Our group of Celtic FC Foundation volunteers are continuing to make friends and memories in Blantyre, Malawi with their efforts making a genuine difference to the lives of the local people.

On Wednesday, the volunteers spent another day at Masalani Community Day Secondary School, where they were hard at work renovating the new classroom block.

The group quickly embraced the young people at Masalani, spending time in between painting to interact and engage with pupils and children from the surrounding areas. Fun was had by all, with the volunteers dancing, singing and learning the local language with the community that has embraced them so warmly.

After working for almost six hours, the group then headed back to the airport where the rest of their missing luggage had thankfully been located.

It was an early start on Thursday, with the volunteers leaving at 5am for a two-hour drive to John Primary School in the Chikwawa district, to see the Mary’s Meals feeding programme in action at one of our ‘67 Kitchens’. With around 550 pupils, Mary’s Meals assist the school in providing the children with what is, for most, their only meal of the day.

The group were treated to a rendition of the Malawian national anthem, before meeting the local village committee, including the Chief, who was gifted a Celtic jersey on behalf of the volunteers.

And although the entire group were moved during their time at the feeding programme, it had particular significance for Frank Davis, a member of the Preston Emerald CSC, who sponsored the Kitchen back in 2017 as part of our Lions Legacy campaign.

The volunteers then spent the remainder of the 13-hour working day on the renovation of the fourth and final classroom at Masalani.

Despite spending only a matter of days working within the school, the experiences of the group have been truly special, while the memories created will be long-lasting for the volunteers and also the children that they have encountered.

Today (Friday) the group will continue the renovation project at Masalani, before enjoying a day off on Saturday to experience another side of Africa, on a game-drive and boat safari, as they look forward to their final period in Malawi, before departing on Tuesday and arriving home on Wednesday.

Each and every one of our volunteers are doing the Foundation and the entire Celtic Family proud here in Malawi. To support the efforts of the volunteers you can make a donation HERE.