Boyce was referred to Open Arms in November 2011 after his mother died. He was just 6 months old, poorly with chicken pox and was only a gram or two above his birth weight.
His father, who lived in a rural village 60km from Blantyre, sought help because he, like many other subsistence farming families, was struggling to cope financially and had three older children to care for.
Returning to his family
In 2014, at the age of 2 years and 8 months, a happy and well-nourished Boyce was reintegrated back with his family. He went to live with his aunt in Blantyre, as his father still had no regular income and felt that was the best arrangement.
It is important that Open Arms is available to support children even after they leave the Infant Home, as life is rarely straightforward in Malawi. Through visits to Boyce’s aunt, you could see that she loved him dearly but needed financial support to keep him nourished and for him to attend nursery.
Regular support providing stability for Boyce
We put a call out for support for Boyce and Cameron Hoey, aged just 13, took on that responsibility through various fundraising activities, including doing chores at home. Cameron and his family still support Boyce through a regular gift.
Cameron said "We started a big book with all of the pictures and updates from Open Arms and just keep adding to it. It’s great to see the difference over the years."
A sponsorship scheme is available to children that have moved back to their families but need some additional help. Children are selected very carefully by our Matron to make sure that funds are used in the best possible way. Money is sent to the guardian on a monthly basis and visits are made to monitor the child's welfare and circumstances.
A new home for Boyce
In October 2016 our team struggled to get in touch with the family and discovered that he had moved back to live with his father, after his aunt remarried. He continues to live there now. His father's life is not without its struggles and work can be unpredictable and low paid, so the small regular support that we can give not only helps with Boyce’s basic nutrition and access to education, but also allows regular checks on his health and wellbeing.
More than just a regular gift
In 2019 Cameron and his sister Megan went out to Malawi and were able to visit and spend time with Boyce and his family. Cameron reported "Our time passed so quickly and was filled with so many wonderful memories and the both of us got the opportunity to meet Boyce, which was beyond words."
More recently Boyce's father's house had suffered significant damage in Cyclone Freddy in 2023. Two walls and the roof were washed away. They have since repaired their roof with grass and sacking where the walls are strong, but this will not protect them during future rains.
After receiving their update Cameron's family asked if they could support further and with help and advice from our team in Malawi, the family were able to raise the additional funds needed to buy all materials give to Boyce’s father to repair their house roof.
The materials were delivered to the family at the start of the year.
The regular support provided by Cameron's family and the one-off gifts to provide specific help where needed are making a huge difference to Boyce and his father.
In Cameron's words "I will continue to sponsor Boyce and would commend anyone to do this, the difference you can make to a small child is mind blowing and all for less than you would spend on a night at the cinema. To see Boyce growing and thriving every time we get an update is wonderful. I cannot recommend it highly enough and if I could do it at only 13 years of age anyone can."
If you would like to find out more about making a regular gift to help us support more families click here.
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