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!
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.
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!
July 2024: Grants Programme update
FOMA have revised the schedule for the grants programme.
There will now be one annual Open Call during August – proposals will be reviewed by the Grants Committee during September and successful projects awarded funding in October. All applications must be submitted on the official FOMA application form by 31st August.
FOMA will also continue to support CorpsAfrica volunteers working in Malawi inviting them to a Closed Round during December with successful applicants awarded grants in February to support their community projects.
For further information please visit the Grants page here
April 2024: CorpsAfrica projects update
The FOMA Trustees have approved grants for 8 new CorpsAfrica projects. Volunteers working alongside their placement communities will soon be able to get the projects up and running – they include rebuilding two Under 5 healthcare clinics, installing hand operated water pumps, renovating several classrooms, reconstructing a bridge, building a toilet block and a new kitchen for a community based child care centre. Good luck to all those involved – we look forward to hearing updates soon.
Keep an eye on our project pages for reports and photos.
January 2024: FOMA grants – new projects underway
FOMA Trustees have recently awarded grants to 7 organisations in Malawi to support community projects. Over the coming months communities in Blantyre, Zomba and Machinga will benefit from improved water supplies through renovated boreholes and water systems. School students in Mulanje will soon be learning in a new classroom and new toilets will be constructed in Kasungu. In Karonga expectant mothers will find new beds and mattresses in the maternity wing of a rural health clinic and in Blantyre disabled adults and children attending a physiotherapy clinic will be supported with mobility equipment. Keep an eye on the FOMA Project pages for further updates and photos soon.
December 2023 – FOMA Christmas market
In early December several FOMA members raised funds by selling homemade Christmas decorations and gifts at a local market. All money raised will go towards supporting the community projects in Malawi.
For more information on FOMA gifts please see our shop page.
November 2023
Thank you to all organisations that submitted an application for a FOMA community grant in the recent ‘open round’. All projects are being considered and decisions will be made, and communicated by email, in mid-January 2023. Zikomo!