Mavuto Passini is 16 years old. He has no parents, no siblings, no relatives. Mavuto lives in Malawi, alone in this house. It is small, full of termites, and has no roof. “What happens when it rains,” I ask, thinking he’ll tell me he sleeps at a friend’s. “It leaks,” he says, and we just look at each other. I have a hard time finding words to say next. Instead Mavuto shows me everything he owns: Two pairs of clothes, one bag of flour, two pots, one empty flour sack that he uses for a bed, and a few books. He says he dreams of going to school.
Since Mavuto can’t afford school, every day he walks into the forest, cuts down trees, and burns them into charcoal. Then, once a week, he sells his charcoal at the nearest market, on hour away. He earns $4 a month; it’s his only source of income.
One thing Mavuto enjoys, and is good at, is making soccer balls. he finds plastic bags that people have thrown away, cleans them, packs them together, and ties them tightly with found bits of rope. It doesn’t take long, it’s environmental, and it lets him have fun.
So together with the chiefs and villagers, we came up with a plan:
We buy Mavuto’s soccer balls for a fair price so he can buy food. Then we bring the balls to Canada, and people here buy them for an even better price. Every dollar we raise goes back to helping children like Mavuto to eat, go to school, and rebuild their lives.
So thank you for your compassion and your support. And thank you from Mavuto, who says: “I am sending thanks for what you have done. You have done so great to give me such a gift. I can not have expected such a gift in my lifetime.”
Since Mavuto can’t afford school, every day he walks into the forest, cuts down trees, and burns them into charcoal. Then, once a week, he sells his charcoal at the nearest market, on hour away. He earns $4 a month; it’s his only source of income.
One thing Mavuto enjoys, and is good at, is making soccer balls. he finds plastic bags that people have thrown away, cleans them, packs them together, and ties them tightly with found bits of rope. It doesn’t take long, it’s environmental, and it lets him have fun.
So together with the chiefs and villagers, we came up with a plan:
We buy Mavuto’s soccer balls for a fair price so he can buy food. Then we bring the balls to Canada, and people here buy them for an even better price. Every dollar we raise goes back to helping children like Mavuto to eat, go to school, and rebuild their lives.
So thank you for your compassion and your support. And thank you from Mavuto, who says: “I am sending thanks for what you have done. You have done so great to give me such a gift. I can not have expected such a gift in my lifetime.”
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