Mission Statement
That the community be empowered to develop their potential in the face of poverty and disease.
Philip Mthobwa
Phillip Mthobwa is an agricultural extension worker who was a member of the first group of volunteers. He was asked by Dr Ratsma to team up with Gemma Brugha to support the group. From this juncture more groups were trained and so the Likulezi Project was born. Phillip Mthobwa is now the Director of the Project while still maintaining his position of Agricultural Extension worker.
Gemma Brugha
__An
Irish National who was working on a VSO contract as a nurse tutor at
the local mission hospital was asked by Dr. Ratsma, on her departure from the hospital to support the group of
village volunteers. Soon more groups evolved and eventually a community project was born . Gemma remained with the project for 10
years before returning to Ireland. She is now the administrator of Africa Aware and travels to Malawi annually.
Eric Manjolo
A local Malawian working as a laboratory technician at the same local hospital teamed with Dr. Ratsma to recruit and organise the group of village volunteers. Mr Manjolo is now deceased.
Dr. Esther Ratsma
A Dutch national working on contract at the local Mission hospital was the original instigator of the first group of village volunteers in 1990. Dr Ratsma now retired in the Netherlands though still supports the project.