Empowering Lives & Transforming Futures

Empowering Lives Through Jobs & Education

Chipatso, in the Chichewa language, means a gift consisting of a piece of fruit. We stand for giving the most vulnerable children and single mothers in Cape Maclear a chance to live in a better environment (self contained homes) and provide education for their children along with other vulnerable children in the community. A high priority is given to orphans and children of vulnerable families.

Chipatso’s main mission is to educate vulnerable children and provide jobs for single mothers in Cape Maclear, Malawi. This assistance will help them thrive and bring stability to their families.

Our Services

We've built 4 homes for single mothers (3 of which are currently occupied), a scholarship fund for 60 learners (preschool through college), and a nutrition program. It‘s our belief that children who receive a higher education will be able to obtain better paying jobs and support their families. This will allow families to move off site so other vulnerable families can move in.

Chipatso is a “village within a village”. This includes single mother homes, a farm, a nutrition center, restaurant, lodges, an internet cafe and volunteer quarters. These provide work opportunities for the single mothers living at Chipatso and other single women in the Cape Maclear village. Currently 8 single mothers are supported in this program 3 of whom live on site with their 15 children.

Educational Support

Not only do we have an education fund but we also provide full time tutoring and special classes for those students not able to be mainstreamed into private school. There are afterschool and weekend programs as well including English Conversation, art and ESL. School supplies, including laptops for college students, are replenished as needed to ensure that our kids have what they need for a bright future.

Nutritional Aid

Our half acre farm, directly behind the site, has already reaped the benefits of its co-founder, Kim Often, having a degree in AgriBusiness. Additional crop to be planted soon which includes tomatoes, eggplant, onions, watermelon, pineapple, basil and chilis along with a chicken coop. On site there have been over 30 fruit trees planted that will reap rewards in a few years. Our kids are feed breakfast and lunch 7 days a week.

Volunteer Opportunities

Come join us for the experience of lifetime! Stay as long as you like. We value cooking, art, crafts, sewing and music along with MANY others skills. If you have a particular skill let us know! VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:

Painting - Tiling/grouting - Gardening - Decorating tasks - Preparing food and serving children in our nutrition program - Tutoring in English conversation and grammar

Our lodges are on the same property as our co-founder, Ilia Carson-Letelier. Chipatso is enclosed by a fence around the property and is a 5 min walk to the shores of Lake Malawi. We have 24hr guards but it's safe for women to walk alone at night.

Chipatso is located behind the Billy Riordan Medical Center with top of the line transport if you need to go to a larger hospital. There are qualified doctors and nurses all of whom speak fluent English. Medication is available for a variety of needs.

You will have access to hot water, AC (in some of the lodges), western style toilets/showers and numerous electrical outlets. We ask for your patience during any outages when this occurs and we will do our best to make your stay as comfortable as possible. Please contact us for additional information and rates.

Get in Touch with Us

chipatsoproject@yahoo.com WhatsApp +265996795729