What do two Navy retired veterans, a chef and a dentist have in common? Their love for food, wine and giving back. Helping to educate the next generation of Malawian youth, training a new generation of nursing students, establishing women’s micro-finance businesses, and connecting farmers with organizations to boost production of existing crops are just some of the projects these four have undertaken with the help of their friend’s, volunteers and partnering charities from around the world.
In 2010 Robert Hampton, DDS and his wife Claudia Sansone, CCP, visited Lilongwe, Malawi with hopes of establishing a dental clinic at Daeyang Luke Hospital. During the next few trips, Rob would carry an entire dental clinic, packed in boxes and suitcases, and delivering them to the hospital. Claudia, along with Feast It Forward’s, (feastitforward.com) co-founders, Kevin and Rebecca Gouveia, sat down with chiefs of the village and inquired as to what they needed the most. The response was a school. The four are currently seeking to support and raise awareness of the global needs of Malawi, Africa, which the World Bank has designated as the world’s poorest country.
For those unfamiliar with Malawi, it is neatly squeezed between Zambia, Tanzania and Mozambique. As few as 40% of Malawi children ages six to 13 complete primary school, which in the US would be the 8th grade. United Village Transformation is attempting to increase this one village at a time. With funds raised, Dothi Village was able to construct the first ever Early Childhood Development Center, enrolling over 115 students. Presently, a primary school is under construction which will be equipped with solar panels donated by Innovations: Africa providing electricity to Dothi Village for the first time.
UVT has assisted Dothi Village in developing the first community garden grown in 40 years with 1,200 packets of seeds being donated.
UVT’s dental clinic averages 5,000 patients each year. Dr. Rob and his colleagues have expanded the dental program to include training over 1200 rural nurses in oral hygiene and prevention.
In 2016 UVT met the Ambassador of The Republic of Malawi, Mr. Edward Yakobe Sawerengera in Washington, DC who connected them with Malawi’s First Lady Gertrude Mutharika. This meeting led to a sought-after union between UVT and her program Beautify Malawi (BEAM, http://www.beautifymalawitrust.com). With their motto, Food is Life and Education is the Seed, UVT is focusing on transforming the lives of villagers one village at a time.
Ethiopian Airlines, The Airline That Gives Back is a sponsor of United Village Transformation.