Home of Hope

Living

The Village lies at the heart of Home of Hope, accommodating both children, staff and teaching staff. The younger children are raised in small household dormitories by a devoted House Mother/care giver. This House Mother is their primary caregiver, providing daily nutrition, care and love. Once they reach adolescence, the children move into more independent dormitories to be given more responsibility. There is a water tank fed by a maintained stream to provide clean water for the whole of the Village and a guest house for visiting volunteers.

The Village is a hub of activity, where children get involved in the day to day chores and play. Children can be found playing football, netball, building dens and colouring in under the shade of the trees.

Educating

Education is provided from Nursery to Secondary level. Over 750 children gain an education through the Home of Hope. This includes children living at the Home and, through the Outreach Program, children from surrounding villages whose families may otherwise not be able to afford secondary school fees.

The Nursery and Preschool students attend classes each morning, playing, singing and beginning to learn English through songs and games.

The Primary and Secondary schools follow the Malawi Education Curriculum, studying subjects such as Chichewa, English, Life skills and History. At the end of Forms 2 and 4, all students sit national examinations, which can lead them to further study at College or University. The education that the Home provides prepares the children to live independently once the Form 4 examinations have been passed.

The Primary and Secondary Schools have now both gained Government support, with the Government providing staff. The HOH must provide accomodation for the teachers and their family.

Nourishing

Home of Hope has three areas of farmland which provide for the children and staff: a garden immediately outside the walls of Home of Hope and two separate larger farms. The garden includes several fish ponds and each grow a variety of crops, including maize, beans, bananas and mango. Chickens and goats are kept for meat, and two recently acquired milking cows provide milk to have each morning.

A mill inside the Village enables the production of maize flour, and has created local employment and a source of income through renting it to local villages to to grind their maize in to flour.

Providing medical care

The Home of Hope village also has a clinic which treats both children at the Home of Hope and patients from surrounding villages. They provide medical check ups, malaria treatment as well as monitoring and giving medication to children with HIV/AIDS. The clinic also runs an outreach programme providing baby milk formula to new mothers.

Equipping young Malawians

2023 saw the development at the Home of a Vocational Centre in order to further prepare and equip the children for an independent life through gaining the required skills for employment. The Centre is approved by the Malawian Ministry of Labour and offers four courses: Metal Fabricator, Bricklaying, Carpentry and Tailoring & Design. All students are Home of Hope graduates meaning they can leave Home of Hope with independence and the ability to gain employment.

For more information about Home of Hope, please see www.homeofhopechildrenshomemw.org/

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