MIND: End of year report 2009

(The report can be downloaded in full as a pdf document. )

1. STREAMLINING OF THE GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE

In order to comply with charity regulations and to have a more responsive directorate, we have had to streamline the governance structure. The executive management of MIND have assumed the role of board of trustees and the existing board, with the exception of MIND executive director, has taken on an advisory role. The composition of the board and advisors is as follows:

Board Member Position
Malawi Ngwira Executive Director
executivedirector@mind-uk.org
Chifundo Makuta Fundraising Programme Manager
fundraisingpm@mind-uk.org
Patricia Malikebu Programme Manager for Health
healthpm@mind-uk.org
Gift Phiri Programme Manager for Secure Livelihoods
securelivelihoodpm@mind-uk.org
Tia Chidothe Programme Manager for Education
educationpm@mind-uk.org

2. MAIN ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN 2009

2.1 January 2008: Received £4000 Research funding from DFID

Part of this fund enabled us to send two MIND Executives to Malawi to carry out a comprehensive needs assessment, including holding workshops with Government Officials, DFID and VSO Country Offices, potential partners on the ground and any other interested groups. We also undertook a detailed skills audit of UK based Malawians and to assess their willingness to take part in the volunteering initiative.

2.2 April 2009: Received £40,000 (Over 9 Million Kwacha) to Pilot the Diaspora

Volunteering Initiative For a period of approximately 3 months, between October 2009 and January 2010, we will have sent ten volunteers to Malawi to pilot the project. The volunteering individuals have come from all areas across the UK. The following are their profiles and the placement areas where they carried out or are undertaking their work:
  • An IT specialist with a PhD from Oxford University and a Rhodes Scholar as well as an ex lecturer at Chancellor College. He currently works for a major oil company in Scotland. He volunteered his services for TEVETA to share his expertise to help develop computer based databases and to help set up computer based exam systems.
  • A motor vehicle engineer who currently lectures in the field at a UK academic institution. She did her volunteering at Lilongwe Technical College.
  • A registered Mental Health Nurse who works for a health institution in Worcester worked at Bwaila hospital
  • A registered Nurse and Ergonomist who works for a major pharmaceutical research company in Scotland worked for the Ministry of Health, Lilongwe
  • A registered Nurse who works for an NHS Health Trust in the Midlands as a Senior Health Manager volunteered at Kamuzu College of Nursing and Kamuzu Central Hospital
  • A registered Nurse and Health Specialist who works for an NHS Trust in Scotland volunteered at Kamuzu College of Nursing and Kamuzu Central Hospital
  • A curriculum development specialist who works for a higher education college in Scotland volunteered at TEVETA
  • A Barrister and MBA holder who works for a public institution in England worked with staff members at College of Health Sciences
  • An HIV advocate worked at the Lighthouse, a project supported by donors and the Ministry of Health.

2.3 Capacity Building (VSO Training)

MIND Executives have attended a number of courses organised by VSO in London on Diaspora and Volunteering, acquiring skills such as budgeting, monitoring and evaluation, volunteer training, preparing logical framework (logframe); risk management; development awareness; partnership and placement development; fundraising; financial management; organisational development; volunteer recruitment, assessment and management amongst others.

2.4 Volunteer Pre-Departure Preparations

Leading up to the despatch of volunteers the Board had been involved in a number of activities, including:
  • preparing documents for recruiting volunteers and Coordinators in Malawi and UK;
  • developing pre-departure material such as volunteer self briefs and handbooks;
  • conducting pre-departure training for volunteers;
  • Preparing the terms of reference for a Memorandum of Understanding with VSO Malawi;
  • Developing assessment materials and undertaking volunteer assessment.

2.5 Receipt of a Donation of 2 Vehicles to Support Technical Colleges in Malawi

MIND has received a donation of 2 vehicles sourced by a Malawian, Mr Philip Kamundi. These are intended for TEVETA to be deployed to Technical Colleges in Malawi to support Motor Vehicle Training.

