About MACS

MACS  has been working in Malawi since 1993.  This lovely land is among the poorest ten countries in the world.  We work in partnership with local people on education, health and community projects in the rural areas, where the needs are greatest. We require local support for our projects. Where possible, the community will provide a proportion of the materials for buildings.

History

MACS was founded by the late Margaret Parr, who had been Headmistress of St Michael’s Girls Secondary School at Malindi.  The first trustees to join her were Anthea Griggs, Sally Huband and Bishop Donald Arden, all of whom had worked in Malawi for some years. Since then, MACS trustees have been people who developed a love for Malawi through working there, or as a result of joining MACS or school visits to the country.

How MACS works

Typically, trustees wait for applications to arrive from institutions within the Dioceses of Upper Shire and Lake Malawi. The applications, signed off by the Diocesan Project Officers, are then scrutinised by our Project Officer, and the proposed costs are considered. Every two months, trustees meet either online or in London to consider all the applications presented. Once a project has been approved, it is given a project number and our Malawi Representative is advised. When he is able to travel, Mr Tione will visit the project site with a member of the Diocese. They will discuss with community leaders what is expected of them in terms of opening a dedicated bank account, providing community support, and adopting a phased approach to building, with regular inspections of the work and receipts. In the case of a one-off project where outside contractors carry out the work, such as the drilling of a borehole, the installation of solar pumps or panels etc, the process may vary. However, our representative is always checking what is going on and reporting back to the Project Officer. Once a project is completed, a final visit from the representative is essential before the project is signed off as complete.

There are times when MACS is able to work directly through other charities with similar aims. For example, we have supported training in palliative care nursing through Ndi Moyo.

Recently, we supported a programme in Blantyre district training women to support the health of young girls. This was done through Seedsowers International.