Our History
Malawi Education Link was set up by Caroline Hansford in 1997, when a group of teachers were looking for students to head out to Africa to work in underpriveleged Schools. Fast forward nearly 20 years, and nearly 500 students and leaders have now visited 'The Warm Heart of Africa', as Malawi is affectionately known, raising over £250,000 of funds in the process.
MEL primarily works within a 25km radius of Ngala village. This gives us most of the benefits of national registration and also means that only local communities influence and benefit from our funds. It also means that no money is ‘diverted’ to non-local parties and therefore the vast majority of our fundraising reaches its intended beneficiaries.
Charity Status
Malawi Education Link has been officially registered as a UK charity (1108460) since 1997.
Since MEL works only within a 25km radius of Ngala village, it is registered there under Senior Group Village Headman Kamkondo’s Community Based Organisation, Likuchi CBO. This gives us most of the benefits of national registration and also means that only local communities influence and benefit from our funds. It also means that no moneys are ‘diverted’ to non-local parties and therefore the vast majority of our fundraising reaches its intended beneficiaries.
Caroline Hansford MBE
On December 29th 2012 The Queen selected to award the Founder and organiser of Malawi Education Link with the rank 'Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire' (MBE). It was awarded for services to Primary Education in Malawi.
"Obviously, I'm honoured to receive the MBE but credit must also go to the 400+ volunteers who've bravely put themselves in my hands, since 1999, to come out to this remote part of Malawi, and also to all those supporters who've helped our tiny charity bring more than £300,000 in funds and resources to one of the poorest countries in the world."
- C. Hansford
Malawi Education Link was set up by Caroline Hansford in 1997, when a group of teachers were looking for students to head out to Africa to work in underpriveleged Schools. Fast forward nearly 20 years, and nearly 500 students and leaders have now visited 'The Warm Heart of Africa', as Malawi is affectionately known, raising over £250,000 of funds in the process.
MEL primarily works within a 25km radius of Ngala village. This gives us most of the benefits of national registration and also means that only local communities influence and benefit from our funds. It also means that no money is ‘diverted’ to non-local parties and therefore the vast majority of our fundraising reaches its intended beneficiaries.
Charity Status
Malawi Education Link has been officially registered as a UK charity (1108460) since 1997.
Since MEL works only within a 25km radius of Ngala village, it is registered there under Senior Group Village Headman Kamkondo’s Community Based Organisation, Likuchi CBO. This gives us most of the benefits of national registration and also means that only local communities influence and benefit from our funds. It also means that no moneys are ‘diverted’ to non-local parties and therefore the vast majority of our fundraising reaches its intended beneficiaries.
Caroline Hansford MBE
On December 29th 2012 The Queen selected to award the Founder and organiser of Malawi Education Link with the rank 'Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire' (MBE). It was awarded for services to Primary Education in Malawi.
"Obviously, I'm honoured to receive the MBE but credit must also go to the 400+ volunteers who've bravely put themselves in my hands, since 1999, to come out to this remote part of Malawi, and also to all those supporters who've helped our tiny charity bring more than £300,000 in funds and resources to one of the poorest countries in the world."
- C. Hansford
