To our dear Gumbi Fund Supporters,
Muli bwanji? (“How are you?” in local Chichewa language)
We hope this message finds you well. It has been some time since you last heard from us, but please rest assured that we remain fully committed to our mission and stronger than ever.
Over the past two years, the fund has undergone several important transformations. We are deeply grateful to our loyal supporters for standing by us throughout this period. Now, we are pleased to share some of these developments with you.
We hope you will enjoy reading about all our news. If there is anyone you know whom you would like to share these updates with, send them the link below so they can sign up for our newsletter too, or forward this email to them – info@gumbieducationfund.co.uk
With gratitude, Gumbi Trustees
The passing of our Founder, John Vidal
Sadly, John Vidal, founder of the Gumbi Education Fund (GEF), passed away in October 2023 at the age of 74. (The Guardian Obituary) (Passing of John Vidal/Thank you) We are proud to continue his work, both with a local team in Malawi, as well as a refreshed team of Trustees in the UK.
John had travelled to Malawi professionally as a journalist to report on severe hunger in 2002. He ended up in the village of Gumbi and met local health worker Patrick Kamzitu, who later went on to run the Fund in the community in Malawi.
Since his passing we are so grateful for the gifts we have continued to receive and for the ongoing donations from regular givers, many going back years. This has enabled us to keep children studying at secondary school and university, as well as maintaining and expanding the flourishing permaculture project.
New website & Update
After months of creative collaboration, our UK team is proud to unveil the newly redesigned Gumbi Education Fund website. The updated site reflects the innovation taking place over the past years, expanding sustainable agricultural activities as well as educational support.
Furthermore, as part of our visual renovation, Gumbi Education Fund adopted a new logo that better reflects the Gumbi identity and community. And which symbolises “the rising Malawi sun,” often referred to as “the warm heart of Africa,” representing freedom, hope, and growth.
Lastly, GEF has (finally) developed its social media presence! Would you like more regular updates on recent developments and recent photos from Gumbi? Follow, like, and share our social media accounts.
You can find us here:
Other developments – Education
Our education initiatives continue to thrive, currently supporting 123 secondary school students in the Gumbi area. We also continue to support students to continue their education in university, opening doors to brighter futures. Once graduated, the beneficiaries strive to give back. Some of the students include, Chrispin Sunduza, who studied Technical Education in Science, Triphonia Josephy who studies Computer Science and James Gomani, who was our first university beneficiary and who now leads the GEF Malawi team. All are all contributing positively to their communities, embodying the change we strive for.
Other developments – Permaculture
In partnership with Alton Climate Action Network the Gumbi Alton Permaculture Paradise (GAPP) demonstration farm has undergone a remarkable transformation —and now has a new name: Permaculture Community Training Centre (PCTC). This better reflects our mission as a community hub for sustainable farming and permaculture in the wider Gumbi district and beyond. It is more than a name change—it’s part of our long-term vision to grow into a centre for learning, sharing, and empowerment.
In May 2025, our six-member PCTC-team completed a 7-day “Training the Trainer” course with Luwayo and Grace Biswick at the Permaculture Paradise Institute. We’re excited to announce that the first two local training courses ran in August and October, which both had 15 trainee farmers (8 men and 7 women)—a major milestone for the project.
Also, over the last years, we have funded bikes for the young farmers, seeds and seedlings, and critical infrastructure: a solar-powered storeroom, classroom, large water tank with solar pump, 50,000- litre pond, animal housing, accommodation rondavels, and composting toilets. A solar teaching kitchen with food storage is now complete and its leading-edge solar powered stoves are in use. Looking ahead, we hope to expand the farm and fund a deep-drilled borehole. This is all to facilitate the growth into a community training centre.
Other developments – visits to Gumbi 2023 and 2024
Following their visit to Gumbi in June 2023, Madeleine Lane-Radcliffe and Sophie Groenheijde joined as new trustees. Their reflections: “Our visit to Gumbi in summer 2023 was an inspiring experience. The warmth of the community and visits to schools like St. Martin’s gave us insight into the progress and challenges within the Malawian education system. After just two weeks, we are left with great admiration for the work being done and are honoured to now help grow GEF’s impact on the Gumbi community as Trustees.” In May 2024, Jen Vidal and Jenny Griffiths travelled to Gumbi. Welcomed warmly by the community, they spent time with the Gumbi Fund Malawian team, students, school staff, and the PCTC farmers. A special memorial ceremony was held in honour of John Vidal, during which a copy of his book, ‘Fevered Planet’ which features Gumbi, was presented to the village library. Although the library had lost its roof in a storm, Jen Vidal funded its repairs — a lasting tribute to John’s vision and legacy.
If you’d like to read the full reports of these visits, see the News section.
The future of Gumbi
The Gumbi Education Fund is entering an exciting new chapter. GEF is now partnering with the Centre for Innovation in Voluntary Action (CIVA), opening up new opportunities for grant applications and long-term support.
The UK-trustees continue to have monthly meetings to arrange the development and management of GEF. Jen Vidal and Jenny Griffiths continue to liaise with the Malawi-based team and develop both the PCTC and Education wings of the fund. As mentioned in the beginning of this newsletter, we have recently launched our social media presence on Instagram and Facebook, where Madeleine and Sophie share regular updates from our students and the ongoing work at the Permaculture Community Training Centre (PCTC).
We’re also proud to share that James Gomani, the first boy from his community to attend university, started working with the UK Trustees to monitor and track the finances and operations of the Gumbi Education Fund and Permaculture Community Training Centre. James is now leading the Malawian team. He also mentors young boys and girls to thrive with education and shape their career paths. James has recently been promoted to a role financially managing projects at SolarAid Malawi.
Patrick Kamzitu was chosen by John Vidal over twenty years ago to be the Gumbi Fund project coordinator, working with the community to choose the children to be assisted by the Fund for secondary school and university education. We are grateful for his many years of service. He remains active today as an advisor to the Gumbi Education Fund and the Permaculture Community Training Centre.
As we look ahead, our mission remains clear: to expand access to education and opportunity for Gumbi’s young people. With your continued support, we are building a future rooted in learning, self- reliance, and community empowerment.
Thank you for being part of this journey and for years of invaluable contributions from many of you. As we enter this new chapter of the Gumbi Education Fund, we hope to continue counting on your support, or that if you have not already done so, you may be able to support us now.
Also, make sure to follow our social media accounts, which is a big help at no cost.
Options for Contributing;
Standing Orders & BACS
Account Name: Gumbi Education Fund
Account Number: 65125373
Sort code: 08-92-99
CO-OPERATIVE BANK Skelmersdale, Lancashire, WN8 6WT
For cheques
Gumbi Education Fund c/o Jen Vidal
The Forge Pontyblew Chirk, UK, LL14 5BH