Jasmine Lehnis-Leitao worked in Malawi for 15 years before moving to Harrogate. Now she has set up the not-for-profit organisation Care In Action for Malawi to fund young people’s secondary and further education.
Ms Lehnis-Leitao went to Malawi in 2001 and has since worked on various projects there, including with local charity Open Arms Malawi, which cares for orphaned babies, and is closely linked with Harrogate communities.
Her new organisation will raise money through sponsorships and other fundraising to fund young peoples’ education, paying school fees and supplying them with books, supplies, and necessary technology. She is currently applying for charitable status.
Promise’s Story
Ms Lehnis-Leitao hopes her organisation will make a direct impact. She tells the story of Promise, a girl she worked with:
“Promise did well at primary school, but for secondary school she couldn’t afford the fees. Her parents had died, she was living with her aunt who sold tomatoes for a living. Her cousins and her aunt would all tell her ‘Why are you interested in books? You should be finding a man who can support you.’”
Care in Action for Malawi’s partner charity in Germany was able to step in to fund Promise’s education and Promise is now at a college for nursing. Ms Lehnis-Leitao adds:
“Once Promise becomes a nurse, that’s a career for life, it’s no longer about finding a man to rely on its about relying on yourself. It’s about having your career, having skills that you can give to your community.”
Read more:
- Family’s involvement in Harrogate charity ends after 100 years
- Harrogate set for colourful fountains and WiFi-charging benches
Local involvement
Ms Lehnis-Leitao aims to reach more people with her new organisation by working in collaboration with partners. She remarks that cooperation is key to “build strong partnerships locally and put more kids more through school”.
Ms Lehnis-Leitao hopes the Harrogate district will get involved with fundraising and she emphasises how a little can go a long way, saying:
“Get involved with events, which can be as simple as a pub quiz. Come along and support. We want to get to know people’s interests and what they can contribute.
“For £300 a year you can put someone through secondary school. For £500 a year you can put them through teacher training college which is only two years.”
To get involved or offer sponsorship, you can get in contact at [email protected].
For more information, click here.
