The Malawi Nutrition Crisis

Readers,

Imagine that your favorite regional food (barbeque, Philly cheese steak, etc) is causing a problem: malnutrition.  You and your neighbors eat the food every day because it is cheap and readily available, but it does not provide the nutrients required for your children to grow.  The government, recognizing this issue, tries to move people away from eating the food in favor of something more nutritious.  The problem here is that moving away from the regional food means losing some of your cultural identity.  This is the predicament facing the government of Malawi.

40% of Malawi’s 14.4 million people live on less than $1 USD per day.  This type of extreme poverty only contributes to a growing crisis in Malawi: nutrition.  The main crop for farmers in Malawi is maize, also known as corn.  Maize is particularly important to the people of Malawi, as it can be used as the main ingredient in their staple dish, nsima.  Nsima is a white paste made from flour, cornmeal, or cassava, and is served with every meal.  Here’s a video of people in Malawi preparing nsima:

The problem with this is that it has very little nutritional value, and no protein.  The result of this kind of diet is that approximately 46% of children under the age of five have stunted growth.  In fact, experts have calculated that if the current trend continues, Malawi will suffer losses of $446 million over the course of 2006-2015.  The economic losses come from time and money spent dealing with malnutrition related illnesses.

While supplements such as Plumpy’nut are good temporary solutions, the government of Malawi has been focusing on the long term.  They have started a program subsidizing crops such as beans or legumes in an attempt to get farmers to grow more protein rich foods.  So far, this program has helped farmers have surpluses so that they can sell their crops at markets to make money as well as feed their families.  However, it has faced a few challenges.  First, most people in Malawi prefer maize, and don’t know how to cook beans.  Second, some scholars are worried that if the program is successful, and more people move away from eating nsima, Malawi will lose a part of its cultural identity.  It will be interesting to see how, in the next couple of years, the government of Malawi will deal with this issue, as it is devastating to the economy but vital to the culture.  How would you suggest that the government balance the cultural identity of its people with the economic needs of its country?

 

For More Information:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12061998 -This website talks about Malawi’s government program sponsoring different types of crops.

http://www.nyasatimes.com/health/nutrition-crisis-costs-malawi-k68-billion-official.html -This is the article talking about the study of the costs of malnutrition in Malawi.

http://www.unicef.org/media/media_28776.html -This is Unicef’s press release on malnutrition of children in Malawi.

http://www.wfp.org/countries/malawi -This is the World Food Programme’s website about Malawi.  It has many links to other articles relating to other issues facing the people of Malawi.

 

Africa Bags puts the “Fair” back into Fair Trade

Muli Bwanji Readers!

Chichewa Lesson of the Day: Remember to emphasizethose vowels. Here is a key to help you remember: 

Today, I want to discuss and clarify the business function of Africa Bags and talk about what makes the organization truly different from its competitors. It is certainly valid to question or even challenge the authenticity of a non-profit organization such as one like Africa Bags. People are curious to know where the money goes and want full transparency of the inner functions and whereabouts of revenue and income earned. For this reason, I believe that an informative discussion on the specifics of Africa Bags and its business is certainly justifiable.

This is what I have outlined so far:

• 501(c)(3): Yes, Africa Bags is a 501(c)(3). What does that mean? I wondered the same thing when I saw those numbers on the Africa Bags website. A 501(c) organization is “an American tax-exempt, nonprofit corporation or association.” The (3) denotes organizations that qualify as one of the following: religious, educational, chartable, scientific, literary, Testing for Public Safety, or Prevention of Cruelty to Children or Animals.
• Real Fair Trade (RFT): The term Fair Trade is a funny term conceived from the Fair Trading Act of 1986. It’s funny because less than 20% of the proceeds from sales are given to the artisans who made the product. Africa Bags decided to really put the “fair” back into Fair Trade. Here is a breakdown of the difference between RFT and regular Fair Trade companies.

• The Todd Effect: Todd Pettit certainly has a vision for Africa Bags, and in this vision the people of Malawi are front and center. He sits on a National Fair Trade Cooperation Board and witnesses many decisions made at the expense of the employees and artisans. Todd sticks true to his word and ensures that low overhead costs and returning as much of the proceeds to the people of Malawi as possible, are the organization’s primary objectives. This sort of initiative is exactly what makes Africa Bags a truly genuine organization.

