Some members of   have visited Malawi from the 1st to the 8th of February 2009,effettuato with the objectives of evaluating the projected already finished, launching the project "This year for Xmas we donate a school" and meeting the local authorities that collaborate with cactus. 

When back to Italy,  president shared a mission report with all cactus members. The document is reported below.

For your information people that have participated to the Malawian visit have travelled at their own personal expenses and without any financial support from cactus (including airline ticket, accommodation, food and inland travelling).

MISSION TO MALAWI - FEBRUARY 2009 - NARRATIVE REPORT

1) Youth Centre and cactus onlus office in Mzuzu
The Youth Centre in Mzuzu that was internally and externally repainted with cactus funds is looking still in good conditions. Walusungu Nyasulu (so called Walu), our project facilitator, has showed us cactus onlus office within the structure of the Youth Centre (recreational area).
The office is equipped with a computer and some furniture purchased with cactus funding and is used by Walu and his colleagues (volunteers). It is the starting point of all cactus activities in Mzuzu. Our different Mzuzu projects are represented in several pictures and posters on the wall of the office.

2) Meeting with the beneficiaries of previous projects
For two days we managed to meet several beneficiaries of cactus projects and we ascertained the results of the different programmes. Personally, it has been a very strong and emotional experience.

Vocational training
We met some of the beneficiaries of the vocational trainings (drivers, mechanics, tailors) and several youth of different Youth Clubs trained in management of development projects. The young people have been supporting Walu in the activities for the orphans and for the Youth Centre.

Prevention of HIV transmission
We met the director and the actors of the movie/documentary related to the plague of AIDS and prostitution. We also met the girl team, winner of the soccer tournament organised to promote the prevention of HIV among youth.
We watched together the promotional video of the movie “Tatters of Lust”, shot in Mzuzu and played by the young people of the Youth Centre. The movie will be shown in the local school within a campaign for the prevention of HIV funded by the City Council in order to sensitise the young generation on the themes of AIDS and prostitution. It is an action movie and may be marketable in some African countries. In Mzuzu cactus onlus has approved to fund further editing of this movie so that it will be ready by mid 2009.

Support to orphans
We met the hundreds of orphans who benefited of the blanket, soap and school items distribution in 2008 in the village of Malivengi (about 15 km from Mzuzu).
The entire community has thanked cactus onlus and Walu for their support to these children. The chiefs requested additional support, including funding agricultural projects in the area, further support to the orphans and any sort of help to a local group of women living with HIV-AIDS. 

3) School project
The major objective of cactus visit to Malawi was launching the school construction project for which cactus fundraised with a campaign during the Christmas period.
After several meetings with the Ministry of Education, the City Council and different visits to the areas together with the local authorities cactus agreed to construct the school in a priority area: Zolozolo West neighborhood in Mzuzu.

Currently the 966 students of this area are using the church of Matope as a school. Unfortunately the space is very little, the children of different ages attend classes all together without physical barriers. The students sit on the floor (non-cemented) and the teachers rotate with their classes to be able to fit in this church.
The community of Zolozolo West has already constructed a wooden shelter to be used as a school in the area assigned by the City Council, but this is not conducive during the raining season and it is currently not used.

During its visit, cactus onlus committed itself to construct an initial brick structure for 2 classrooms (a two-classroom block) with two latrines.

Thanks to different meetings with the technical offices of the City Council and other development agencies (including the European Community office), we managed to obtain all details for lunching the project in March, including part of the bills of quantities (BOQ), the standard drawings of the school, the costs of the major items. We also identified the contractor and the technical supervisor necessary for the construction.

During the last days of our visit, we participated to different meetings with the representatives of the community of Zolozolo West who have also committed to supply some materials and part of the manpower.

We are waiting to receive the updated BOQ and the final budget. I will keep you updated.