About RIPPLE Africa: A Charity Working in Malawi, Africa

Geoff and Liz Furber started RIPPLE Africa in 2003. They have a passion for Africa, and in particular the area and the people around Mwaya, Malawi, where the charity is based. Geoff brings a wealth of commercial experience to RIPPLE Africa, having run his own business for over 25 years, and Liz has a sound administrative background. The combination of their skills has meant that the charity has developed into an effective, fun and well run organisation. They are realists, not idealists, and believe in giving a hand up, not a hand out.

They feel it is important that costs are kept to a minimum — for example, the design and maintenance of the website and all administration is done by them at no cost to the charity. RIPPLE Africa only employs local Malawians, and they are responsible for the day to day running of the projects.

Geoff and Liz are in weekly contact with the senior managers, who provide progress reports on the projects. They regularly visit Malawi to keep an eye on how the charity is running and to develop new programmes. They spend time training and empowering the RIPPLE Africa managers and staff, and meeting with members of the local community. They also really enjoy the company of the many overseas volunteers who stay at Mwaya Beach.

RIPPLE Africa is very different to most charities working in Africa. Normally, so much money is wasted on administration, monitoring, report writing, inefficient systems, etc., that very little money actually finds its way to the people who the donors wished to help. RIPPLE Africa is based at Mwaya Beach and has minimal local overheads. The charity deals directly with the local communities, and it is made clear that RIPPLE Africa helps people who help themselves. The charity often acts as a catalyst to make things happen.

RIPPLE Africa is involved with education and healthcare locally to Mwaya. It is also actively involved in an environmental tree planting and reforestation project in Nkhata Bay District, which covers an area of 4,000 sq.km.