Now that we have cleared up the subtle but crucial differences between corporations, charities, free trade, and so on, you know now that when you buy a product from Africa Bags, the money is going right to the source. It is directly helping the cause, helping the people of Malawi. I think this is the crux of reason why Africa Bags is one of the best and most genuine charitable organizations out there.

Did anyone know this about Africa Bags?

I know I sure didn’t.

Sources:

http://africabags.org/id87.html – goes into detail about the RFT that Africa Bags partakes in

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/501(c)

http://www.ftc.gov/ -the details of the free trade commission

http://malawi.tripod.com/chichewa.html – the Chichewa language database

Coming to a Village Near You…

Muli Bwanji Readers!

In case you don’t remember from last time, “Muli Bwanji” is the standard “Hey, how are you?” phrase in Chichewa, the native language of Malawi.

Before I begin, I want to teach you how to respond to this greeting in Chichewa. A proper way to respond would be to say, “Ndili Bwino” meaning in English “I am fine.” People say that Chichewa is like Spanish in that an “r” sound is more like a “d” sound, and consonants at the beginning of a word are barely heard, so instead of pronouncing it “INNNDili” go soft on the “N”. Now practice with your friends!

Today, I want to talk more about some of the specific projects Africa Bags’ is pursuing in the Kamweko village. Africa Bags essentially began in the tiny village of Kamweko, so it is a very special place for the organization.

“Here comes the sun, here comes the sun, and I say it’s all right!”

What: Solar Panels on Kamweko Community Development Center (CDC)

Why: Located in northern Malawi near the town of Mzuzu, Kamweko Village was the first village visited by the Africa Bags founders. With a population of merely 200 people, most of the residents work by carrying large bundles of wood on their heads for miles at a time often without shoes. In 2008, Africa Bags helped fund the construction of the Community Development Center. The next step would be to help provide a better energy source perhaps through solar power.

Cost: $1,500

When: Summer 2011

Solar Panel from Sierra Leone

Thoughts: This has been a popular idea in much of Africa, especially Sierra Leone. Check out this blog for some more info: http://blogs.forbes.com/helencoster/2011/01/31/forget-the-grid-can-solar-power-light-africa/).

We don’t need NO education…oh but yes we do…

What: Nursery School at Kamweko CDC

Why: Of the 200 people that live in the village, about 70 of them are children and 50 of which are orphans. These orphaned children are usually taken in by other families, who barely have enough to provide for their own families. The literacy rate in Malawi as a country is just shy of 70%. The literacy rate in the US is over 98%. Getting even a primary level education is not easy let alone secondary and undergraduate level ones. We need to start at the root of the problem, at the nursery education levels.

How: The Africa Bags team would start a nursery school program in the village with a specialized focus on the orphan population. The team would partner up with Littlefield Orphanage and help provide training for teachers in addition to longer term volunteers to help teaching and training.

Cost: $1,000 a year for teachers’ salaries, supplies, and training.

When: ASAP

Thoughts: Clearly, these kids need to have a solid educational base in order to have a bright future. Although these children won’t have access to episodes of Sesame Street or my personal favorite, Blue’s Clues, in the near future, they may have the opportunity to enroll in a brand new nursery school equipped with eager volunteers and of course, a lot of crayons. That is certainly a start. This project is imperative for the growth and development of the community and, for the country as a whole.

Food for thought: What was your favorite educational television program growing up?

A Norlin* of their very own: The Kamweko Library.

What: Kamweko Public Library

Why: It’s a slow process but all apart of the bigger plan. Better education creates a more literate population and thus a higher demand for books. So yes, reading is good!

How: Phase 1 is to build a library within the walls of the CDC. Once Phase 1 has been completed, Phase 2 will be to construct a stand-alone library.

Cost: Phase 1: $2,000. Phase 2: $5,000.

Thoughts: Once finished, this project will indicate one BIG intellectual step forward for the people of Malawi.
Tionana Readers! (find out next time what that means)
Sources:
http://www.africabags.org/id64.html : Here one can find a wide range of the current projects and initiatives of the Africa Bags organization.

http://blogs.forbes.com/helencoster/2011/01/31/forget-the-grid-can-solar-power-light-africa/ : This article discusses the recent popular attraction of utilizing green energy resources in African countries. It talks more in depth on the cost-benefit analysis of the project.

Email Interview with Todd Petit (Africa Bags Program Director)

*Norlin: refers to the Norlin Library of University of Colorado at Boulder

Africa Bags

Hello Readers!

