MISSION STATEMENT

Malawi's children are falling through cracks in the faulty academic system. In one of the poorest countries in the world, children are compelled to pay for their own education beyond middle school—including books and compulsory uniforms. Only 33% of all eligible students can afford to attend secondary school. WE ARE ONE malawi aims to guarantee secondary education for our 12 orphans first, then address the larger community's needs.

HISTORY OF THE ORPHANAGE

When Rosemary Gibbons and Moffat Phiri married in 2001, Moffat's chief presented them with a generous wedding gift of land. They decided to create an orphan care center for the famine-starved children in the area who had lost one or both parents due to AIDS. The Phiris also recognized the potential to raise these children to be Malawi's future leaders.

The orphanage was built with the help of Moffat's family members and other villagers. With a great deal of patience, the villagers constructed the orphanage out of handmade dirt bricks. Construction was frequently delayed as the group waited for enough money to continue each subsequent step. Finally, after a year and a half of labor, the orphanage was completed in August 2002.

HISTORY OF WE ARE ONE malawi

After several trips to Malawi, Kip Myers was moved to support his mother's orphanage by involving the community in New York City. While Rosemary and Moffat's fundraising efforts throughout the States cover the boys' feeding and care, WE ARE ONE malawi focuses on the prohibitive costs of additional schooling.

Our official kickoff was on World AIDS Day 2006. We are proud to say that our gallery opening was a smashing success, with enough money raised to send our top achievers to private school in the fall and to establish the Education Scholarship Fund.