Shipping articles to Malawi can be an exercise in patience, and so it proved to be with our consignment of strips and balls that PAYFC so kindly donated to us, but I’m delighted to say that our partner academies received their boxes in mid-December and have had a chance to take some photos of their teams wearing the donated strips (and holding the donated balls too).
 
The Scotsman-sponsored strips went to ETSA in the north of Malawi. The PAYFC strips went to PFM based in the capital, Lilongwe, in the central region of the country. Photos from PFM include another strip (the yellow one) donated by a school near Falkirk – I’ve included a photo of the kids wearing that strip in a training match simply so that you can see the pitch that PFM use in Lilongwe – barely a blade of grass on it!

Shupo Kumwenda, Executive Director of ETSA sent me the following message which I would like to pass on:
“Thanks so much for your help. Our sports academy has different ages up to the senior teams of the age 25 years. This will help them and also we are helping local teams and schools in our community that makes us happy to see local clubs in a village having nice strips. We are targeting 1400 schools and clubs, thank you very much for your support. The youth and the teams will enjoy things that Strips4Malawi has sent. You will receive alot of smile photos from Ekwaiweni Tafika sports academy and it’s community. We wish you to come and visit us one day.“

Similarly, Davie Mpima, Technical Director of PFM messaged:

“Good evening Ray I hope that you are doing good. Let me report that I have collected our boxes today from S&J office in Kanengo…and have taken some photos of the boys wearing the uniforms during our training session today. Here are the photos for the under 12 and the under 14. I will send some [more from a] weekend when they will be playing friendly games. Once again thank you very much [to] the sponsors [ie, donors] who have given us this uniforms and footballs may the good Lord continue blessing you and protect you and the sponsors too.“

I’d like to add my personal thanks to yourself and Penicuik Athletic YFC for these donations – it’s very pleasing that I can now provide you with some photographic evidence of the strips in Malawi, where you can see what a difference such donations make to the kids and young adults. Many thanks once again.

Best wishes, Ray.
Ray French
ray@strips4malawi.scot