Serving the Community through Good Works: Noel Ndawala in Malawi

Malawi has the fourth highest percentage of people living in extreme poverty in the world, with more than a third of the population living below the international poverty line (one dollar per day). For Noel Ndawala, that has been a call for concern, a cry that cannot be ignored, and an opportunity to make a difference.

Upon returning to Malawi after his graduation in 2019, Noel mapped his community and realised that most people were living in extreme poverty and could not afford basic needs. Though he had no money, he was equipped with skills to lead. As a result, he successfully established Happy Homes Foundation, a non-profit organisation providing support to vulnerable children, women, and the elderly. The Foundation provides food distribution, school scholarships, and business empowerment.

Widowed and unemployed, Chrissy depends on farming to provide for her three children in the absence of her husband. Life through farming is challenging, especially during climate change. But she has received food parcels from Noel’s organisation to help feed her family. Thanks to God and the Happy Homes Foundation, Chrissy’s family has food and her children will be able to attend school.

Thanks to God and the Happy Homes Foundation, Chrissy’s family has food and her children will be able to attend school.

Noel Ndawala, 2019 Graduate

The organisation prioritises education for orphaned and vulnerable children in Dowa, Malawi. It provides school uniforms and raises funds for scholarships for school-going children. Amina, an orphaned and vulnerable young girl from Dowa, can now attend school looking like the other kids as the Happy Homes Foundation provides school fees and uniforms. She would not have been able to get an education, but because of Noel’s initiative her future has been rekindled, and she looks forward to transforming her community when she is older.

Beyond benevolent support, Noel is involved in community development. Recently, he was invited to a Council of Chiefs from Dowa District and tasked to establish a programme prioritising women’s empowerment. The community leaders have endorsed the Happy Homes Foundation to lead the transformational initiative. It has the authority to convene and teach community members how to start and sustain businesses.

Happy Homes Foundation is leading the community of Dowa into a better future . . . a future more aligned with hope and progress we love to see our graduates leading. Noel is an example of such transformational leadership among our graduates.