Read the uplifting story of twin sisters Halliet and Hellen, and learn why helping children thrive means supporting the whole family.
When we first met twin sisters Halliet and Hellen, they were tiny, fragile babies. Severely malnourished and at risk, their mother was struggling to provide for them.
The Social Welfare Department and Open Arms stepped in to work alongside the family. Our first priority was simply to help these little girls survive, day by day. We made sure their mother had a reliable supply of formula milk to supplement her feeding, alongside other practical support and guidance as she cared for her daughters.
Today, Halliet and Hellen are healthy, active toddlers – two going on twenty-two!
But helping them survive was just the beginning.
Halliet and Hellen are growing up surrounded by family, neighbours and friends. These everyday relationships play an important part in helping children develop confidence, feel secure and build a sense of belonging.
The first years of a child's life are foundational. Good nutrition is essential, but children also need loving relationships, stimulation and opportunities to learn and develop. The environment around them helps shape their future development and relationships.
This is why Open Arms' services are now all community based. We believe children are best supported within their families and communities, with the right help around them to give them the best possible start in life.
Alongside helping Halliet and Hellen get the nutrition they need, we're now working with their mother to help the family move towards greater self-sufficiency.
With support from Open Arms, she farms rented land to grow food for her family, with the opportunity to create a surplus to sell. This helps provide for their immediate needs while building the foundations for a more secure future.
But our support is about more than food or income.
It's also about helping their mother recognise her own abilities, build confidence and feel better equipped to shape her family's future.
Poverty is about so much more than a lack of money. Lasting change comes not only from having enough to eat, but from having the confidence, resources and opportunities to make decisions and build a future for yourself and your family.
Ultimately, we want families like Halliet and Hellen's to do more than survive. We want them to flourish, creating opportunities for their children and the generations that follow.
Halliet and Hellen's story is just one example of what your support helps make possible in Malawi.
This year, Open Arms has:
Every contribution helps make this work possible, and we're incredibly grateful to everyone who has played a part.
We know we can't do everything, and there are always more children and families who need support. But our commitment to helping children grow up safely within their families, with the opportunities they need to thrive, is as strong as ever.
If you're able to support the work of Open Arms, please know that every gift will be used carefully by our team in Malawi to make the biggest possible difference.
Together, we can help more children and families move beyond simply surviving and build brighter futures.
Thank you for being part of the Open Arms community.
Your donation will help children in Malawi grow up healthy with the love of a family
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