November 10, 2022
Dear Friends of Bridges to Malawi,
Giving Tuesday is rapidly approaching and we hope you will remember us when it comes time to donate this year. Our organization relies entirely on the generosity of donors like you, and we spend 100% of your donated money directly on our projects. All administrative costs are paid for by our board members.
2022 has been a particularly difficult year in Malawi because the rains started late and ended early, leading to an ongoing famine affecting the entire country. In addition, there has also been a serious cholera outbreak. Both of these problems are expected to continue until at least May of 2023. Bridges
to Malawi has diverted funds from our projects and raised extra money to help combat these two serious troubles.
To help prevent cholera, we have increased our water source chlorination efforts so that instead of protecting 150,000, we are now protecting 530,000. Although the cholera rate has been increasing elsewhere in Malawi, there have been no cases where we work, AND we are the only organization (government or otherwise) providing this service in the Kasungu District. This cost us an additional $3,000 so far, but we will need $8,000 to continue this life saving protection through to May 2023.
After distributing the complete content of Cindy’s House (our grain storage facility), we then spent $3,000 on famine mitigation efforts, mostly purchasing and then distributing badly needed protein fortified food. Thus far we have been able to support about 4500 people in need. Our Malawian colleague, Peter Minjale, estimates that an additional $100,000 may be necessary to effectively combat this problem in the Kasungu East District alone.
Despite the above, we have still accomplished a tremendous amount thus far in 2022 as we have continued to advance our programs.
Below is a brief list outlining the status of some of our programs.
- Chicken Pass-On
- 1000 donated to 200 households benefiting about 1400 people
- Goat Pass-On
- 579 donated. Estimated 2,700 farm families benefited with over 15,000 goats
- Beekeeping
- 126 beneficiaries in 8 villages
- Production: 12 kg (about $60) yield per farmer harvesting every 2 months.
- 5th harvest ongoing (avg per capita income Malawi $550)
- Dairy Project
- Herd: 71 cows, including 9 at Kadsikizi, 13 pregnant by sex semen AI at present
- Total beneficiaries: 62
- Total calves born: 31 (19 females/12 males)
- Production: Avg 13 Liters Milk per day (current price $0.95 per liter). Farmers also making and selling
- Yogurt on a regular basis
- Cows and Ploughs
- 43 Cows 7 Villages 1400 people benefit
- 5 Magoye Rippers and 10 traditional plows
- Laptops
- Donated to 10 schools (2 are on the grid, so didn’t need solar)
- Total: 111 laptops, averaging 10 per school. Over 1650 students have benefited
- Schools Solar Powered
- 9 Total (8 secondary and 1 primary)
- Land Lease Beneficiaries
- Current: 48 farmers (approximately 330 people)
- Overall total beneficiaries since project began: 640 families (approximately 4200 people)
- 80% have bought their own land
- 94% have graduated from the program since they no longer need assistance
- Micro-Credit Loan Beneficiaries
- Current: 150
- Total since project inception: 670 families (4690 people) avg loan $25, payback rate 98%
- WELLO Waterwheels
- Donated all 700
- Ultrasound devices
- Donated 6 Total, including 4 Butterfly IQs
- Hydroponic Systems
- 1 demonstration project so far.
- Reforestation Groves
- Total trees planted since 2017: 330,000 (not including 390,000 more in process for 2022)
- Total number of villages/groves: 130
- Bamboo Groves
- Total planted: 8800 (3800 from seed 2019 and 6,000 seedlings in 2020)
- Total number of village/groves: 17
- Artemisia Plants
- Donated total 4200 in 90 villages. Malaria rates have decreased in these villages from
To donate, please visit our Donation page.
Thanks again and Happy Holidays!
Sincerely,
Brian Lisse
