Malawi, Bhubesi Pride Foundation

Ndizotheka! Make it happen! 

Bhubesi Pride Foundation (BPF) works with disadvantaged children in rural Lilongwe, Malawi to give children a chance to overcome the severe challenges they face and uplift themselves and their community. At their sports and community centre, BPF promotes their PRIDE values of Professionalism, Respect, Integrity, Discipline, and Enjoyment to the children, empowering them to work hard to rise to the economic, social, and health challenges that are sadly a part of daily life for children in Malawi. 

Overview 

Situation 

Bhubesi Pride Foundation (BPF) works in rural Lilongwe, Malawi to help children fulfil their potential and uplift themselves and their communities.  Malawi suffers from extreme poverty, with 40% of the population (19.65 million) living on less than 1 dollar a day, and 80% of the population struggling with severe food insecurity, exacerbated by the extremely high inflation rates in Malawi.  This puts immense pressure on families and communities and has detrimental consequences for children, particularly for girls.  Most girls don’t have the chance to finish high school, and almost 50% are married before the age of 18, meaning the possibilities for them to learn and achieve their potential are extremely limited.  Girls face severe gender inequality and violence on a daily basis, with 34% of women reposting cases of physical violence, and 14% reporting sexual violence.  The tough conditions faced in most communities means there is little access to healthcare services, and this causes Malawi to suffer with some of the highest rates of HIV in the world.  This problem worsened significantly following the pandemic, as Covid caused a 35% reduction in HIV testing, leading to 21,000 new infections in 2020 alone. 

Solution 

BPF runs three programs at their sports and community centre in Lilongwe to give children ways to overcome these immense challenges. Their Sport For Development program (S4D) uses rugby and netball to create positive shifts in the behaviour of children, empowering them to work hard to uplift their community. Players have an opportunity to have a bright future through the Clubs for Development & Personal Growth programme, which helps players develop social and emotional core competencies while progressing their sports skills. BPF tackles the high rates of HIV/AIDS through their Supplementary Education programme, which teaches children about HIV/AIDS & SRHR, helping young people understand these issues, improving the situation in the local community. 

See how Bhubesi Pride is making a difference in Lilongwe in their video

“I have been able to make new friends and I was one of the best players at the end of season competition! … I am so happy to be part of the program; I feel welcomed, and I believe one day I can be a great rugby player.”

Felix, aged 12 

“My change has come about because of the sessions I attended and how the Coaches encouraged us to be disciplined and respectful during sessions.”

Marvis, aged 16

“It is also our role to work for gender equality, to showcase good leaderships skills, and build teamwork among all the players, so that they can learn from us and create the changes they want in their lives.”

Coach Natasha, aged 20

“Before joining the Reconnect program I was socialised from an early age that women cannot do the same work or tasks as men…. I hope that through my work and changed behaviour my relatives can also see or learn how women and men are equal and that they should be treated in the same way”

Coach Kamisho, aged 25 

Aims 

BPF impact goal: To equip young people with skills, knowledge and experience to rise above social, economic & health challenges to fulfil their life potential & uplift themselves and their communities 

• Understanding gender – help young girls and boys understand gender and learn the importance of gender equality. 
• Planning for the future – provide young people with access to sessions on essential life skills, which are necessary to allow them to achieve a successful career. 
• Being healthy – offer SRHR services and educate young people on critical health issues of HIV/AIDS. 
• Feeling safe – create a safe space through the sports and community centre where children can come to learn freely and escape the daily challenges they face. 

How we use your donations 

• £10,000 could buy and build new laundry facilities  
• £7.5k could resurface one of the netball courts, providing a safer, better playing surface 
• £30k could fit out the upper floor of the clubhouse, helping BPF become a hub for the local community 
• £4,000 could provide a solar battery to ensure electricity to the community centre 
• £1,500 could provide a solar geyser to ensure the community centre has hot water 
• £20,000 could deliver a bus to transport players and coaches to and from the centre 

Getting Involved

At Bhubesi Pride Foundation, we are constantly striving to innovate and find new ways to engage our supporters and raise essential funds for the work we do. Whether it’s through exciting challenges like our recent Thames Walk, or sharing digital campaigns, our goal is to create meaningful experiences that connect people with our cause. We understand that impactful fundraising is about more than just donations—it’s about building a community that feels empowered to contribute to real change. By continuing to explore fresh, dynamic approaches to fundraising, we aim to not only reach our financial goals but also inspire more people to join us in supporting the youth of Malawi and beyond. Keep an eye out for our involvement with Ultra Challenges where you can get involved and support our goals.

Impact  

BPF has transformational impacts for the community and is changing the lives of nearly 2,000 young people. Through their Reconnect program they helped 1,651 boys and girls in 2022, through 1,100 integrated sports and life skills sessions. These sessions provide children with sports skills, but also key life skills which are setting them up for a better future. The Supplementary Education programme is benefitting 900 young people aged 15-25, providing essential lessons on gender equality, HIV/AIDS and SRHR. This program is crucial to the local community and is providing young people with vital SRHR services which they would otherwise not have access to. Lastly, the Clubs for Development (C4D) programme is providing employment and a career path for the local community, hiring 8 coaches who have been given training ahead of the start of the sessions with 100 players. 

With your help, BPF can continue to change children’s lives in Malawi, please donate today to make a difference!