FOMA – Grants Programme ‘open round’
The Open Round submission period is from 1st to 31st August.
Organisations supporting community projects are welcome to apply – full details are available on the FOMA grants page
Expressions of Interest – new Trustees for FOMA
FOMA Trustees are seeking Expressions of Interest (EoI) from parties that would like to explore the options to take forward FOMA under new trustee leadership, or merge FOMA with an existing organisation. Trustees are open to considering EoIs from any person or organisation, including those FOMA have worked with previously.
Further details can be found on the Charity Jobs website – click here
Closing date for expressions of interest to be submitted is 31st August 2025.
FOMA Treasurer
The Friends of Malawi Association (FOMA) wishes to appoint a new Honorary Treasurer
The Honorary Treasurer will be responsible for:
- keeping the accounts of FOMA and its associated charity the FOMA Charitable Trust Fund.
- being an authorised signatory of their bank accounts and be the main contact with FOMA’s bankers
- will prepare the annual accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charity Commission
- will make payments consistent with the organisation’s Trust Deed
- will liaise as necessary with the Charity Commission and HMRC
- liaise with FOMA’s Grants Coordinator regarding review of grant proposals and payments of grants
- will undertake such other duties as are agreed with the other Trustees.
FOMA has around 300 members and an annual turnover of about £3,000, most of which is passed on to the Trust Fund. The Trust Fund makes up to 20 grants for projects in Malawi each year totalling £10-20,000. The Committee meets twice a year, and FOMA up to three times (in most cases online).
The required time commitment is of the order of 1-3 hours a month.
If you are interested and would like to discuss the role, please email sec.foma@gmail.com FAO Simon Broadbent.
February 2025: Community grants awarded
The FOMA Trustees have recently approved 11 new community projects. These will be carried out by CorpsAfrica volunteers working within their placement communities and include renovations to Under 5 health clinics and community centres, installation of solar irrigation, construction of school toilets, classrooms and purchase of school desks.
Please check the Project Pages for updates and photos soon!
FOMA AGM – September 2025
The AGM will be held on Saturday 20th September at 2.00pm online.
Following an update on FOMA over the past year and re-election of the committee, the Grant Coordinator will present a report FOMA’s current funded projects.
Summer Garden Party 2025
The FOMA annual garden party was held on 12 July 2025. Members and their guests enjoyed catching up with friends from time in Malawi over tea & cakes. The FOMA pop-up fundraising shop offered handmade gifts, marmalade for Malawi and a selection of greeting cards. It was a lovely afternoon and all proceeds go to support our community projects.
October 2024: Community projects update
The FOMA Trustees have approved grants for 11 new community projects. These will include installation of several new water pumps and repairs to boreholes too ensure safe water supplies; purchase of physiotherapy equipment to treat and support children with disabilities; new classroom blocks and disability friendly toilets for two primary schools; a new clinic room for HIV testing and a guardian shelter at a health centre. We wish everyone involved good luck with the projects – we look forward to hearing updates soon.
Keep an eye on our project pages for reports and photos.
FOMA AGM – September 2024
The AGM was held on Saturday 21st September at 2.00pm online. Zikomo to all members that attended.
Following an update on FOMA over the past year and re-election of the committee, the Grant Coordinator gave a presentation on FOMA’s current funded projects alongside a review of FOMA’s impact in Malawi over the 55 years since FOMA’s creation. See news page for further details
FOMA Spring Event – 2025
FOMA hosted an online event on Saturday 12th April 2025 for members to hear from two recent grant recipients providing feedback on the projects that FOMA have supported.
Thank you so much to Samuel Ulili from StepUp and Benjamin Dzonzi from Ho Ho Action Plus for sharing their projects – it was a pleasure to hear from you both.
Celebrating 55 years of FOMA!
FOMA is celebrating it 55th anniversary this year! We send greetings and a heartfelt Zikomo! to all our members, past and present for the support and many, many memories of time spent in Malawi.
Since 1990, FOMA’s charitable activities have been running in Malawi and to date FOMA have funded 255 community projects totalling over £225,000. Communities throughout each region from Chitipa in the north to Nsanje in the south have been supported with a wide variety of projects including re-building classrooms and health centres, bicycle ambulances, school desks, water pumps, solar panels for electricity, learning resources, physiotherapy equipment, sewing machines, farming equipment, planting trees, mending bridges and building lots and lots of toilets!
