Mphatso Childrens Foundation
Mphatso Children's Foundation aims to "Feed the children, Grow the community and Impact the future" in Malawi.
The foundation feeds around a thousand children every day through 10 nursery schools and employs over 50 local staff.
Malawi is often known as “The Warm Heart of Africa” and anyone who has visited will know that it more than lives up to its name. It is the smallest most densely populated African country. Much of its land mass is taken up by the lake which is 350 miles long and 52 miles wide. Around 85% of Malawians live in rural areas with most people cultivating their own plot of land to provide food for their families. Malawi is considered to be the 10th poorest nation in the world based on GDP. This results in many unnecessary deaths from starvation, malaria, which is endemic along the lake shore, and other treatable health conditions, particularly in children under five. The infant mortality rate in Malawi is around 90 deaths per 1,000 births compared to around five deaths per 1,000 births in Australia according to the United Nations. In fact parents often do not name their children in the first few months of life as death is tragically so common. HIV is another enormous community concern that leaves many children orphaned and sometimes infected. Around 47% of the Malawian population is therefore under the age of fourteen. 48% of these Malawian children are malnourished.
Mphatso Childrens Foundation was officially formed in April 2006 when it became a registered charity. Mphasto is the name the local people have given to Robyn Casey (pictured) it means gift. Robyn was born in the Ballarat area of Victoria (Australia) and moved to Ocean Grove in 1995 where she raised her family as a single parent. She moved to Geelong West in 2004. Robyn first went to Malawi in 2002 on a short term mission trip and fell in love with the people of Malawi. She knew then that she would return to work alongside these people. In November 2004 Robyn left Australia to begin her work in Malawi. Initially unsure of what she would do there; Robyn was quickly moved by the plight of the young children who were often without food for up to three days, to begin a nursery school. The work
of Mphatso thus began and today Mphatso Childrens Foundation employs over 50 staff and runs 10 nursery schools in rural areas along the shores of Lake Malawi. The work continues to grow with the establishment of a community garden, kids club, sewing groups, women’s ministry and two HIV support groups. Each nursery school employs two teachers as well as cooks thus also providing much needed employment. Mphatso Childrens Foundation also provides student sponsorships, supports local sporting teams and provides much needed emergency assistance in the form of piece work, food, transport and help in accessing medical care.
Hope is the underlying theme of Mphatso Childrens Foundation. By using a community development approach Mphatso desires to come alongside the people of Malawi to enable choices that empower them to escape the effects of poverty and grow to their full potential in God. Mphatso Childrens Foundation aims to “Feed the children, Grow the community and Impact the future”.