About Itatu Orphan Care

I traveled to Malawi last summer to teach mathematics to teachers. During my stay in that country I was touched by the beauty of the landscape and the people. Upon returning to Canada I couldn’t get Malawi out of my mind or my heart.

After a lot of thought and discussion with colleagues in Malawi, I decided that I wanted to form a closer relationship with this place of tremendous beauty and persistent hardship. Of course I value education and believe it to be the key to a successful and peaceful society. I learned that because elementary education in Malawi is now free many children register for school. The schools are full at the beginning of the school year but enrollment quickly decreases as children become unable to attend school. Children are often forced to stop attending elementary school because they are suffer from hunger and related illnesses that impede their learning.

I have decided to start a Day Care for orphans. This home will be a place for orphaned children between the ages of 8-12 to come for two meals a day. The children will also receive some tutoring after school. At this point, because the funding is coming solely from my pay cheques, I can only support eight orphans. These children live with extended family and will not sleep at my Orphan Care home. It is my hope that in providing food to these children I can relieve the financial burdens placed on their caregivers. Often grandmothers, aunts and uncles care for up to twelve orphaned relatives.

At this point I have purchased the staple foods, maize and beans, for the year. Surprisingly this cost only $500 for the eight children for a year. I have secured a home which I will rent. We will raise chickens and plant a garden to supplement the food we will buy at the market. In the future I hope to buy some goats which we can use for milk.

I am very nervous and excited about this project. I hope someday it will grow and I can support more children but I know that the people of the village are grateful for the assistance I can provide.

The name of the project will be “Itatu Orphan Care.” The word “itatu” is the word for three in Chichewa, the local language. This orphan care would not have come to be if not for the three Jennifers involved: a baby girl named after me born in October of 2007 died of malaria on Christmas day; and my close friend Jennifer died from cancer 2 years ago leaving a small child without a mother.

This orphan care is intended to honour the memories and lives of these Jennifers who could have become so much more.