New Scholarships, New Boarding Facilities & Celebrating Achievement!
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