With covid case numbers out of control and the vaccine a long way off, schools have closed once again.  The steering group is holding an extraordinary meeting to review available funding and see how we can extend our help on the back of updates like this one that we received from Thom's Classroom this week: I hope that this message finds you well.  It has been so confusing and hard to cope with the new cases of Covid-19 and alarming rise in deaths that have come with this  second wave of the pandemic in Malawi. Last week, two cabinet ministers succumbed to the disease which has so far claimed 285 lives as of last week only. Meanwhile, the schools are closed again and there are some crucial measures in place to follow. This is really hard times for my students especially  those who come from the poorest families... who cannot afford to buy some protective materials to protect themselves while they are at home.  If there is any way you help these little chil...

  Dear Miriam, We're delighted to receive your email, and we're very grateful for your fundraising efforts! This is so appreciated at such a challenging time for our teams in Blantyre and Mangochi. It will make an enormous difference to the children in our care at the Infant homes and for those who have been fortunate to return home, in their communities in Malawi too.  Best wishes, Grace  Click here to read the Christmas update from Open Arms Click here to see how The Sipping Point was able to raise funds for Open Arms  

Thanks to Miriam Reynolds and the wine lovers of our Watson's Malawi Partnership community, we have been able to give Open Arms £1,900 this month.  Miriam has organised a series of wine - and gin - tastings over the last couple of months and has given over all the profits to the Watson's Malawi Partnership.  She has kindly agreed to extend her sessions until March. Group sessions over zoom; DIY tasting notes for the zoom-shy or indeed, any way that suits you!  If you are interested, you can read all about here on the WMP website . And please do share these details with your friends, family and work colleagues. The  more, the merrier!

I hope that you and everyone at George Watson's are keeping safe and well. I wanted to personally thank you and the school for all your fundraising efforts and activities this year.  It has been an extremely challenging year for us all, and we relied heavily on our loyal supporters to see us through the worst of it. The support we receive from schools is part of the backbone of our organisation, and we would not be able to do what we do without this commitment.  Going forward, I'd love to keep in touch more often and find out how we can better support the school, or get more involved. Hopefully we'll be able to welcome you back to Malawi next year too! The children are now back at school, having all returned by the end of October 2020, and are enjoying a return to their routine. Our lockdown in Malawi has been a success and we are still implementing strict safety measures - the children have made incredible progress with home learning.  To find out more about how we a...

Pupils from George Watson's College are busy rescuing discarded items and carefully bringing them back to life to raise money for Watson's Malawi Partnership.  They have already raised more than £500 from two drums, one now living out its days as a coffee table and the other a wine rack; a coat rack made from old engine parts and a steering wheel redesigned to tell the time. Coming up this month, some teak pens created from the Assembly Hall stage, a shelving unit made from some cable ducting and reclaimed oak and a child's occasional store kindly donated by a Watson's parent. If you'd like to take part in an auction or find out more about the DTE Upcycling Club, take a look at the   DTE Upcycling Club website .

Following the collapse of tourism, unemployed tourism workers are struggling to cope and turning to the mountain's dwindling woodland resources to survive.  The Mulanje Mountain Conservation Trust has identified a number of projects that will employ people who have lost their livelihoods to help conserve Malawi's natural resources.  This includes setting up high altitude nurseries operated by hut watchmen.  Thanks to support for Watson's Malawi Partnership, we have been able to help them fund some new seedlings, scheduled for planting in the next couple of months. And all with the assistance of Francis, who will be well-known to anyone who has joined us for one of our annual Malawi visits. We hope to develop our partnership with The Mulanje Mountain Conservation as part of our ambition to offset all WMP-related travel emissions when we can next meet up. As soon as we possibly can.

Allow me to say a huge thank you for the donation you have sent to my school, especially during this hard time of Covid-19.  The schools are reopening this early September and this money is going to help me to purchase some protective equipment for the kids such as masks and soaps. It takes kindness, time and humility to think of us in Malawi and I don't take it for granted. May God bless. Much love, Thom