Introduction: FOMO is a community-based
programme and has a long-term aim, to make the FOMO Mulanje
self-sufficient. The ultimate aim is for FOMO Mulanje to
be in a position to meet the needs of the orphaned children
and local community.
Our first priority, always, is to identify and feed the orphaned
children most in need. From this base we can then attend to
the children's individual needs in respect to Food Security,
Health Care, Educational Needs, Economic Propects and Emotional
Care.
 Since
the year 2000 the number of children attending the FOMO centres
has risen from 20 to over 4000. With this increase in numbers
it has been necessary to start to build an infrastructure
and FOMO has opened 10 centres in Mulanje district, Malawi.
The centres embrass about 70 rural villages and though the
centre facilities vary, the aim at each centre is to build
a structure to support FOMO's activities:
- Feeding Programme.
- Provision of Information (AIDS/HIV, Health, Legal).
- Promote Personal Health Care.
- Promote Activity (Sport, Plays, Art, Music,Youth Group
etc.).
- Promote Learning (Play schools, & Open Learning ,
Formal and Informal Education).
- Promote Life Skills.
- Promote Task Based Skills (Formal and Informal Skills
learning).
- Promote Business Entrprises.
The centres also act as a meeting point for the children
and a distribution centre for FOMO, i.e. blankets, mosquito
nets, clothes, toys and activity equipment. FOMO also supports
the children with health care, school fees and materials.
To fulfil our commitment to the children and further all
FOMO objectives it is planned to raise funds to undertake
objectives. The plan will be reviewed continually and modified
if the levels of donations don't meet expectations and/or
the children's needs change.
This page gives a brief summary of the FOMO centres, please
check out the video page as well.
Many thanks for your interest and I hope that these few pages
on the web site inspire you to join us in helping the children.
Keith Woodworth, Co Founder and Secretary for FOMO
UK
FOMO
at Gulumba
Village
- Under five's play
school
- FOMO Employees: Teachers
- A number of volunteers
drawn from the local communities help on a daily basis,
(cooking etc.).
 Feeding
programme under five's everyday and 4 times a week
for the older children. - Piped water close
by, but not connected to the centre (Bore Hole Sunk 2007
July)
- No electricity connected,
but is available close by
- Cook house and store
- Chicken coop
- Rabbit pen
- Vegetable garden
FOMO own a large house at this centre which is in need of
some renovation, but the structure is sound and is used daily
by the children.
Centre Activities are limited at the moment, but with
the completion of the new projects, the children are becoming
involved. Dancing, singing and sport play a vital role in
the centre's activities. Children
also attend the main centre, to use the library and computer
facilities.
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Picture Above: Some
afternoon activities, dance and song.
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Picture Above: The doctor examining
the children as part of the pilot health screening
and treatment at the centre.
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Picture Above: Older
children preparing the new vegetable garden at the
centre.
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Picture Above: Prayers
before the children leave for the day
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Picture Above: Digging
new Borehole at Gulumba
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Picture Above: New
pit toilets at the centre.
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FOMO at Kadewere
Village
Picture Top:
Main Building opened 2005
- Play school for
the under five's
- FOMO Employee: Teachers
- Children are fed
at the centre 4 times a week.
- A number of volunteers
drawn from the local communities help on a daily basis,
(cooking etc.).
- Electric is close
by, but not connected
- There is piped village
water to centre, this means most of the time there is no
water, but there is a bore hole close by
- Vegetable plot
- Chicken Coup
Centre Activities are limited at the moment, but they
do have a healthy youth group, that put on plays about social
issues, HIV/AIDS, prostitution, Drink drugs etc., They also
participate in sport with the other centres., Football and
netball are the preferred sports. Song and dance are also
featured at the centre.
The centre consists of a main hall, kitchen, store, office,
outside toilets and a boundary wall..
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Picture Above : Song and dance
are an important part of the general activities
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Picture Above : General
scene a the centre, wheel chairs, plates were all donated sent
via the container from the UK.
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Picture Left: This is a real problem for
the children, almost entirely girls. Girls of all ages
looking after younger siblings while the guardians work
in the fields or try to earn a substance living. FOMO
have started play schools at seven of the nine centres.
This allows the older children to go to school and join
in the other activities at the centre.
