Social Responsibility
FOCHTA – Malawi Youth Centre
Sam Crawford Architects recently held a fundraising dinner for FOCHTA, a local non-governmental organisation (NGO) that works in the Thyolo District of Malawi in East Africa. They raised over $21,000. Bholu is proud to have donated product to the night for a silent auction to contribrute to the cause.
Sam Crawford Architects and AWF has designed a Youth Training Centre and Community Library in Thyolo, Malawi (southern Africa) for Friends of Claude Ho in Thyolo Association (FOCHTA). It will be a purpose-built facility to provide education, counselling and other non-medical assistance to children orphaned by AIDS.
The Centre will provide training in trades such as carpentry, metalwork and tailoring, and serve as the administrative headquarters for FOCHTA’s other activities, which include: secondary school and university bursaries; a food program providing FOCHTA supported students with lunches and take home rations for siblings; counselling for children traumatised by the loss of parents to HIV/AIDS; micro-loans; and, a clothing and blanket program.
Friends of Claude Ho in Thyolo Association (FOCHTA), Lucenza, Malawi. FOCHTA’s charter is to assist children orphaned by HIV/AIDS in the district of Thyolo to gain an education, and give them a chance to escape the poverty cycle.
They promote education and provide social support for children orphaned by HIV/AIDS and for other vulnerable groups, helping them build a future for themselves and their community. FOCHTA is not affiliated to any religious group.
Our primary focus is on education and training for vulnerable children and young adults. They do this by providing school bursaries (scholarships) for students and creating opportunities for young people to learn technical and vocational skills. They believe that educating young people today is tomorrow’s hope for the future.
Many factors impact a child’s success at school, however, and our programs and services are designed to help address the challenges our students face, from poverty and hunger to trauma and social isolation. FOCHTA aim to improve the quality of life of our students and the community’s most vulnerable, allowing them to focus on their studies and on the future, rather than on the hardships of today.
FOCHTA is a registered NGO in Malawi and a member of CONGOMA, an NGO network in Malawi that helps coordinate the work of members and minimize duplication.
