Bishopton Parish Church would like to thank the people of Bishopton and Dargavel who, over the last three years, have generously supported two projects in the remote village of Chisangano in the north of Malawi. The village has a population of 300 families and a primary school of 700 pupils, and these projects have made a huge difference to the lives of the villagers
In January 2020 the One World Committee at Bishopton Parish Church (which looks at situations outside of our own church at local, national and international level) were looking for a project to support and we approached a friend, Neil, a retired teacher from Edinburgh who has had links with Chisangano for 10 years. He provided us with information relative to a water project in Malawi although unfortunately, Covid brought this project to an abrupt halt.
However, in early 2023, following a meeting with the Chisangano Primary school headteacher – sitting under a tree!! – Neil messaged us with – to quote – “a cheeky request” to ask if the church might be interested in revisiting the project. Since the initial request in January 2020, things had moved on a bit, but clean water was still an urgent issue.
The main employment in the village is farming, and most houses are built from mud bricks with grass roofing. Water was provided by a single borehole with pump and if the borehole was broken, women from the village had to walk for up to six hours per day to source water which was often contaminated by bacteria, minerals and animals who drink at the waterhole while Cholera was on the increase in Malawi.
While the main source of income for the project came from the money raised at “Chocolate Heaven” at Bishopton Day (£1,060), Bishopton Community Council got the project off to a great start with a generous donation of £500. Although the money raised by Bishopton and Dargavel residents paid to link Chisangano’s water supply to piped water from the government’s existing Waterboard supply, Chisangano villagers took the initiative and dug the trenches for the waterpipes themselves. They also provided food for the Waterboard workers while the work was being carried out, showing a real desire to take ownership, move this project forward, and keep the overall costs down. The work was completed in just over six months and in the last 18 months, a further five taps have been added by the village to ensure clean water for everyone – something we in Bishopton take for granted.
In January 2025, following the success of the Water Project, Neil was approached again to find out if there was any work needing done in Chisangano which we could take on as another project. Neil quickly came back and asked if we would consider the repair / refurbishment of teachers’ houses in the village. There were four houses desperately in need of work. Indeed one – the largest – was in such poor condition that it eventually had to be knocked down and rebuilt.
The following photo shows the lack of DOORS and WINDOWS, and a ROOF which needed to be piled with bricks to keep it held on.
In Malawi, teachers are appointed by the government and need to live in these very basic houses, often with their family, and sometimes with pupils whose home is a distance away, as school starts at 8am.
The original poor condition of the houses resulted in two young female teachers being robbed and as a result, due to lack of confidence, they temporarily left the school. However, thanks to the work carried out (theirs was the second house to be completed), they are both delighted to be back in post, and the pupils and other staff are similarly delighted to have them.
Thanks to Individual contributions, retiring offerings at Communion in Church, Chocolate Heaven at Bishopton Day, a Quiz run by the church Social Committee, proceeds from the August Church Choir Concert, and donations from the Table Tennis group and “Chit Chat” the work on the houses and the project itself has now been completed. This is the culmination of a REAL TEAM AND VILLAGE EFFORT.
Furthermore, the villagers of Chisangano have been so pleased with what has been done to help them that they have taken the initiative and have already started work on the construction of a toilet block consisting of seven toilets – five for pupils and two for staff.
The sum of £3,658.40 has been raised since January 2025 for which we, and the villagers of Chisangano, are very grateful. As well as completing the work on the teachers’ houses, this money has also helped fund the construction of the toilets, although the villagers were not aware that extra funds were coming to them when they started the work.
The following photos show how materials arrived at the site of the houses.
In addition to the two projects described, Bishopton Primary School also established a link with the Chisangano School and have raised money to build toilet / changing rooms for the girl pupils, giving them a privacy they were previously denied, and to provide the school with essential educational resources.
Scotland and Malawi have a long-established link and now, through the provision of basic everyday elements we all take for granted (water and a secure, safe house) the village of Bishopton and Dargavel is now part of the everyday vocabulary in the village of Chisangano, Malawi.
While it is gratifying to know that Bishopton and Dargavel has made a significant contribution to the life of a village in what is regarded as the fifth poorest country in the world, perhaps an even more important fact is that the villagers, as a result of the support they have received, have found the confidence to move forward themselves in improving their own lives.
We are grateful for being able to help them succeeding in that aim.
Huge thanks to everyone who contributed to these special projects and God bless our neighbours in Chisangano.
Bishopton Parish Church One World Committee