If you can help support or expand the play school programme
please contact us
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Picture Above : FOMO
has every year via the container and kind donations
of clothing provide all the children clothing, but we
do have a shortage of boys clothes and school shoes
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Above: Gardening Club |
Picture
Above: Chickens providing eggs to 3 centres |
FOMO
at Kumwamba
Village
(Main Centre)
- Under five's play
school
- Electric and piped
water plus bore hole dug in 2006 when the piped water dryed
up
- FOMO Employees:
Project Officer , security staff,
teachers, admin staff, cooks, and matron
- A number of volunteers
drawn from the local communities help on a daily basis.
- 3 phase electric
at the maize mill
- Daily feeding programme except Sundays
The main centre consists of:
- Main Office with
telephone and Email
- Library:
Though the construction of the library is completed, we
are still in the process of populating it with suitable
material. Some books were sent over last year and additional
books have gone in this year's container. This project is
on going and will need an injection of money and materials
over a number of years.
- Main Block: This
consists of a:
- Main hall used for an under 5 play
school, and for teaching sewing m/c to the older children.
- Kitchen for the
preparation of food for the children
- Emergency accommodation
block for up to 24 children, though we still need bed and furnishing for this block before it’s
fully operational
- Shower and toilet
facilities for the children
- Guest accommodation
with 2 bedrooms, bathroom and lounge. This is very basic
and requires additional furnishing.
- Outside Toilets
and security wall
- Main Food Store:
Food to be distributed to the other centres
- Chicken Egg Project:
Providing a small supply of eggs to the children
 Maize
Mill project: Providing a valuable service to the local
community and employing three people with a small income
towards FOMO activities.
Centre Activities Many activities go on at the main
centre, organised by the children and volunteers. The centre plays
host to the other eight centres, and the children are encouraged
to use the facilities at the main centre. Sporting events
are held between all the centres. We would like to duplicate
these facilities at the other centres so all the children
may benefit.
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Picture Top Left: Office, Library and
Computer room
Picture Top: Students learning the
basics of computing, the equipment is old, but if
you can help please let us know.
Picture Left: Education is one of the
cornerstones of FOMO and we can see two of the students
in the new FOMO library. If you can sponsor a child's
education please let us know
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Picture Above: Due
to the sheer numbers of children at each centre, we
need large amounts of playground equipment for all
ages. Foot and net balls, skipping ropes and play
school equipment.
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Picture
Above: Sport plays
an important part of the childrens lives. Football
and netball are played by the children even if they
only have a home made ball. Mary (right FOMO founder)
can be seen here presenting a cup to the winners of
a netball tournament held between all the centres.
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Picture Above: Play schools are an
important part of the children's development, the
children here are a bit better off than the other
centres as they have chairs; tables would be nice
as well.
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Picture
Above: Knitting, sewing and crochet are very
popular with mainly the girls
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Above: There our a number of clubs at the centre,
this is a small but budding reading club, using the
new FOMO library |
Picture Above: FOMO
cooks over 16000 meals a week and the children's contribution
is to bring a stick or two of fire wood. This all
adds up to provide sufficient fuel to cook the food.
We are hoping that some one will be kind enough to
sponsor some rocket stoves for the centres; this will
reduce the need for large amounts of fuel and reduce
the cooks’ exposure to smoke.
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Above Left: OOOH! |
Picture Above Right:
Plays are always popular
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FOMO
at Mangani
Village
- Under five's play
school
- FOMO Employees: Teachers
- A number of volunteers
drawn from the local communities help on a daily basis.
- Feeding programme under five's everyday and 4 times a week
for the older children.
- No Mains water connected
to the school
- No electric supply
A number of volunteers drawn from the local communities help
on a daily basis, (cooking etc.).
This is a new centre opened this year as an under five play
school only. Though there is a need for FOMO’s
work to expand it was felt that some consolidation of resources
and funding should be undertaken before further large commitments
could be embarked upon. FOMO is using a house provided by
the local community, which is in need of minor repair. The
centre will need decorating for use as a play school.
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Picture above: Children
outside the centre
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Picture above: Typical cooking facilities
at the centres
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Picture above: Nearest
water supply for centre shared by the local community
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Picture above: Children
in the centre with basic facilities i.e. a roof, walls
and a floor, no doors, toys etc., can you help?
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FOMO at Mikoko Village
-
- Under five's play
school
- FOMO Employees: Teachers
- A number of volunteers
drawn from the local communities help on a daily basis.
- Feeding programme under five's everyday and 4 times a week
for the older children.
- Mains water connected
to the school
- No electric supply
FOMO is renting a small building which is being used as an
under five's play school and for general stores. The older
children have use of the local school block.