We Africa Bags bloggers have spent some time with the Africa Bags and with the Africa Bags website, and it occurred to us that we never really spent much time blogging about the bags themselves, and that the online store, while wonderful, isn’t terribly descriptive when it comes to the bags.  Never fear, we Africa Bags bloggers are here to help!  Today we’ll be answering some of your biggest questions regarding Africa Bags, like:  Just how much can an Africa Bag hold?  What can you put in an Africa Bag?  What are the best ways to use an Africa Bag?  Can an 80 lb. German shepherd fit in an Africa Bag? And so on.  Not to worry, we’ll answer all of these very important questions today.

The bag used in today’s demonstration is:  The Africa Bag with the Lady Logo

1)      Just how much can an Africa Bag hold?  An Africa Bag can hold up to 3 Huge sized Bounty rolls of paper towels, or 5 standard sized college textbooks (though for weight purposes, I’d probably only put 2 or 3 in there).

1)      What can you put in an Africa Bag?  Pretty much anything that fits.  Probably not live animals, or small children.

2)      What are Africa Bags made of?  “100% African grown cotton”.  For those of you who are wondering about texture, the bags are relatively soft, like well worn linen.

3)      Why should I buy an Africa Bag?  Aside from doing something good for the environment and Africa, they’re incredibly useful, and stylish.  Also, you can brag to your friends that you are way cooler than they are because plastic grocery bags are so last year and you have a bag that came all the way from Africa (can you say “cultured”?).  Also, even dogs love them!

1)      Do Africa Bags come in different colors/shapes/designs?  Yes!  The Africa Bags reusable grocery sacks come with many different designs on them.  Also, Africa Bags makes other types of tote bags with different print patterns, including tie dye!  Below are some pictures of the other bags.  Check out the Africa Bags store to see all of the designs.

1)      How can I tell where my Africa Bag came from?  Just look on the inside rim of the bag for the village name.  For more information on where your bag came from, click on the village name here:

• Viweme Village
• Kamweko Village
• Nkhata Bay
• Chintheche 
• Chibanzi
• Embangweni
• Engalaweni

2)      What are the best ways to use an Africa Bag?   Because Africa bags  are so awesome, we thought we’d make a list for you:

• Going to the beach/pool?  Use it to carry your beach towels, sun lotion, water bottle, goggles, etc.
• Need to transport some cooking supplies for a party?  An Africa Bag easily holds a 14” diameter wok, and still has room for some cooking utensils and a few jars of spices.

• Have a hobby or craft that requires supplies?  The Africa Bag can hold art supplies, yarn, knitting/ crocheting projects, and small tools, maybe even small power tools.

• Want to save some money?  Many grocery stores are offering a 5 cent per bag discount for people who bring their own grocery bags.  This means that at $10 per bag, your Africa Bag will pay for itself in 200 trips to the grocery store. 
• Need a new art project?  The cotton canvas that the bags are made from is perfect for drawing on with permanent markers or painting. 

I hope I answered most of your questions, as well as gave you some great ideas for how to use your Africa Bag.  What’s your favorite use for your bag?

Also, check out How Snazzy’s blog post about her new tie dye Africa Bag!

Sources:

The Africa Bags Website

The Africa Bags Online Store

Trial and Error/ Experience

http://ezinearticles.com/?Eco-Friendly-Bags—Other-Uses-for-Reusable-Shopping-Bags&id=5674482- For other creative uses of reusable grocery bags.

Malawi Micro-lending

Moni (Hello) Readers,

Today I would like to talk to you about micro-lending, an area of Africa Bags that is important to know about. The basic idea of micro-lending is to create an opportunity for a person or group of people in an impoverished area to start their own business and allow them to become economically profitable and sustainable. These people generally do not have access to capital and are locked out of the banking system. Many of these loans are made without the normal requirements of collateral or a credit check, which is why many believe them to be very risky. However, these loans have started to create sustainable companies and improve the lives of many poverty stricken communities. Also, a lot of these projects have started to target women who were traditionally discouraged in many nations from engaging in these types of activities.  The figure below displays the typical micro-loan process. Currently Africa Bags has two projects that you can help with through a micro-loan of as little as $20. The first is the Engalaweni Village Maize loan and the second is the Trust Women’s Group.

