Working through World Vision NZ, the College was pleased to recently donate 165 kg of obsolete Saint Kentigern uniforms to our partner school in Chigodi, Malawi. The partnership with the school is an initiative led by Service Coordinator, Mr Mark Robinson who visited the small village last year and witnessed their hardship first hand. After years of devastating drought and more recent flooding, this landlocked African country is one of the poorest worldwide and in need of life-changing support. Chigodi has become the World Vision 40 Hour Famine focus project for the College for the next three years.

The uniforms were remainder stock after a recent change of fabric and style for some of the College clothing items. Former House t-shirts, sports uniforms and senior boys’ formal shirts were all donated by the College to be shipped by World Vision for distribution to the high school students in Malawi.

For those who do not own much in the way of clothing, the uniforms were all gratefully received. When World Vision delivered the consignment, there was a huge amount of excitement as the students unpacked and tried on their new clothing; later banding together on the school field to spell out an enormous ‘Thank you’ for our donation.     

Saint Kentigern has had a long and significant relationship with World Vision and has been one of the top fundraising schools in the country for a number of years. Through World Vision, the College has already been able to make a worthy difference to Chigodi School and its community. In 2014, we provided 125 goats to the school which has helped to vastly improve the students and their families’ health, nutrition and quality of life. Most importantly, the livestock has provided the basis for on-going, sustainable income.

Service to Malawi

Our partnership with World Vision and the Chigodi community has also created a special service opportunity for some of our older students. During the July holidays this year, a group of students from Years 10, 11 and 12 will be taking a 19 day trip to Malawi, with six of those days assigned primarily to work at the two schools in Chigodi.

In addition to their service component and seeing aid work in action, the students will also be climbing Malawi's highest mountain, the Mulanje Massif, visiting a game reserve and exploring Malawi.

Through their visit, the students will gain a fuller understanding of the hardships faced in an impoverished nation and the difference that can be made to those whose needs are greater than our own when we offer time, resources and new opportunities to help improve the quality of life. We look forward to hearing their impressions when they return.

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