BY Ryan McDougall | January 11 | comments icon 0 COMMENTS     print icon print

7-MALAWI

Saying it with a big smile: Malawian schoolboy thanks Airdrie pupils for the gift of a new home

A disabled Malawian boy has been given a new home thanks to the joint efforts of Airdrie pupils and parishioners from Coatbridge.

Chikonde Mpula has been sponsored by Meghan and Carleen Friel, pupils at St Margaret’s High School, Airdrie, for six years, and the girls visit him each year.

During their visit last year, Meghan noticed his house had fallen into serious disrepair after Malawi’s rainy season and feared it could collapse while he and his grandmother were inside.

She came up with a plan to help Chikonde and drafted in support from her school and from Fr Eamonn Sweeney, parish priest of St Patrick’s Church in Coatbridge.

The two communities decided to host a variety of different fundraising events to pay for bricks and a roof and, after several months of effort, the Malawian family is now living in their new, safe home.

Fr Sweeney held two functions in St Patrick’s Hall to raise funds, and the school also contributed through a ‘sponsor a brick’ project.

Having recently received photographs from a friend of Chikonde’s family, the fundraisers were delighted to see that the house’s progress was well underway.

 

Happy response

Upon seeing the photos of Chikonde at his new home, Carleen said: “This is amazing. The best news ever—look at his wee happy face.” Her sister Meghan added: “That’s incredible. Made my Christmas.”

Chikonde has come on leaps and bounds since the St Margaret’s pupils and their family started supporting him.

He is now able to walk, goes to school and is able to help out around the house by planting crops and taking on other small tasks.

When he first met Carleen, his grandmother and carer said it was the first time they had ever seen him crack a smile.

St Margaret’s High School headteacher Stephen Snee said: “It is good to see progress and real sustainable projects growing, all building on the foundations laid over the years by our community.

“I knew that Chikonde and his grandmother needed a new house immediately and we couldn’t afford to sleep on this one.”

He said that seeing the results of the project has been ‘a real Christmas gift for our entire community.’

Leave a Reply

latest youth stories

Lunchtime Rosaries at St Mungo’s Academy go from strength to strength

January 25th, 2019 | comments icon 0 COMMENTS

A rosary initiative at a Glasgow secondary school is keeping...


Catholic history celebrated on school’s 125th

January 4th, 2019 | comments icon 0 COMMENTS

A Hamilton headteacher credited a history of Catholic values for...


Pupils with learning disabilities make friends with the elderly

December 27th, 2018 | comments icon 0 COMMENTS

Young people who have additional learning needs have spent the...


Future citizens put politicians to the test

December 14th, 2018 | comments icon 0 COMMENTS

Local politicians attended a Catholic high school in Galloway diocese...



Social media

Latest edition

P1-JAN-25-2019

exclusively in the paper

  • Scots march for life in Washington
  • Brexit NHS impact highlighted by Catholic MP and surgeon
  • Finding homes for loving children
  • Dr Paul O’reilly SJ on a recently installed homeless Jesus statue, and why laughter can be the cruellest insult
  • Competing Catholic views on fighting poverty

Previous editions

Previous editions of the Scottish Catholic Observer newspaper are only available to subscribed Members. To download previous editions of the paper, please subscribe.

note: registered members only.

Read the SCO