FOMO has been given land and it is hoped to provide a formal
centre when funds become available.
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Picture Above: Early
days of FOMO, clothes being given out to the children
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Picture Above: Mary with the children
at the FOMO centre at Mikoko
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Pictures Above: Food,
plates and pots being given to the FOMO centre at
Mikoko
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FOMO
at Mwamadi
Village
- Under five's play
school
- FOMO Employees:
Teachers
- A number of volunteers
drawn from the local community help on a daily basis, (cooking
etc.).
- Feeding programme 4 times a week for the children.
- Village Bore hole
water provided by FOMO
- Centre has Mains Electricity
- Additional bore hole require to supply water to centre
Formal facilities now include a new centre with Main hall,
office, kitchen, toilets (New bore hole needed for running
water), study area with computers and first aid room (needs
equiping), The centre has electricity from a on site generator.
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Picture Above: Two
late comers enjoying the food and entertainment
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Pictures
Above: Song and dance are a very important
part of the centre’s
activities, above left we can see a visitor to the
project enjoying the activities
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FOMO
at Namijingo
Village
-
- Under five's play
school
- FOMO Employees:
Teachers
- No Piped water
but New bore hole fitted 2007
- A number of volunteers
drawn from the local communities help on a daily basis,
(cooking etc.).
- Feeding programme under five's everyday and 4 times a week
for the older children.
- No electricity
connected, but is available close by
FOMO have the use of a small hall and store owned by the
community which is in need of some renovation, The structure
is sound, but there is no room for expansion at this facility.
Cooking is done outside in the open.
FOMO owns land at this centre and it is hoped
to provide a formal centre when funds become available.
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Picture Top Left: Some of the children
outside the small centre,
note the centre does not have doors or windows.
Picture Left: Cooking is very basic,
but they do manage to feed over 200 children three
times a week and the play school daily.
Picture Top Right: Plays, sport, song
and dance are always popular
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FOMO
at Nansomba (Farm)
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- Under five's play
school
- FOMO Employees:
Teachers, Farm workers
- A number of volunteers
drawn from the local communities help on a daily basis,
(cooking etc.).
- Feeding programme under five's everyday and 4 times a week
for the older children.
- Bore hole water
provided by FOMO
- No electricity
connected, but is available close by
- Rabbit Project:
Start 2004 to provide meat to the children and supply rabbits
to the other centres
- Goat project :
Start 2004 to provide meat and possibly milk to the children
- A small crop of
maize, sweet potatoes and pigeon peas have been grown 2003
- 2005
Due to the work and difference FOMO has made to the children’s
lives, the local TA offered FOMO a farm in 2002 which consists
of 2.5 hectares of land and one usable building.
The building is approx. 100 metre
long and has now been subdivided into rooms to accommodate
a play school, store, office, kitchen, goat
and rabbit project. An outside toilet has also been provided.
There is a lot of potential in this facility and an opportunity
to acquire additional land. FOMO had its first small crop
of sweet potatoes and maize this year, but for the project
to meet its full potential the farm needs investment. It is
envisaged that the initial investment would be in people,
fertiliser and seed.
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Proposed plan for
the development of FOMO’s farm at Nansomba
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History:
The site at Nansomba, Mulanje district,
Malawi,
was originally farmed by an English couple, the main
crop was tobacco, but they also had a variety of farm
animals and a vegetable garden.
Following their death the farm was abandoned and
much of the land reallocated to the people in the
local villages. The central part of the farm and buildings
were left in trust to the local TA.
Present: As a direct result of FOMO’s
work in Mulanje, FOMO (Mary)
was approached by the local TA to develop the farm
for the benefit of the children of Mulanje. A meeting was held with the local TA, chiefs,
elders and interested persons from the surrounding
villages. (About 10 villages). Following long discussion
and debate it
was concluded that FOMO would be given the farm and
buildings for its own use to benefit the orphaned
children in Mulanje district.
An inspection of the farm was carried out and it
consists of:
- Approx. 2.5 hectares
of land
- One 100m x 8m
building, originally used for drying tobacco, though
the walls are sound there are no windows or doors
and the condition of the roof (leaks) is unknown.
- Two houses, one
totally derelict, and the other in need of total
restoration or demolition.
- A disused borehole
without a well head.
FOMO feel that the farm has great potential and will
become an integral part of FOMO activities in Mulanje.