2.6 Development Awareness

One of MIND'S objectives is to enhance the British understanding of Malawi, its culture and development perspectives through development awareness by Malawians in Diaspora. The following development awareness events have been undertaken:
  • April 2009: A seminar to Cults lottery club in Aberdeen
  • July 2009: MIND executive director attended and spoke at the Malawi Charities Networking event in London organised by the Malawi High Commission.
  • September 2009: The MIND executive director was a panellist reviewing Madona's film about Malawi: I am because we Are, which was screened in Glasgow.
  • October 2009: The MIND executive director was a speaker and panellist at the workshop event organised by The Africa Centre in Edinburgh.
  • October 2009: MIND executive director attended a networking event in Edinburgh organised by Christian Aid.
  • November 2009: MIND executive director attended a Scottish National Party event in Glasgow. The event was a very good opportunity to engage with politicians, network and promote MIND.

2.7 Partnership Developments

Learning Best Practice from others is much valued by the organisation. We therefore make it a point to develop informal links with as many organisations as possible. MIND is a member of the Diaspora Volunteering Alliance, a grouping of almost 20 UK based diaspora organisations. We are also actively developing partnership policies how we can engage other organisations to develop viable partnering working arrangements. To date we have discussed or are in discussions with a number of organisations. These are either UK based organisations doing charitable work in Malawi or Malawi based organisations. The UK based organisations include The Raven Trust, an Argyll based organisation; Star Fish Malawi, a Kent based organisation; a diaspora Research expert at Dundee University. In Malawi we have developed formal placement partnerships with the College of Health Sciences, Kamuzu College of Nursing, Bwaila hospital, TEVETA, Lilongwe Technical College. Discussions are ongoing with various other organisations including both government and non-governmental bodies.

2.8 Registration

MIND finally registered as a Scottish based charity this year. Charity Number: SC040751.

2.9 Opening Of Offices And Staff Appointments

We now have our own offices both in Malawi and UK. Charles Chingwalu and Mr Simon Mpandeni were recently appointed as MIND Coordinators in the UK and Malawi respectively. The following are the details of the organisation's offices in the UK and Malawi.

MIND UK, 11 Queen's Crescent, Glasgow, Scotland, G4 9AS
Tel: 0141 271 2304 / Fax: 0141 332 0175; Website: http://www.mind-uk.org

3. GOALS FOR THE COMING YEAR-2010

There are a number of funding streams we are working on and alongside these are various project concepts we have developed. Given the capacity we have built up and the experienced gained in developing and managing projects, we are ready to expand the range of activities in which diaspora Malawians could get involved. There are a number of projects we embarked upon next year, and these include the following.

3.1 DFID / VSO Volunteering Fund

The pilot phase of the programme is due to be concluded in January 2010. In February 2010 we will submit an application for funding to implement the project. This is earmarked to start in April 2010. Malawians willing and able to volunteer can do so thereafter.

3.2 Scottish Government's Malawi Fund

Under the Malawi/Scotland Cooperation Agreement the Scottish government sets aside a sum of £3 million, triennially, to fund projects in Malawi. We have developed a project concept centred on the volunteering ethos. At present we are working on a proposal for a project, again with a volunteering ethos, to create opportunities for Malawians in the diaspora to volunteer. The funding application is due to submitted in January 2010.

3.3 Comic Relief

Comic Relief in partnership with DFID have set aside an £18 million fund, over three years, to support African diaspora organisation to undertake development activities in Africa. We are working on an application for funding due to be submitted in March 2010 to support economic development initiatives.

Malawi Ngwira
Executive Director
Malawiqan Initiative for National Development (MIND)
E: executivedirector@mind-uk.org;
T: 07824468096 / 07903855254

(The report can be downloaded in full as a pdf document. )

Last updated 14/11/2011