Our Team
The Malawi Schools Project is proud of the people who work to make the project a success – our Trustees, our local teams (see below), our students and of course the volunteers who support us with fundraising. Everyone involved is an unpaid volunteer.
Our Trustees
BA (Hons), DipLaw, Called to the Bar 1990. Averil is a retired barrister, immigration judge and family mediator, with a background in developing world economics, now based in West Sussex. She first went to Malawi in 2016 and saw first hand the extreme poverty and hardship in the south of the country, and the difficulties parents face in affording school fees and support for their school age children. She founded MSP soon after returning to the UK, supported by a board of committed and knowledgeable trustees. In common with other trustees, she sponsors a number of children from MSP’s school bursary programme who have been awarded university and college placements.
BA Hons (Oxon), Modern Languages. Catherine’s background is in retail merchandising and special needs education. She volunteered for the East Surrey British Heart Foundation for 11 years, chairing the committee for 5 years, before moving to West Sussex where she is involved in a variety of local community projects. Catherine and her husband, Peter, sponsor university students who have been through the MSP school bursary system.
After a career in public service, Mel ‘retired’ to a small village and found a second life as churchwarden and supporter of various charities – from wildlife to medical, homelessness, cultural and of course MSP. Mel is also a school governor, where she is the governing board’s safeguarding lead. In whatever time is left over from these rewarding activities, Mel enjoys the theatre, gardening and spending time with children and grandchildren.
Jacqui has always had an affinity with children and after raising three children she spent 15 years working in a Special Needs unit in a large secondary school. Over the years, she has always been a keen volunteer, from leading a girl guides unit and coordinating junior tennis to local fund raising activities, including Chair of Medical Action Research in Amberley. On hearing about the problems of schooling in Malawi, she volunteered to become a trustee of The Malawi Schools Project.
Jeff had a career in IT, specialising in financial systems, before becoming an IT/Programme Director in two major insurance companies. Since retiring in 2012, Jeff has involved himself as a school governor and organiser/fundraiser for a number of local initiatives. He is a trustee for the Amberley Village Trust, and since hearing about the plight of youngsters in Malawi, Jeff became a trustee of MSP and is responsible for the charity’s financial reporting.
Pam started her career as a PA and continued into sales until she was made a director of Firth Carpets. She set up her own company in 1994 with a showroom based in Clerkenwell, selling to corporate UK companies and UAE with a staff of 16. On Pam’s retirement she became involved in a number of local charities and focused on helping people with Special Needs. Pam was delighted when Averil invited her to be a trustee of MSP as her
passion is Africa and its peoples.
Local Team
MSP relies heavily on 2 local trusted advisers and facilitators
Dion Makina
Dion is a local pastor, carpenter, roofer, farmer, and school governor, and an endless source of help and advice. He has 4 children, and a number of foster children. Because of his work as a pastor he is well known and highly respected in the local community: there is a constant stream of people in need coming to his door. For over 5 years he has been handling considerable sums of money for us for bursary school fees, student grants, building materials and project work. He knows the building trade, and has provided invaluable assistance to MSP’s projects. Together with our other advisers, he has handled the distribution of aid for us in times of famine. Dion shares a delight in getting things done. He is committed to helping children and families in the area.
Dorothy Mafukeni
Dorothy is a secondary school head teacher. She writes:
My name is Dorothy Mafukeni, born and raised in Malawi. I’m passionate about making a difference in my community through teaching as my profession and volunteering as well. I’m dedicated to lending a helping hand, inspiring positive change and fostering connections. I’m excited to collaborate with like-minded individuals. I always live by the motto, ‘I am because you are, you are because I am.’ The principle of reaching out to others without expecting anything in return is what excites me and keeps me going. I am a teacher, volunteer, mother, wife, leader, follower, a friend and a companion.