The Mirco-loan Process

Engalaweni Village Entrepreneurs

The Engalaweni Village Maize loan allows for 17 families to buy seeds and fertilizer for their farms. This loan provides these families the ability to produce more maize and therefore provide a stable food source and an ability to make more money for the future. The loan goes towards two applications of fertilizer. The first round of fertilizer was paid for in December 2010 and the fertilizer was applied when the seeds were planted. Your loan funds the second round of fertilizer that is applied once the seeds have sprouted and grown to be around a foot high. These loans offer the security for the crops to grow fully until the harvest. In addition, your loan creates a fast return because it is paid back after the harvest in June or July. You can then take the money and reinvest it again in another great project such as the Trust Women’s Group.

Entrepreneurs from the Trust Women's Group

The Trust Women’s Group is the second project that Africa Bags is currently making Micro-loans for. This is a group of Malawian women that have started to operate small businesses that include things such as sales of tomatoes, maize, vegetables and charcoal. This loan is a great opportunity to help these women who have never run a business before because along with the money from the loan, they are receiving training from the Africa Bags loan officers. These officers will help the women learn the basics of running a business and how to make the most out of their particular product. These skills will help the people out of poverty and on their way to a better living.

If you would like to donate to either of these projects please visit the Africa bags website:

Engalaweni Village Maize loan: http://africabags.org/catalog/i172.html

Trust Women’s Group: http://africabags.org/catalog/i192.html

If you are looking for other places to make a Micro-Loan here are a few companies that you can visit:

Kiva: http://www.kiva.org/

Accion: http://www.accion.org/

Micro Place: https://www.microplace.com/

Bilharzia

Hello Readers,

Part of the goal of this blog is to inform you about issues that the people of Malawi are facing.  We have talked about poverty, lifestyles, and new technologies, but have not spent much time talking about diseases.  We have all heard about HIV, AIDS, and malaria causing huge problems in Africa, but a lesser known disease has had a resurgence in Lake Malawi: Bilharzia.  Since I enjoy science, in particular the study of parasites, I thought it would be interesting to talk to you about this widespread disease.

Also known as Schistosomiasis, Bilharzia is caused by parasitic worms and is contracted through infected water.  Here’s how it works:  the eggs of the worms hatch in water, and invade a nearby snail.  The worms grow and mature inside of the snail, then leave the snail’s body and re-enter the water, where they wait for a mammal to enter the water.  Once an unsuspecting mammal (possibly human) enters the water, the worms enter the mammal’s body through the skin, and move to the bloodstream, where they grow and reproduce.  Sometimes, the worms enter the intestines, where they reproduce so that their eggs will leave the body with other waste, and enter another body of water to start the life cycle over again.  Here’s a chart of the lifecycle:

Bilharzia is mainly found in developing countries where people do not have access to adequate sanitation and clean water services.  Bilharzia has been found in most African countries, including Malawi, especially in areas around Lake Malawi.  The World Health Organization estimates that 207 million people worldwide are infected with the disease, and 700 million people are at risk of contracting the disease.  Here’s a map from the CDC of the distribution of Bilharzia:

The symptoms of Bilharzia are as follows:

• Headache
• Fatigue
• Fever
• Abdominal Pain
• Enlarged Liver
• Anemia
• Rash
• Intestinal Damage
• Lung Damage
• Death

Though Bilharzia rarely leads to death, it is often a chronic disease whose symptoms can put strain on a local population.  The symptoms are not caused by the actual worms, but by the immune system’s response to the worms and the worms’ eggs in the body.  Treatment of the disease is simple: a drug called Praziquantel that kills the adult worms.  Prevention is more difficult and complicated.  Some governments focus on killing the snails that host the immature worms, while others focus on informing their citizens about the risk factors for the disease.  Though no vaccine currently exists, many scientists are working towards this important step in prevention.  In addition, there are a few organizations that are working on controlling the disease and preventing its spread:

• Schistosomiasis Consortium for Operational Research and Evaluation  (http://score.uga.edu/)
• Wateraid (http://www.wateraid.org/uk/about_us/default.asp)
• Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (http://www.noguchimedres.org/)

For more information on Bilharzia, check out these websites:

• http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/schistosomiasis/gen_info/index.html – this is the CDC’s overview of the disease.  Provides good general information.
• http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs115/en/index.html – this is the World Health Organization’s fact sheet on Bilharzia.  Also provides good general information, but with a more global focus.
• http://www.microbiologybytes.com/introduction/Schisto.html – this provides more detailed information on the lifecycle of the parasite, complete with pictures.
• http://www.times.co.zm/news/viewnews.cgi?category=6&id=1239859166 – this is an article that talks about the effect of Bilharzia on communities
• http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0000474/ – this is the National Center for Biotechnology Information’s page on Praziquantel, the drug used to kill the parasites.
• http://www.modernghana.com/news/31491/1/noguchi-to-develop-bilharzia-vaccine.html – this is an article discussing the research being done to create a vaccine for Bilharzia.

