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A bit about Ruarwe...

 
  

...and its surrounding villages

The Area

Ruarwe is a small fishing village located along the shores of lake Malawi. It is an extremely poor part of the country and suffers from lack of infrastructure: there are no roads, no power grids and extremely limited phone reception.

It was therefore chosen in order to promote much needed community development in an extremely impoverished part of north Malawi, and to generate a healthy, educational environment in a region where access to resources and funding are inadequate.

Phunzira's development projects in Malawi are targeted at Ruarwe and its surrounding areas: Khondowe, Bunga and Banda (Nkhata-Bay North Region).

Education and Community

There are two secondary schools and a number of primary schools in the area that are in great need of educational support, since the majority are overcrowded, underfunded and grossly understaffed.

There is a high level of enthusiasm from the local communities for educational initiatives that are open to all.

There is keen support for projects supporting both the continuity of academic education and of learning as a life long pursuit.

The population in and near to Ruarwe would greatly benefit from the accessibility of free information covering basic life skills specific to the area.

Ruarwe is an extremely poor part of the country, hence nearby communities would greatly benefit from any work generated by Phunzira whilst fulfilling its objectives in the area.

The willingness of the local communities, schools and committees to participate in our projects would enable them to reach their full potential and ensure their long-term success as community-run initiatives.
 

Health Needs

Until recently, villagers have had to travel exceptionally long distances, usually by foot, just to seek basic medical attention. As a result, many people are falling sick and in some cases dying of otherwise treatable diseases such as malaria, diarrhoeal disease and respiratory tract infections. The majority of disease falls into the category of communicable, maternal, perinatal and nutritional.

HIV/AIDS is a complex and sensitive issue and as such is a great challenge for Phunzira. The majority of the local population are unaware of their status and there is a high level of fear and stigmatisation surrounding the disease.

Until the recent opening of Ruarwe health centre pregnant women were either required to walk 5 hours to the nearest health centre for any antenatal care services. Another area of focus is nutrition. This is especially important in the under 5's group and women of reproductive age where the consequences of poor nutrition can be devastating.

The lack of infrastructure in the area makes accessing health services extremely difficult and its remote position means there has been little development in the area of health education, which is essential to empowering communities to live healthier lives.

Sustainability


Finances:

All projects initiated by Phunzira are designed to be financially self-sustainable in the long-term, so that they can be run entirely by local communities without economic dependence on external individuals or organisations.

All initiatives are constructed to become spaces belonging to the community and driven by its needs - local involvement in the design and operation of these initiatives is key to meeting Phunzira's overall objectives. 		 
   

Energy and Materials:

Roughly 90% of Malawi's energy needs are satisfied by wood fuel, 45% of which comes from non-sustainable sources. Renewable energy sources are key to the sustainability of our projects and the impact they have on their surrounding environment.

Solar energy is currently our preferred choice since PV panels consume little physical space, they are guaranteed for approximately 10 to 15 years and they are relatively efficient in their electrical output. However, Ruarwe's many rivers and waterfalls also introduce the potential for hydroelectricity.

Phunzira likes to promote compost areas (including compost toilets) - the liquid and solid waste will be stored, treated and used either as a fertilizer for some of the non-food crops grown in the gardens, or mixed with solid biowaste to enhance soil condition. In the longer-term biogas is also created from the compressed waste, which may be converted to electric power if the demand should arise.

All materials bought by Phunzira (including solar panels) will be purchased or manufactured from the north of Malawi in order to boost the local economy.

People:

In the short-term Phunzira will fulfill its objectives by sourcing international volunteers to assist with educational and health-related initiatives. In the longer-term representatives from the local community will be selected to receive relevant training, so that all of Phunzira's projects can eventually be managed and maintained by the community alone.

For all Phunzira initiatives that require a short or long-term labour force, at least 70% will be unskilled and sourced directly from the areas around Ruarwe in order to promote the acquisition of new skills within our catchment areas. 

 

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