A Malawian national who has been a resident of the Helderberg since 2012 has aspirations to establish a skills centre back in his home country, where a poverty-stricken village is in dire need of a centre to help the youth improve their living conditions.
Yamikani Buleya has extensive experience working with Doctors without Borders, better known as MSF (Medécins Sans Frontières) from 2009 until 2012.
MSF is a a global network of principled medical and other professionals working in teams, small and large, to respond to the medical needs of people affected by conflict, disasters and epidemics and those excluded from healthcare.
“I worked as a site supervisor, assisting with HIV treatment, distribution of ARVs as well as child therapy,” said Buleya. “We worked in remote areas in the southern part of Malawi, where there is restricted access to basic commodities and no health care facility.”
Shortly after his contract with MSF expired due to the organisation moving to another district, Buleya was concerned how he would be able to provide for his ailing mum and extended family. He then decided to move to SA and found employment in Somerset West as a handyman. It was here that he was taught skills relating to painting, re-surfacing, plumbing and electrical work.
He worked here between 2013 and 2019 before his employer relocated abroad.
Buleya has since been working part-time and casual jobs. “Ever since I left Malawi there’s one thing that’s been troubling my mind, and that is how I can help my people back home. They have absolutely nothing, no roads, no clinics, no opportunities to learn any skills.”
He said his vision is to help future generations and he is driven to succeed.
“I am prepared to take on this mammoth task, but all I need is a boost,” Buleya said. “I need access to basic computer literacy skills so that I can draw up my plans, and write proposals for companies and organisations to assist. If I had a laptop it would be so much easier.”
Buleya has made a plea to the community to help him get this initiative off the ground by enabling him to start somewhere. “My prayer is for someone who shares a passion to help others, like myself, to just provide some basic skills. The rest, I am sure, will follow.”
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To get in touch with Buleya, phone 078 866 3837.
