Meet Mary

‘My name is Mary and I’m from Mwambanya village in Malawi. I’m 15 years old and have two brothers and three sisters.

‘A while back, the toilets at school were not adequate, and it was impacting our learning. We could travel home to use the toilet, but this meant we would miss class to do so. My village is quite far from school.

‘With support from The Salvation Army, things have changed completely. The school now has private rooms that we can use during our periods. This means we don’t have to waste time going home to get clean, and we don’t miss classes anymore.

‘Before the project, we would often get sick from different illnesses. Now, we wash our hands regularly and follow personal hygiene measures.

‘We students are agents of change at school and at home!’

Helping-Hand 2023

The Helping-Hand Appeal is an annual fundraising project run by The Salvation Army’s International Development UK and Family Ministries units. Its aim is to encourage people to look beyond their own communities and help others around the world. This year the focus is Clean Water.

Spend a Penny, Give a Pound

One way to support Helping-Hand 2023 is by taking on the Spend a Penny, Give a Pound challenge. It’s simple: over the course of one day (or longer, if you choose) donate £1 for each time you use the loo! You can even use the Toilet Tally to help you and your household keep track.

‘Spend a penny’ is a British phrase that simply means to use the toilet. It refers to a time when it cost 1p to use public toilets. Ask a grown-up if they know this funny old phrase and invite them to join you in taking on the Spend a Penny, Give a Pound challenge!

For more information on the Helping-Hand Appeal and how to donate, visit salvationarmy.org.uk/international-development/helping-hand-appeal