Empowering Education

Mwalandiridwa (Welcome) Readers,

Hello everyone, recently Africa Bags started to plan two new projects in Malawi. The first is a nursery school at Kamweko CDC, which will cost roughly $1000 per year for teacher’s salaries and supplies. The second project is the Kamweko Library, which will be developed in two stages costing a total of $7000. These two projects are part of a new initiative that Africa Bags is undergoing with Empowering Malawi. Empowering Malawi is working to provide “a better education and give them the opportunity to expand their knowledge.”  With these new projects and endeavors that Africa Bags is undertaking I thought it would be nice to tell you a little bit about the education system in Malawi.

The nation of Malawi has a very troubled education system because many people are so poverty-stricken that they cannot afford to pay for themselves or for their children to attend. Just to give you an idea of the state of their education system here are some interesting statistics. In the period from 2005-2008 the adult literacy rate was only 73% compared to 99% in the US. Malawi’s primary school enrolment is 91%, however secondary school enrolment drops dramatically down to a range of 18% to 32%. This is a stark contrast to the United States 99% primary school enrolment and 94% secondary school enrolment. So as you can see Malawi is struggling with this problem and needs some help to try to improve their system.

A primary school class in Malawi

Now onto the layout of Malawi’s school system, they operate in an 8-4-4 system similar to that of the United States. In this system they attend a primary school for 8 years, a secondary school for 4 years and then possibly a university for 4 years; however this last step is rare and difficult for many to achieve. For the first 4 years students can choose any of the local languages to study, however after that English is the main language taught and the language of the textbooks.  Other languages can be taken all the way up until the end of secondary school.

Secondary Education takes place through 3 options: Governmental aided mission schools, private schools and day schools otherwise called distance education centers. At the end of secondary school all students take what is called the Malawi School Certificate of Education Examination. This examination tests the students on a minimum of 6 different areas and is graded on a scale of 1-6 with 6 being the highest. This test is highly competitive and only around 1% of students receive a 6. It is used for placement into a University as well as for training courses and job selection. Also the SAT and GRE test are offered throughout the year.

A university classroom in Malawi

University Education is only found at the University of Malawi, University of Mzuzu or Government training colleges. There is a variety of constituent colleges to the university including: the college of medicine, Chancellor College, Bunda college of agriculture, the Malawi polytechnic, and the Kamuzu college of nursing.

If you would like to find more information about the education system you can visit these sites:

http://lilongwe.usembassy.gov/advising_services6.html

http://malawiunmission.com/malawieducation.htm

If you would like to help Empowering Malawi you can buy t-shirts with their logo printed on the front here:

http://africabags.org/catalog/c12_p1.html

WE NEED AN AMBULANCE OVER HERE!

Muli Bwanji Readers!

In case you didn’t know, “Muli Bwanji” is the friendly greeting of the Malawi people.

Today I want to talk a little bit about a simple project that Africa Bags might pursue for the people of Malawi. It is the AMBULANCE BICYCLE (See below).

http://www.sakaramenta.com/CareCar_Bicyc

As you can see above, the concept is simple. It is a bicycle with a trailer attached to the rear. The trailer provides a bed-like surface for the patient, in this case an African baby hitching a free ride to school. These simple devices provide quick, cool transportation to medical services, as many who get sick cannot walk miles to a hospital or pay for transportation and never get the necessary medical treatment. It is an economical solution.

Africa Bags would plan on buying several of these bicycles (including trailer) and distribute them to villages that are not within walking distance of basic medical facilities. The estimated cost for one bike is around $400, and no the African baby is not included with your purchase.

What do you think about this simple, cost-effective solution to a serious problem?

