Joshua Orphan and Community Care, Malawi

Joshua Orphan and Community Care (JOCC) is a Malawi-based charity working in nineteen isolated rural communities around Blantyre. We support community-driven sustainable development projects to assist HIV/AIDS orphans, vulnerable children, and their families in Malawi. With its close ties to the communities and support from donors, Joshua has constructed 17 feeding centres, a secondary school, 6 classroom blocks, drilled bore holes and sponsors over 160 youngsters in education. Its staff live and work in Malawi and take great pride in working closely with local people and organisations.

JOCC is tightly controlled by a board of Trustees in UK with a small team in Malawi directing the projects. Costs are kept very low, funds are targeted to where they are needed and money is not wasted.

HISTORY

Joshua had small beginnings and was born out of the dream of a humble  Malawian lady, Winnie Kapalamula, who lived in the village of Pensulo. She could see the needs of vulnerable children in her village, many of whom were AIDS orphans. She and her Committee aimed to set up a Feeding Centre where children could attend for a meal each day but they lacked a proper base and had few resources.

When Sylvia met Winnie in 1998, Joshua, [as it was then called], had £5 in the bank and Winnie and her helpers in the village were desperate for assistance.

At that time Sylvia had moved from UK to Blantyre where she was teaching and she agreed to help raise funds. Thanks to the support and fundraising efforts of Sylvia's friends and family in UK, land was obtained, the first Feeding Centre built and a feeding program established.

In 2005 Joshua became a fully registered UK as well as Malawian Charity which is now known as Joshua Orphan and Community Care [JOCC].

The organisation has grown hugely since its inception, expanding into Education, Health Care, Clean Water Provision and Sustainable Businesses with Sylvia remaining at the helm.