Sandulika

Empowering Independence and Sustainability at Sandulika, Malawi

This summer, our group is collaborating with the Kudimba Foundation in Lifuwu, Malawi, to support their inspiring new initiative: Sandulika.

Kudimba provides care, education, and support to children with disabilities, helping them grow toward independence. With Sandulika, the foundation is expanding its mission by creating a self-sufficient community where young adults can live, learn, and work in a supportive and sustainable environment.

Our project focuses on installing a solar power system that will supply clean, reliable electricity for both residential use and income-generating activities such as tailoring, carpentry, and small-scale farming.

We will also explore a pilot project to tackle one of Malawi’s biggest environmental challenges, deforestation. A nearby mango processing company currently produces large amounts of fruit waste that must be collected and disposed of at a cost. We plan to test whether this waste can be transformed into eco-friendly fuel briquettes, providing a cleaner, sustainable alternative to charcoal and firewood. Since most local families already cook with coal or wood, switching to briquettes would be simple and practical. Moreover, producing and selling these briquettes could become a valuable work opportunity and income source for the young adults at Sandulika, turning waste into both environmental and social progress.

Together, these initiatives aim to make Sandulika a place where young adults with disabilities can build skills, earn an income, and take pride in contributing to a cleaner and more sustainable future for their community.