December 20

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December 20, 2010 Issue No. 12

In this issue Hit Counter

With Help of $21,000 Rotary Grant We Drill Three Boreholes in Malawi

Oasis of LifeNets School Opens

Rice Project near Mzuzu

Livelihood Development Success: A Rest House on Lake Malawi

Greetings!

Thank you for your time to view this eNews that features four projects in Malawi. The work of LifeNets is done by our many enthusiastic volunteers who are passionate about doing something that makes a qualitative difference in the lives of the the disadvantaged. We want to thank everyone who gave money, time, wrote thank you letters, delivered wheelchairs, sponsored a student, traveled for us or did something wonderful that we don't even know about. That's the kind of organization that LifeNets is and we thank everyone who fits into this mosaic.

We just mailed out our year-end newsletter and for the fourth straight year we sent an annual calendar to our donors that features a different project each month. You can see the calendar and this newsletter as well as an archive of all our newsletters at www.lifenets.org/newsletter.

As we look towards 2011, our biggest activity will be the construction of JohJan LifeNets Academy in Migori, Kenya. It is already a fledgling school with about 90 pupils, but it will expand to about 400 under the direction of John and Janet Otieno who have devoted themselves to serving their community. Be looking for stories about this project that we are funding and www.lifenets.org/johjan.

If you would like to donate to LifeNets before year-end for tax purposes, you still have time. Please send your donations to our address at the bottom of this eNews or if you would like to donate by credit card or PayPal, go to the home page of www.lifenets.org.

Victor Kubik
President

With Help of $21,000 Rotary Grant We Drill Three Boreholes in Malawi

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by Lewis Salawila

All three boreholes set in Salima and Mulanje have now started working, and people have started using and drinking water. Big thanks to LifeNets and the Rotary International for the $21,000 grant.

Nester Phiri by Drilling Machine

Speaking in an interview, Chief Katambo of Salima said the borehole, constructed near Nester Phiri's clinic that is financed by LifeNets, will benefit nearer 100 families living around the area and that he is very happy for this development.

However, he and Nester agreed to set a committee which will oversee the day to day running the borehole. This was set in cases of faults if occurs. The people here started using water on 28^th November 2010.

People of Katambo village will not be walking long distance looking for water. Three hundred people are now drinking safe water from the well. Speaking on behalf of the people of Katambo, Chief Mzembera thanked LifeNets and Rotary Club for the Borehole.

Rotary Logo In Mulanje, at Nyimbiri government Primary school in the area traditional authority Mabula, the head teacher of the school, Mr Stephen Banda, said that over 1,000 students and some people around the area are to benefit from the borehole. He added that there is a school committee (which was there on the day of the visit headed by Mr Nelson Magulula) that will oversee its operation. The borehole started operating on 26^th November 2010.

We thank you again for the three boreholes. See more at http://lifenets.org/malawi/nester.htm.

Oasis of LifeNets School Opens July 7

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In 2006 LifeNets considered a project proposal by the husband-wife team of Howard and Ruth Elia. Both are schoolteachers with a dream to build and operate a nursery school in a busy area of Lilongwe, the capital city of Malawi. When this building is fully complete, it will accommodate

Bev Kubik visits classroom

100 nursery school children age three to five years old. The school will be self-sustaining. Phase one of the school opened on July 7, 2010 as their dream is being fulfilled.

        The Elia's have named the school Oasis of LifeNets. We were able to visit the school on September 16 and 17, 2010 and see it in operation. It fills an important need in the community. We are happy to help to get it off the ground.

        From the Elia's: "To invest in education has always been our dream. We can see such a dream turning into reality because of LifeNets who have seen us this far and proved that they won't let us walk alone." Read and see more at www.lifenets.org/oasis.

Rice Project in Northern Malawi

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LifeNets is always interested in successful agricultural projects in developing countries. This is our first rice venture. The project is in Karonga, one of the districts found in northern Malawi. The exact place is called Vinthukutu near Chilumba Township in Karonga. The project is managed by and for the Julius Kachali family.

Julius Kachali in rice field

Mr. Kachali started with an Initial capital of MK235,000 ($1551) over a farming field of about 2.5 acres. Julius Kachali is practicing subsistence farming in rice and cassava and would likely become a commercial farmer in the near future. He also grow maize as the staple food crop.

In short term, the project is looking at food security and income and will be looking at setting a model in good farming methods to the villagers around his farm. People will be coming to the farm to learn proper methods of farming. This will also be done with the help of an agricultural assistant in the area. He is looking forward to have a small dam for permanent water for both wet and dry planting.

Julius Kachali work together with his wife and is being assisted by Mr. Nyirongo and Aubrey Mugarah who are field assistants from the government.

Livelihood Development Success: A Rest House on Lake Malawi

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We helped Bekani B. Bvunguti (we call him BB) finance the completion of a rest house

Guest House on Lake Malawi

house that he calls Fiso at Monkey Bay near Lake Malawi. He applied for this grant in November 2006. The location is excellent,

Bekani with LifeNets Coordinator Bev Kubik

Bekani and Bev

great being close the beautiful lake, a popular resort location not only to foreigners, but one that is also accessible to residents of Malawi. It has 20 rooms and he charge 250 kwachas a night. That's $1.60. This project cost LifeNets $900 and paid for toilets and safe running water to make it possible to receive guests.

The guest house is operating. Bekani says that the income from makes it possible to support relatives and contribute to his church. See more photos at

http://lifenets.org/malawi/guesthouse.htm.