By Isaac Salima:
I had just arrived in the newsroom to put pieces together and plan how my day would look like.
My phone vibrated from the pocket. It was the receptionist calling.
I ignored the call because I had in mind that it could be a visitor who needed my attention.
It has become a norm that whenever there is a visitor at the reception requiring our services, the receptionist calls my number.
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My phone continued ringing and I reluctantly picked it.
“There are visitors requiring your assistance, the receptionist said.
I reluctantly made my way downstairs to the reception to meet the strangers.
There came a mother and her 12-year-old boy. The mother said her son, who was in Form 1 at St Patrick’s Secondary School in Chiradzulu, was looking for tuition fees.
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“We have a balance of K130,000 and this term, we are also looking for K330,000, so we are asking well-wishers to help. Others told us to come here so that you may assist us by publishing the news,” the mother from Ndirande Township said.
She looked helpless and desperate.
I was moved by their situation and wrote the story which was published on Times 360 Malawi Facebook page.
Upon seeing the story, a treasurer at Reach out Foundation (ROF), Jean Chilinda, contacted me and asked for details of the mother which I provided.
The next day the boy was back in school.
“We have sourced funds and have made part payments of the school fees. We have committed to pay for his school fees and other needs until he finishes his education,” Chilinda said.
The foundation is one of many organisations and individuals who have been responding swiftly whenever we publish a story of someone looking for support.
Almost every day, Times Group offices in Blantyre welcome people in desperate need of financial support.
If it is not school fees then it is for medical bills.
Relying on contributions from individuals and funding from well-wishers, ROF consists of about 300 members.
It has since responded to close to 10 stories that we have published on our social media platforms.
Without reliable support and driven by zeal to make a difference, the members took it upon themselves to ensure that the little they have is channelled towards charity initiatives.
“Our journey began with a group of individuals, each driven by the same passion to empower others. Over time, our collective efforts have grown, enabling us to support over 50 secondary students with fees, groceries and transportation while also assisting others in their pursuit of higher education and career aspirations,” Chilinda said.
ROF has constructed houses for the vulnerable and continues supporting many.
“It is a challenge because sometimes resources are not available; but we just have to do it. If not us who will do it? Little by little, we can change the world if we take this direction,” Asante Mtalimanja, the foundation’s board chairperson, said.
Social media platforms have become a sure way people who are physically miles from each other can meet and address a problem.
Dedza-based social media influencer Gerald Kampanikiza has been using his Facebook page to mobilise resources to help others.
Almost every day, Kampanikiza posts stories about predicaments and challenges that some people pass through.
Upon seeing such posts, people contribute money which is channelled to those in need.
“My motivation comes from my humble background. I know and understand what it means to lack something and someone to come to your rescue.
“When I wake up every day, I am always motivated to change someone’s life for the better through each possible way that can be used,” Kampanikiza says.
Kampanikiza is delighted that his Facebook page is impacting people’s lives positively.
“Thousands of students have been assisted with school fees through the pace. Poor families have had their stories changed. People have connected with relatives they thought they would never see,” he says.
Kampanikiza adds that he always ensures that every penny is used for the intended purpose and that a breakdown of receipts and expenses is given to the benefactors.
Education rights activist Benedicto Kondowe has asked Malawians to continue supporting one another.
“Some parents have bright children, but cannot ably support them to further their education. It is incumbent upon us in communities to lend them a helping hand,” Kondowe said.