Check out the ACTION here:

Here are the sources and some more information about the nifty bikes:

http://bikecart.pedalpeople.com/namibia/

-Very worthwhile website about a successful Namibian Bicycle Project that focuses on exactly this idea

http://namibikes.wordpress.com/

-Aaron Wieler (created Nambian bike company) has a blog about the different adventures throughout the world and how he has helped by designing these bikes

http://www.sakaramenta.com/CareCar_Bicycle_Ambulance.html

-In depth and information about the Sakaramenta bicycle carts of Malawi

http://www.africabags.org/id34.html

-Projects of Africa Bags

Have You Heard About Plumpy’Nut?

Plumpy’ Nut is a peanut based product that has been used in recent years to help malnourished kids gain weight and get more nutrients in their diet.  Invented by a French pediatric nutritionist, it’s basically like nutrient fortified peanut butter.  With a shelf life of 2 years, it could save millions of people from starvation.  Because of the sugar content, it’s super sweet, and kids love it.  It’s also cheap and easy to produce, and requires no preparation- rip open a package, squeeze out the paste, and eat it.  Each foil package has 92 grams of paste, and about 500 calories.

Why is it so revolutionary?  Before Plumpy’Nut, malnourished kids had to stay in special hospitals to be treated.  They had to be accompanied by a parent, taking the parent away from desperately needed work for several days or weeks.  Since the introduction of Plumpy’Nut, parents are able to receive a package of it, and feed their children at home.  After Plumpy’Nut’s introduction, several charities began building factories to make similar fortified peanut butter products.  Currently, Africa Bags is working on building a factory in Malawi to produce these types of products for the people of Malawi.  The materials for the products will come from local sources, and will be distributed through hospitals, HIV treatment centers, and orphan feeding centers.   The project is estimated to cost around $15,000, testing will start this summer, and construction is expected to start in early 2012.

Here’s a video about how UNICEF is using Plumpy’Nut to  help save people in Ethiopia:

You probably won’t be able to find Plumpy’Nut in the U.S., but if you want to make some of your own, you can try this recipe for a similar product:  http://www.livestrong.com/recipes/plumpy-nut-first-draft/

For more information about Plumpy’nut and similar products:

• http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/10/19/60minutes/main3386661.shtml- this is a news story about how Plumpy’nut is helping cure starvation.
• http://www.nutriset.fr/en/homepage-nutriset.html- this is the website for the company that manufactures Plumpy’nut.
• http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/pbpatent/- this is a blog post talking about the competitors that are making products similar to Plumpy’nut, and some of the legal issues surrounding the Plumpy’nut patent.
• http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/plumpynut-the-magic-potion-thats-saving-lives-in-niger-502022.html- This is another news story that talks about how Plumpy’nut has been helping cure starvation.

Meet the New Team

Mwalandiridwa (Welcome) Readers,

We will be your new Africa Bags bloggers for this next semester; our group includes- Matthew Heffernan, Caitlin Hickey and Nicholas Williams. We will be working this semester to keep you updated on everything Africa Bags. We have some great ideas for you to help the blog become more interesting and entertaining. We will be adding new colors to the blog, a news ticker, pictures of Africa bags along the sidebar and calendar to keep you up to date on events. We are really excited to bring you some interesting new posts about Africa Bags projects, the people of Malawi and the bags themselves. Feel free to comment and give us any feedback you have on either our posts or Africa Bags in general. As you know Africa Bags main goals are to create awareness around the issues in Malawi and practice the concept of real fair trade. Throughout this semester we will work towards these goals through our posts on this blog and our interlinking of this blog with other similar blogs and companies. We have some interesting and exciting new ideas for this blog that we feel you will enjoy greatly and are looking forward to keeping you up to date on the progress and development of Africa Bags!

Our Background:

We are all very excited to be working with this unique organization in helping the people of Malawi and learn more about the real issues that are currently taking place. In the past we have all helped our community through various service projects locally and are eager to lend our hand to other nations.

Africa Bags Background:

Started in 2007 Africa Bags is a non-profit organization that is centered on three main goals:

• To provide economic opportunity to the people of Malawi.
• To reduce the use of plastic shopping bags.
• To promote a charity that gives back 100% of proceeds to the people that need help. (www.africabags.org)

They are located in 4 villages throughout the nation of Malawi: Kamweko, Viweme, Nkhata Bay and Chintheche.

Figure 1: countries.bridgat.com

If you would like to know more about the organizations we have volunteered you can visit these sites:

• Tax Help Colorado: http://leeds.colorado.edu/event/61#overview
• Tulsa SPCA: http://www.tulsaspca.org/