It is also realised that
the farm’s development is a significant undertaking,
but the benefits to the children, local community
and FOMO is also significant. The major benefits are:
- Food production
to supplement charity purchased food for the 10
centres, (over 2700 Children).
- Child development.
Children’s pre-school education and skills
training.
- Centre for the
Provision of children’s health care and education.
- Local employment
opportunities.
- Community centre.
- Support to FOMO’s self sufficiency long term programme.
Farm Development Plan: FOMO has outlined the
major elements in ten phases for the development of
the farm. No time scale has been attached to the programme
as plans will entirely depend on the level of funding
available to meet all FOMO activities.
At the dawn of 2005, Phase One, two and three of
the plan were mostly completed or on going. Beyond
Phase Three we are now into serious money and can't
go forward until sponsorship is obtained. (You
can help, because helping does make a difference)
The Plan:
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Phase One
- Limited crop production (On going)
- Identification of children in need (On
going)
- At Dec 2003 just over 300 were attending
the site 3 times a week
- Start feeding programme
(On going - started 1st Dec 2003)
- New Borehole drilled and well head installed
---------------------------Completed
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Humanitarian
Food and care programme
on going
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Phase Two
- Employ security staff -----------------------------------------------------
Completed
- Demarcation of long building into:
- Office
- Outside toilets ------------------------------------------------------
Completed
- Kitchen --------------------------------------------------------------
Completed
- Play school ----------------------------------------------------------
Completed
- Main store ----------------------------------------------------------
Completed
- Areas for rabbit production ---------------------------------------
abandond
- Areas for chicken production
- Areas for goat production---- -------------------------------------Completed
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Infrastructure
Employment
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Phase Three
- Employ play school teachers, admin. and farm
workers --------------Completed
- Start playschool -----------------------------------------------------------Completed
- Start small scale rabbit production ---------------------------------------
abandond
- Start small scale chicken production
- Start small scale goat production -----------------------------------------Started
- Start small scale vegetable plot -------------------------------------------Started
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Infrastructure
Education
FOMO’s Self Sufficiency
Employment
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Phase Four
- Hedge perimeter of farm
- Mains water and electricity to site
- Build farm managers house
- Employ manager and additional farm workers
- Install irrigation system
- Increase scale of rabbit, goats and chicken
production
- Increase crop production
- Build secure building for truck
- Buy a small truck
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Infrastructure
FOMO’s Self Sufficiency
Employment
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Phase Five
- Build a training,
educational unit and library
- Increase teaching staff
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Infrastructure
Education
Employment
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Phase Six
- Build a wholesale outlet
- Employ staff to run wholesale outlet (via
FOMO’s network)
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Infrastructure
Local Self Sufficiency
Employment
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Phase Seven
- Build a clinic
(staffed from FOMO’s
circuit)
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Health
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Phase Eight
- Acquire additional land
- Build additional stores.
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Expansion
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Phase Nine
- Mechanisation
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Productivity
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Pictures Above: Two
boreholes were completed on at Tambala and one at
Nansomba to supply clean
water to the FOMO centres and local communities.
Picture Above Right:
Delivering food and supplies to the centre on a wet,
damp and misty day
Pictures Right: Our
first goats (Late 2004), The intention is to build
up a herd of goats, initially for meat, but later
for milk production. As the facilities improve at
the other centres, it is proposed to start herds at
each of the more rural centres, i.e. Tambala, Mikoko
& Mangani
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.FOMO
at Tambala
Village
-
- Under five's play
school
- FOMO Employees:
Teachers
- A number of volunteers
drawn from the local community help on a daily basis, (cooking
etc.).
- Feeding programme 4 times a week for the children.
- Village Bore hole
water provided by FOMO
- Centre has Electricity provided by a generator,
- Additional bore hole required to supply water to centre
Formal facilities now include a new centre with Main hall,
office, kitchen, toilets (New bore hole needed for running
water), study area with computers and first aid room (needs
equiping), The centre has electricity from a on site generator.
Photo Left. Boy showing off his home
made ball, (Soccer balls needed)
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Picture Above: Tambala Village
is in the rural heart of Mulanje
District, the road system is a little precarious even
in the dry season. The FOMO truck on its way to deliver
food to the centre.
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Picture Above: FOMO
was lucky enough to obtain funding to install a bore
hole in the centre of the village.
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Pictures Above: New
Centre Opened June 2007
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Picture Above: Mary with some of the
children attending the centre (new dresses)
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