Power through knowledge...
Welcome to Expand's new website!
Expand (www.xpand.org.uk) is a new UK charity
(UK Registered Charity Number 1137120) that has been set up to help relieve poverty in some of the world's poorest countries by focusing on education and providing resources of all kinds to help give people more opportunities in life.
Our first country of operation will be Malawi, in Southern Africa.
We at Expand have extensive ties to Malawi since we started our main project, The Build Malawi Project, in 2007 with Action for the Benefit of Children (ABC).
The project is now under the auspices of Expand and will be the focus of new and fun schemes in the area; from building a sports centre to more houses for volunteers and teachers.
Please see www.buildmalawi.org and our Projects page for more information.
We have set up a JustGiving account (www.justgiving.com/expand/donate) so that we can raise money for this year's activities. For more information on how to make a donation, please see our Donations page.
We have some big donors already dedicated to this project, but we need some more adventure seeking individuals on board, either to help fundraise in the UK or come and help out here in Malawi.
Please feel free to contact project Manager Tanya Clarke, with any ideas you may have for future projects, to establish links and partnerships with Expand or even to join in the fun in Malawi.
We look forward to a prosperous 2012!
Expand is expanding!
We are in the process of finalising Expand's first ever Malawian Community Development Officer (CDO) and who will focus on getting the projects at Chisala and Chikangawa into full swing.
We have now expanded into the Mzimba District (2 hours away) and are focusing first on Chikangawa Secondary school. We have donated 3 kindles and are proposing to get some desktop and laptop computers early in 2012 from a local insurance company. We are in dialogue with the local chiefs and community members about their needs and requirements, many of which are basic, like water provision.
Monthly donations can do so much!
- £1 will plant 3 trees in the community
- £5 will buy a bag of cement E.g ten are needed at the school and ten for the clinic to complete R & M
- £10 per month will pay for a volunteer teacher's salary for a month, or buy 5 litres of gloss paint to renovate the health centre
- £25 per month will help pay for a student to go to secondary school
- £35 per month pays for DSTV at the library/resource centre for news channels and create revenue
- £70 per month runs the library at Chisala for a month
You can specify where you want your donation to go to and will do our best to make it happen.
We need to get the charity mobile! £3,000 can buy a motorbike and £7,500 can buy a single cabin pick up.
What our volunteers had to say:
Simon Tanner - Tonbridge Wells, UK
"I got involved with the Chisala school project just as things were starting in 2007. Having supported Tanya with some of the planning aspects of the project I spent around 10 days in the area using my mapping skills to survey the local village surroundings."
"It was a great opportunity to understand some of the issues facing the village and to map the local area for the school using GPS and satellite images. I couldn't have done it without the help of the community who were very welcoming and showed me around the area. I mapped the terrain and rivers, potential school routes, water pumps, nearby villages and schools to enable Expand and the new school to look at the logistics in its development."
"I also spent time with the trainee builders through the Tevet scheme coaching and testing them on the development of their new skills. It was a great experience and opportunity to use my skills to directly help such a fantastic project in such a wonderful country."
Nic Casby - London, UK: Volunteer English teacher (Aug 2010)
"I had a great experience teaching English and P.E. What makes a teaching experience in Chisala so special is there is an honest, caring community and teaching staff who are very supportive and make you feel welcomed!"
"You can make a massive difference in a short time and the kids are so keen to learn."
Gregg Freeman and Polly Buckle - UK
"We spent four magical months in Malawi volunteering for Expand."
"Seeing first hand the work that Tanya and the team have done at Chisala was truly inspiring and the opportunity to help continue their good work was life changing. We received a wonderful welcome from the local community, many of whom have become our good friends."
"With support from the teaching staff we quickly settled in to school life and discovered a wealth of areas in which we could help, from teaching algebra, to running IT workshops all the way to introducing a new dance."
"We left with strong friendships, fantastic memories and a bond with the place that will stay with us forever."
Michael Breen - UK
"It's been a few months since my return from Malawi, and I'm now beginning to realise how amazing the three months I spent in Chisala were. It's such a contrast to UK life, and continuously provides me with amazing memories. Any stress I'm feeling immediately disappears when I think of my Malawian experience...whether that be cycling through the stunning tea plantations being continously greeted by strangers, being hugged by crazy 'mommas' while playing for the local football team, or just chatting with the unique characters that inhabit Chisala. You can't help but smile."
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