Opening a relevant and up-to-date information centre has been a dream of mine for nearly ten years since completing my degree in Development Studies. A place that will spark new ideas and provide opportunities to the community. After a lot of hard work, from many different parties, this dream became a reality this year as, on the 2nd July, the Community Resource and Internet Centre opened at Butterfly Space. Excellent!!

The CRC has been a combined effort this year between us at Butterfly, Craig Hardie and Peace Ministries Development Initiative, a locally based NGO. Craig came through Nkhata Bay last year and, on a break from his career in London, was looking for a change in direction. We talked about the information centre idea. I already had a few books and magazines collected already at Butterfly, but wanted to expand it. Craig had possibilities regarding computer donations, and experience in organising projects.

He pulled out all the stops, returning to the UK and doing a bike ride and triathlon to fundraise money as well as sourcing donations of 10 computers and their transport over to Malawi. He returned in November and organised the beginning of the renovation! He also busied himself around town and made lots of useful contacts and connections. He discovered that one local NGO, Peace Ministries Development Initiative, and in particular Yotam Msuku, had involved themselves in, amongst other things, developing a proposal for a large environmental education and information centre. They had received lots of local support and land to establish the centre. Funding however was an issue.

As the ideas of PMDI and ourselves were so similar we decided to work together. In this way we could establish a small centre first at Butterfly, where we could get ideas started straight away and experiment and demonstrate how such a resource could be useful to the community. If we proved it worked this in turn would provide a massive boost to the dream to establish a larger, more interactive centre in Nkhata Bay town. Craig returned to the UK for a visit at the beginning of the year and we were really lucky to have another volunteer come immediately through and help us out.

Christy, a lovely lass from California, was with us for two months and worked really hard alongside Fred our carpenter to renovate the building. It was re-roofed, new windows, doors, extension, painted and the worst job of all was getting all the unsightly lime off the walls! Craig returned to over see the last of the renovation and the organising of the computers and the opening of the Centre. On an information level he got me and Yotam organised in producing handouts in our initial target areas; health, agriculture, income generation and business. Working with the Community Development Office and Education Office he made links to local schools and groups who would help with the translation of these materials into Tonga, the local language.

Craig also made links with Chief Matawale, who lives in the nearby village of Bolero, and initiated the start of the pilot project we have developed with them. For the following year we will be working alongside them, testing out ideas from the centre to see what really does work and is of use locally. He also organised the business side of things. It will be a non-profit venture, and we hope that the money that is received from tourists will subsidise free computer usage for the local community. Also on a Sunday, the centre will be closed to the public and all ten computers will be used to teach local school children. Craig did a great job of recruiting for the centre and in Delight and Oswald has found two staff that combines experience, knowledge and ability with passion and enthusiasm. AJ finished off the room with some beautiful paintings and also our saying:

The mural and the colourful vibrancy of the place give it real atmosphere and since the centre opened on the 2nd July it has had loads of visitors and is on the way to becoming a huge success. Craig has amazingly extended his flight again and will be with us until at least December! Although I suspect he will always be around in one way or another to help us ensure that the CRC really achieves its potential. Massive thanks to everyone involved, and for those not, pay us a visit some time and see for yourself!

MWALANDILIWA