Giving Tuesday
Giving Tuesday is a grassroots movement taking root across the world- the Opening Day of Giving Season! On Black Friday retail shops get together to take part. On Giving Tuesday the giving community get together and try to help those in need.
We at Seibo wish to use today to launch a NEW fundraising campaign called Help Kazomba to build a well for a special little nursery in the north of Malawi. Again we’re in a race against time- the nursery has no clean water source and the situation is desperate. When the rains fall – and they’re coming- the water level will rise and we will miss an opportunity. It’s likely the nursery will close too and the knock-on effects are huge.
Help Kazomba
This time we will partner with a local CBO (Community-Based Organisation) led by Lexah Harrison. With 27 active members they look after 876 children under the age of 15 of which 47 attend the free nursery school. Through baking, making of patch work bags and teaching other similar groups they raise income to ensure single mothers can attend school while their children attend nursery. In the past their CBO has worked with JICA, JOCA, the American Embassy to name a few but their biggest challenge remains- water.
Water for Kazomba
Seibo currently provide school meals to primary schools in northern Malawi. It is our hope that we can eventually expand to including nursery schools. We had previously identified the nursery known locally as “Kurya Ndiko Uku” as being in need but without water they are at risk of closing their doors before we even begin
Why?
The nursery located near the Kazomba Primary School supported by Seibo is run by an amazing CBO (Community-Based Organisation) called Ndiko Kurya Uku (this is what eating should be) and led by the energetic Lexah Harrison. The group encourage girls who have dropped out of school due to early pregnancies. By running a free nursery and providing school fees they ensure these young girls complete their education.
The Biggest Challenge
The biggest challenge for this nursery & community is water. With limited resources the villagers have tried to dig wells but all have collapsed within a year. The appeal for a well (borehole) is not just for the nursery- it’s for all the community. At the moment the nursery has no water- not even dirty water.
Seibo will be unable to provide school meals in the future without a reliable, clean source in place.
The nearest well today is a 6 kilometer return journey that takes 2 hours and asking a villager to carry water for over 40 children’s meals seems like a hard ask. They can barely meet their own needs.
Lexah has tried to close the nursery but children still come. The group pay the school fees for many students and have some savings raised from baking bread and selling locally. There is no pride in begging.
Our appeal
We- Seibo- are therefore asking our supporters in Japan to dig deep and to help this community to get water- to ensure a future for the children who attend the nursery and to set this nursery on a path for future school feeding.
The Cost?
It’s not going to be easy- the cost of drilling a reliable year-round well is almost USD 7,000 but the other option is to do nothing. Please check our website and Facebook page for regular updates and if you can help in any way please do. Time is once more against us.