Help Yamikani Build a Future Through Education

For Yamikani, walking to the distant school was a painful struggle,often forcing him to lie down on the road when his legs gave out. Having a school close to home removes these exhausting physical barriers, giving Yamikani and every child in Kampira safe, direct access to the education they deserve.

At Missio Malta, we believe that true transformation begins when a community is given the tools to build its own future. Education is at the very heart of this belief, acting as a foundational key that opens doors to self-sufficiency, dignity, and long-term hope. By supporting local learning, we help entire villages grow together, providing parents with peace of mind and young people with opportunities that transform their lives. For twelve-year-old Yamikani, severe leg pain often left him unable to walk long distances, making a school right in his community a vital necessity to ensure he never has to give up on his dreams.

A Determination to Learn

Yamikani loves to learn. He gets excited reading Chichewa storybooks in class and holds a simple, powerful dream of becoming a driver when he grows up so he can support his family. Yet every step he takes toward that dream has been hard earned. Born healthy, Yamikani fell gravely ill as an infant with an unknown disease. His mother, Rute, rushed him to Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, where they stayed for three agonizing months. Though he survived, the illness left him with partial paralysis and a loss of sensation in his arm and leg.

As he grew, simple daily tasks became overwhelming hurdles. Walking long distances caused severe pain, and his leg would frequently give out along the dusty roads. On many mornings, he had to leave home before sunrise just to make the slow journey to school, relying on passing cyclists to give him a lift on their bicycles or caring friends who would carry him on their backs when his body refused to go any further. There were times when his parents had to search the roads to find him sitting in pain, unable to make it home. Still, even when pain forced him to miss days of class, Yamikani’s desire to learn never faded.

“When he walks, he experiences severe leg pains. Sometimes his legs fail completely on the way, forcing him to sit or lie down on the road before continuing.” 

— Rute Petulo, Yamikani’s Mother 

Rebuilding Through Education

The opening of St Peter’s Nyamikuta directly in Kampira village has fundamentally transformed daily life for Yamikani and his peers. Project Coordinator Father Matthew Semba saw the construction of this local school as a crucial first step in lifting the entire area out of hardship. For Yamikani, having a school built in his own community meant that physical pain no longer had to stand between him and his education. Instead of struggling along dusty roads where his legs would fail, he can now focus his energy where it belongs: on reading, learning, and dreaming big.

“This project is very fundamental in the lives of these children. It encourages them to seek something bigger, to look forward to something greater than what they have in the villages where they struggle together with their parents.”

— Father Matthew Semba, Project Coordinator

Having a school nearby eliminates the painful journeys that once threatened to cut Yamikani’s education short. Still, the physical building is only part of the journey. Yamikani’s mother works tirelessly doing casual labor, while his father copes with physical disabilities following an amputation. For a family struggling to afford basic meals, essential supplies like exercise books, pens, uniforms, and daily porridge remain out of reach without outside support. Often surviving on just a single meal a day, his parents long to give Yamikani a better life but simply lack the financial means. Providing these basic resources ensures that hunger and poverty will not prevent him from staying in class and fulfilling his potential.

“My hope for my children is that they should be educated… Without this school, our children were in great trouble, but now we see things improving.”

— Mr. Yobu Franando, Yamikani’s Father

Fueling His Dreams

Access to regular school meals and basic learning tools ensures that Yamikani can focus on his studies rather than his pain or his family’s poverty. By supporting Missio Malta this World Mission Month, you help equip St Peter’s Nyamikuta Primary School with daily meals, learning materials, and the care these children need to thrive.

Your generosity gives Yamikani the support required to stay in school, overcome his physical barriers, and build a self-reliant future.

How Your Support Makes a Difference This World Mission Month

Every gift, no matter the size, brings immediate relief and long-term hope to Yamikani and the children of Kampira village. Please consider choosing a donation tier below to help transform lives through education and community care.

• €30 — Provides a nutritious daily meal program for students, keeping children healthy and focused in class.
• €50 — Purchases essential school uniforms, pens, and exercise books so children can attend school with dignity.
• €80 — Plants resilient neem trees around the school grounds to shield classrooms from extreme weather and severe windstorms.
• €100 — Supplies vital building materials to construct strong, lasting classrooms at St Peter’s Nyamikuta.
• €250 — Funds comprehensive educational resources and learning tools for entire classrooms.
• €500 — Acquires materials to build two sturdy footbridges, ensuring children can safely cross flooded streams during the rainy season.