PLANNING OUR FUTURE

IN BRIEF:

LIVINGWAY EDUCATION is already

showing the way in sustainable

activity leading towards self-

reliant community action. In

order to grow from this base, it

will need to ensure a robust

electricity supply as well as

widening its income source. To do

this LWE has identified short,

medium and long term objectives

and explained the need to seek

additional funding.

Jamie Jamieson

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LIVINGWAY EDUCATION Guest House

www.sentafrica.org

LIVINGWAY EDUCATION

Planning for the future

The concept of sustainable development has sometimes missed the goal of

provoking self-reliance. That is, while being concerned to act protectively towards

the future, and maintaining interventional vigour, the goal of enabling the recipient

of development to own the process has been often overlooked.

To work in a way that partly overcomes this deficiency LIVINGWAY EDUCATION

brought an educational intervention that is enabled through the creation of an

income stream. The intervention involved community leaders at a grass-roots level

from the outset, and encouraged an inclusive attitude towards the contribution of

organisational direction.

Discussions held at LWE among community leaders

The initial concept was of a guest house providing income so that teacher CPD might

be carried out autonomously and without influence from outside interests

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(especially ‘donor’ interests). This expanded to allow community interests to be

served by community leaders who could build social capital and facilitate skills

exchange which in turn would boost economic capacity. This has been carried out in

our RealAid programme.

LWE grounds being used by church and youth groups.

The guest House and grounds is one income stream. Another potential income

stream may be found with the addition of a Hammer Mill. For this we need a robust

electricity supply.

Another need for the guest house, and the groups who are using the site, is a

borehole from which clean drinking and washing water might be obtained. At

present the guest house uses water drawn from the fresh-water lake to allow

washing and to fill toilet cisterns. Water for drinking is brought up from the village

around half a kilometre away.

Most of the building work has been completed at LIVINGWAY EDUCATION but there

is still work to be done on the reception area. It is up to roof level but needs a roof,

plastering, glazing and painting.

Left side (reception) needs a roof. Right side (Hall) is complete

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The manager for LIVINGWAY EDUCATION has been using a car to carry out the

business of the NGO but the car has recently broken down to the point where

further work would no longer be economical. It has been suggested that the

majority of his current work could be carried out were he to have a motor-bike.

The next two pages give details of the costs involved in these medium term

objectives we believe are essential for LWE to operate successfully.

Medium – term objectives: the cost

Electricity

Our first need for funding is to have a solution to our need for power. There are

really only two options. Escom mains supply and a solar solution.

Solar: We have already tried to power the site with an array of four solar panels

linked to four large batteries. The system proved almost useless within a few

months. Even when working at capacity it only provided .6 KW per hour for a few

hours after the sun went down. It would last a little longer if only lights were used.

We needed a more robust system. Most of the wiring and plastic fixtures are

already present but we need to be sure that any solar solution was capable of

providing a draw of 10 kw per hour during the day and up to half of that during the

evening. 1 KW would be needed through the night. We have one quote of £32,000

for putting in such a system

Escom: The cost of setting up a transformer and putting us on the mains would be

around 15 million Mk (£15,000). This would enable LWE to carry out all the

activities necessary for its RealAid programme, the teacher CPD and activities

planned by groups hiring our facilities.

Hammer Mill

It would be possible to use the current store room for the location of the mill. We

would need to install a suitable electricity supply for this to become a reality. There

are about 5000 inhabitants in the surrounding villages who would benefit from a mill

located closer to where they live on the LWE site.

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We have a suitable building to site a hammer-mill. The machinery would cost only

around £500. However, operating the mill hinges on whether we can have a

supply of electricity (solar or mains). We can only buy a hammer mill AFTER we

have mains or solar electricity installed. We could use the generator, but the

running costs would be too high.

Borehole.

We really need a borehole on the site. Even one that is operated manually like the

one in the village. One other NGO was getting a borehole drilled for 3.1 m MK

(£3,100). If we could get an electricity supply a submersible pump would be a good

solution. We also need a water tank for the borehole water.

