They were in darkness for 12 hours every day
2023 Hurry Bolt Solar Lamp
December 2023
Solar light donations came to £3,193 – another fantastic effort by Jill! Depending on the model, they cost 8,000-18,000 Malawian Kwacha (£3.75-£8.50).
Distributing the Solar Lights:
December 2022
Solar lights were distributed to Fr Steven of St Joseph parish Karonga, Fr Alfred of Kanyama parish and Fr Michael of Changoima parish. lclick the links to see the photographs.
December 2021
Dear Malawi Team 29.12.2021
Glorious Christmas greetings to Malawi twin trustees and the entire donor community!
We are glad to give an account of the solar lantern funds that the trustees gave us for the solar lanterns project. The beneficiaries were identified by the Parish executive team (Priests, Catechists and other lay leaders). The process of identifying the neediest started in early December before we received the funds. Soon after receiving the funds, three parish executive members (Parish chairperson, treasurer and assistant priest) were commissioned to purchase the lanterns which were later distributed to the beneficiaries of all four parish zones / centres. All parish executive members were also involved in the distribution process which helped to quicken the process.
We are happy to report that there are 128 families which have benefited from this year’s solar funds. These are the neediest families as it can be witnessed through the kind of their housing. Most of the houses are in miserable shape as seen in the attached photos. Poverty remains a chief contributing factor towards this sad situation.
However, the parishioners were happy to receive the lanterns at the same time we were celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ who is our saviour and the light of the nation. We, therefore, express our profound gratitude to the donor community and Malawi twin team in UK for the support which is given to us always. The solar lanterns are always important for the families as they help giving them light. They also help students to study at home during the evening hours. Thereby, helping to improve students’ class performance / success. See some beneficiaries’ photographs below:
At last, I thank the team and the entire donor community for the solar lanterns help you offer us each and every year. We don’t take it for granted. The solar lanterns are of great assistance to the parishioners as 97% in the area have no access to electricity. The solar lanterns serve them for various purposes. God bless you all.
With sincere gratitude & prayers,
Fr. Alfred (Parish Priest)
November 2021
A wonderful number of donations for our annual solar light appeal has raised the Grand total of £2241-34
November 2019
450 new solar lights
This year we have raised the fantastic sum of £4,500.00 allowing us to send £1,450 to each of our three priests.
November 2018
Following our annual appeal, we have sent £4,460 to Malawi, which has been shared between four parishes. Since we started this project in 2011 we have now sent a total of £18,491, which will have bought around 1,850 solar lights. We estimate an average of five persons in each accommodation, so over 9000 are likely to have benefited.
January 2018
Letter and photos received from Chiringa parish…
Dear Friends
I am sending to you some pictures following the funds you sent for the solar lights to be given to some of our needy parishioners. I did buy them and gave them to all the 84 of our small Christian communities. They also assisted us at some masses during Christmas time. The parishioners who were given one each will be assisted in their homes especially at night to give them light. We are all very very grateful to you all for the support you are giving our people at Chiringa Parish. They all asked me to extend their profound and sincerest thanks to you all because you are alleviating them from their poverty and through your commendable, great and love they are able to see the love of God on them. They all promise to continue praying for you all and ask you all to continue assisting them. They are very appreciative and never take for granted all your great and wonderful services to them Please thank all the good people there on behalf of our people here
We hope you all had great and wonderful and blessed Christmas and it is all our hope here that the New Year 2018 will be a peaceful and blessed year for you all. Keep us all in your prayers.
We were blessed on Christmas Day as the Archbishop came to celebrate Mass and the Archbishop was impressed by the way we prepared all things. We had a lot of Children from our four parishes together with so many parishioners.
Our kindest regards to you all
Fr. Charles Manyenje
January 2017
A selection of photos received from Chiringa parish following our appeal in October 2016. The lights were shared between 84 local communities.
History of the Malawi Solar Light Project
They were in darkness for 12 hours every day.
In 2010 we went to help in Malawi. We saw that they needed many things. The most touching and pressing seemed to be the need for light, safe light.
This is the light from a wick lamp burning in a mud brick hut.
This is an oil wick lamp. It causes fires, burns and smoke damaging to peoples’ lungs.
The oil is a great expense to a family. Candles are also too expensive.
This is an example of a solar light being given using the Solar Light Project funds.
They enable a family to see, socialise, study and nurse at night
The ‘Give a Family a Light for Christmas’ appeal has really struck a chord: the parish has given most generously.
The appeal started in 2013:
Solar Lights
| YEAR | £ Raised |
|---|---|
| 2018 | £4,460 |
| 2017 | £3,377 |
| 2016 | £2,844 |
| 2015 | £3,060 |
| 2014 | £2,265 |
| 2013 | £1,785 |
| 2012 | £400 |
| 2011 | £300 |
| Total | £18,491 |
The lights cost £10 each and importantly, they can now be bought locally within Malawi. This amount has bought about 1400 lights. So they are helping very many people, many with young children, to have light during their twelve hours of darkness.
We know that these lights are of great benefit from the feedback we receive from the Malawi Twin parish priests: ‘Life Changing!’ Priority is given to those in outlying areas. The lights are charged by the sun and last up to 5 years.
Your generosity is awe inspiring. We hope to repeat the appeal again next year. Thank you so much.
Jill and Roger
OCTOBER 2016
This year’s appeal raised £2,844 and again, we have shared this between the same four parishes.
NOVEMBER 2015 APPEAL
We have just completed an appeal to raise funds for more solar lights and raised £3,060
This has been shared out between four parishes. The funds have been sent to Malawi and the parish priests will purchase the lights locally. The lights will be given to families in the most remote outposts of their area where there is no electricity. The lights usually last for about ten years
About 300 families will benefit from this appeal.
THIS PROJECT STARTED IN 2013 and we have just sent £2,268. to add to the £1,785 we sent last year.
In Malawi, the day is split more or less evenly into two halves: It becomes dark from around 6pm until the sun rises at around 6am.. The people in the rural villages have absolutely no light during the night time. They are often in small homes where all the family are huddled together in one room.- with no means of seeing each other.
The solar lights we fund are a single panel which is placed on the roof during the day and a lamp for use during the dark hours. Those who receive these lights can now see to care for their children at night and socialise with their neighbours in the evening.
We received a letter from Fr Francis at Njale about the lights and this is what he wrote:
I will repeat once again what I said before. Solar light project is a very good project. Many people don’t have any light to help them at night, can you imagine staying in total darkness from six o’clock in the evening until six in the morning? I have distributed fifty solar lights to very poor households in the village. I have also distributed eight solar lights to different small Christian communities for their use during evening services. The lights I bought this year were also of good quality. When I gave out these solar lights people couldn’t believe that they can get them free of charge. They praised God for your kindness. People do appreciate these gifts. Please extend our special thanks to Roger and Jill for initiating this programme.
This is an ongoing project…
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