Karonga Thrives

The Ruvuwo cooperative needs to build a community building to provide trades education and sell local produce.

Malawi is a small country in Eastern central Africa. While other countries have struggled to find peace, Malawians have created a politically stable democracy where most lives are free from violence. However, most people there are stuck in deep poverty. Cuts to USAid and damage from climate change have been disastrous, leading to crop failures, and shortages of food, fuel and HIV medication.

Ruvuwo may be in one of the poorest parts of Malawi, but it's rich in community spirit. People really come together there. The cooperative plans to build a community-owned building including:(1) a vegetable market where the cooperative can sell produce to passing travellers (the women who planned this can be viewed above)(2) a welding school and shop where youth can learn a trade and build useful, beautiful things. (welding photos above)

(the building plan is in the photos above too)

How did this fundraising effort happen? Amy met Stanley Gondwe in 2022 while she was working for an education NGO and Stanley, a former solar installer, was working as a mountain guide. Amy was able to help Stanley attend a welding trades school, and also helped his wife Liness travel to South Africa for work. Together, they arranged for Stanley's home cooperative to get a fishing license and tools. But once Stanley was done welding school, instead of joining his wife Liness in South Africa, most likely as a migrant labourer, Stanley has decided to return home to help his community.

Stanley's community has assembled to build the trades school and market pictured above with their own labour, including the stones for the foundation! (seen here, assembled with the help of community kids) All they need are some more modern building materials, like concrete for the foundation, and wiring for the hydro-powered welding system. (powered in part by a DIY hydro plant near Manchewe falls, indicated in the photos above)

Given the local volunteering, the difference in buying power, and the lack of resources, donations from North America and other rich countries can go a long way in Malawi. We can help this community build its own market and trades school!

Over the course of this campaign, the cooperative will be documenting the steps, in case people are curious. But right now, people are ready to start work during the cool seasons, between harvests. I'm going to send what we can collect by July 15th

No donation is too small! Every person helps.