Help These Students Build a Better Future -Malawi

Help the students from Tithandizane Youth Support Organisation (Balaka, Malawi) continue learning marketable and useful welding skills. We are raising $500 USD to buy the equipment and tools they need to restart and run the class in 2020.


Students learning how to weld when the class was still running.


In September of 2019 two volunteers came  to Tithandizane Youth Support Organisation  (TIYSO) and taught 15 highly-motivated local students how to weld. Unfortunately their time in the area is now over and they had to take back their equipment. At the moment, all lessons have now stopped.

These lessons provide students with skills they can use to build and repair their homes as well as become gainfully employed. In a region where most people earn under $2 a day, having an education and marketable skills can be the difference between having enough money for food, shelter, and school fees or having to go without.

Who is Spearheading this Project?



Lukas (age 10) on the right and  brother Nico (age 8 on the left)
The next generation of Change-makers!

Lukas and Nico are two American/German boys born in Rome, Italy who now live in Lilongwe, Malawi with their parents who aim to help in the food aid and education sectors. This project is Lukas's idea and his wish this holiday season is for family, friends, and wonderful "strangers" to give a little hope to the students in Balaka, Malawi so they may start welding again.

Lukas writes:

"I want to help because I wanted to make a difference and make sure that the students in Balaka have the same  opportunities and items etc. like I have at school."

Together they are working with Aubrey Duwa, the Malawian manager of the NGO, Tithandizane Youth Support Organisation and Marlou Reiding, the NGO's founder.

Marlou writes:

"TIYSO is for vulnerable youths between 15-30 years of age. We support the youths to finish school but also help those who are not going to school anymore so that they do not end up on the street. The activities we offer are based on their wishes and needs. We offer tech classes like carpentry, computer, tailoring and welding but also library, part time teaching, youth meetings, small loans and many more activities. We also find it important to do together with the youths something that gives back to the community with projects like cleaning the town, etc. We also recently started a farm so we can teach the youths about agriculture. The aim of the organization is to make families and youths more independent with a little help, support, knowledge and skills at TIYSO. TIYSO is for many youths now a second safe home where they can be a child again and work on their future."

And I'm Lukas and Nico's Mom, Kristen Palana , UN consultant and university professor who recently moved to Malawi. I founded Aura's House , a grassroots website that existed long before Kickstarter, Gofundme, etc. Since 2004, we have raised over $125,000 (in our so-called spare time) for health, education, housing, and income generation projects for needy families in developing countries. Lukas and Nico have been helping me fund-raise since they were babies (see videos ) and now are old enough to want to do their own projects. Since having moved to Malawi in July of 2019, we've raised funds for a school as well as for a family and village. See both projects here .

Students learning how to weld when the class was still running.

How You Can Help:
We aim to raise a total of $500 to fund the welding class and purchase equipment, supplies, and tools.

In return for your contribution, you will:

Have the most amazing feeling of having helped not just these students, but also the entire community.  (Ahhh, feel that lovely karma!) 

All funds raised (minus credit card processing fees) will be used towards the equipment, supplies, and tools to run the class.  We'll post the receipts of supplies here once we get them and keep you posted with text and photo updates.

Your contribution will have a tremendous impact!
 

Other Ways You Can Help:
There's more than one way you can help us with this.  Yes, donating even just $5 is amazing, but there are also ways that won't cost a cent:  

Spread the word!  Share this story with your friends via email, Facebook, Twitter - anything will do!  Tell your classmates, your family, your soccer team, your ski club - tell everyone!

Thanks in advance for helping the students of Balaka as well as helping the next generation of change-makers learn what it takes to help others in need! Because of you, miracles DO happen.

Sincerely,
Lukas, Nico, Kristen, Aubrey, and Marlou

Students learning how to weld when the class was still running.