Roof on reception

The completion of the building project has been estimated to cost around 3 -4

million Malawian Kwacha (£3-4,000). I think this is likely to be a low estimate and

we ought to budget for at least 5 m Mk (£5,000). While we have a large hall, small

meeting rooms and an office would assist the smooth running of both the Teaching

centre and the Guest house.

Motorbike

We have to decide where this provision fits in the plan. Is it essential NOW? Or can

it wait? The initial cost of such a means of transport might be 1.2 million Mk

(£1,200). The annual running costs of the motor-bike may be as much again.

It could be done in the next few months – even a year. but it would mean that

other short term projects may be pushed back because it increases running costs. It

is definitely a medium term objective but what is the priority? (see table).

As stated before the bike brings with it higher running costs. It moves annual

expenditure up to 4.5 million Mk (£4,500) per year, and this is without increasing

our income. It is why I think we need to get the electricity and the hammer mill

before we look for a bike.

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Vehicle

The plan of having a mini-bus or another car is definitely a long term objective. This

would require us to seek additional funding for both the initial cost and the

maintenance. Possible 5 -15 m Mk (£5,000-£15,000)

Opening the Door:

Making all this possible LIVINGWAY EDUCATION (LWE) is praying for partners to

fund the activities mentioned above. Along with its parent charity SENTAfrica, and

the Methodist church in Niton LWE hopes to locate funding to complete its medium

term objectives.

Join us in this journey and pray for the work LIVINGWAY EDUCATION as it seeks to

build community capacity to overcome skills shortages, ensure food security and

encourage the professional development of teachers.

We would love to hear from those who are praying and contributing to this work.

All true development leads to self-reliance but if it is truly the work God has given us

to do it begins with prayer.

The use of the hall as a conference facility is another income stream.

___________________________________________________________

If you want to know more about the programmes or activities of

LIVINGWAY EDUCATION write to me, Jamie Jamieson,

at info@sentafrica.org

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TABLE OF PRIORITIES

Priority Short Term Next three months

Medium term In the next two to five years

Long term After two years maybe Looking at five years’ time

1 Solid financial accounting No cost

Electricity installation

Solar 40 m MK (install)

Escom 5 - 15 m Mk Then .25 m Mk per month

(3m Mk per year)

2 Salaries .25 m Mk per month 3 m Mk per year Fuel to run generator Variable

Borehole .3 m Mk or 3.1 m Mk

3 Hammer Mill .5 m MK

4 CPD session .1 m MK 2 x per year = .3.m MK per year Skills seminar.1 m MK 1 x per year = .1.m MK per year

Bike 1 m MK purchase .1 m MK per month (1.2 m MK per year) maintenance. Fuel will add to this.

Vehicle 5 -15 m MK (cost) .15 m Mk per month or 1.8 m Mk (maintenance)

5 Funding (Urgently needed) Requires SENTAfrica in UK to write funding applications

Roof on reception 3 - 3.5 m Mk

Running costs

3.3 m MK per year 7.2 m Mk per year 9 m Mk per year

Capital costs

0 23.1 m MK 5 m Mk

Support Read article written by Dudley and Jamie

Understanding of self-reliance objectives and principles.

Partially funding activities through Funding partners & LWE income streams.

Funding all activities through income streams

RealAid Increasing communication between community leaders

Plans made for RealAid seminars & Skills transfer

Meetings of community leaders to discuss skills; health; education; agriculture.

Measurable increase of social capital and economic well-being recorded through research.

CPD MoU with DEM over CPD

Plan meetings with PEA

Reports on activities Targets set for development

Completing articles on community action on development issues.

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SENTAfrica & LIVINGWAY EDUCATION

Contact:

Email; info@sentafrica.org or jjuphill@gmail.com Directors

Tel: Yunusu Banda (Malawi) +265 881 364673

Write to: PO Box 56; Full Gospel Church of God;

Chipoka; Malawi.

Tel: Jamie Jamieson (UK) +44 (0)1983 852678

Write to: 151 High Street; Ventnor; Isle of Wight; PO381LZ www.SENTAfrica.org

SENTAfrica -Bank Details:

Acc. No. (for UK donors) 33036060 Sort code 30-95-99