Ladysmith Secondary’s Interact Club has raised $1,000 to help hospitalized youth in Lilongwe, Malawi, continue their studies.
Interact Club president Sophie Steele had been in contact with the president of the Lilongwe Interact Club. They discussed doing a project together. They identitfied a need for donations to the Kamuzu Central Hospital in Lilongwe, specifically, a renovation project that will help hospitalized youth continue their studies during their stay at the hospital. Children who are hospitalized for longer periods often fall too far behind in their studies to return to class.
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“The way we got in contact with the Lilongwe Rotary was kind of a coincidence,” Steele said. “I’ve been friends with their family for a long time, and when they came to visit us in the summer, he’d mentioned he was in Interact.”
Funds were raised by selling Purdy’s chocolates, soliciting donations outside the 49th Grocery store, and running a gardening service for community members. Steele said the community was very generous with their donations.
“When we went to collect donations outside 49th we were really surprised by the generosity,” she said. “We had one person give us $100… that was really awesome to see all that support.”
In total, the project will cost $7,000. That money will go towards termite treatment, electrical wiring, flooring, new furniture, and new learning materials for the patients at the hospital.
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All members of the Ladysmith Interact Club, as well as some members of the Ladysmith Rotary participated in the fundraiser. The clubs partnered with Fount for Nations, a Malawian NGO that helps special needs and hospitalized Malawian students get access to education, as well as the Lilongwe Interact Club, and Lilongwe residents.
For more information on Fount for Nations, visit their website.