For Open Arms Orphanage, Malawi

Hi all! I am heading out to Malawi on June the 5th to volunteer in Open Arms Orphanage in Blantyre. I decided to go and do this through contacts at the University of Strathclyde where I work, and during the time that I am spending there I will be visiting some of the many projects that are ongoing through Strathclyde and possibly with the mind of starting my own project. Open Arms states on its website; 'Throughout Malawi, up to 74% of the population live below the international poverty line of 1.25$ a day.  Maternal mortality rates are amongst the highest in the world and about 10 women unnecessarily die each day through childbirth.  About 3 million people have no access to clean drinking water and about 11% of the population are HIV+, and1,000,000 children are orphaned. Since 1995  Open Arms has been providing love, shelter food and medical care to orphaned and abandoned children in Malawi. And that is why Open Arms exists'.

This is why I am going. Please feel free to check out their website http://www.openarmsmalawi.org/- it is truly remarkable work that they are doing, and I feel honoured to be going here to work for two weeks. I would like to make as large a donation as I can to the orphanage itself, and I also plan to buy clothes and shoes for the children from somewhere near the orphanage in order to support the local economy while giving those children some much need material items. I know that I have set a sizeable target for a six week time scale, but I am ever the optimist, and I know that there is a lot of support and kindness out there. Thank you very much for your time and support for this cause, I really can't wait to get there and start working!