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A feature on our friends at The Bananabox Trust

Date: 26th August 2025

Having been to Malawi to support our friends at Play Soccer Malawi we needed to find a way to supply equipment to Lilongwe and Blantyre. We have  been delighted that for these past few years we have had the support of the Bananabox Trust. Here we are delighted to feature the amazing work they do here.

 

Bananabox Trust (BBT) is a small, volunteer-led Scottish charity, based in Dundee. There are two prime functions, both to support Northern Malawi. Malawi is one of the poorest countries, where the average income is $1 per day. The per capita GDP is 1% of the UK. 85% of the population support their family through subsistence small-holding farming, growing mainly maize, supplemented sometimes with bananas or mangoes.

BBT supports charities, schools, churches, universities, clubs and individuals and others in the UK by providing a transport service (at a very reasonable cost) for goods which these groups want to send to Malawi. Goods range from baby knitting to hydro generation equipment, through bedding, educational material, tools and sewing machines and medical equipment, including dental chairs and eye testing.

But that is not all that BBT does! Through its sister organisation in Malawi, Bananabox Plus (BBP), BBT:

  • Has established a sports academy – over 300 schools and clubs, 6 sports, 20,000+ participants
  • Has developed a self-sustaining school feeding model – aiming at 1,000 schools, 500,000 kids, 100,000,000 meals per annum.
  • Is developing small businesses to fund the feeding programmes – chicken farming, pig farming, coffee, tomatoes in greenhouses, a maize mill, bus hire (the Highland Coo-ster) and much more.
  • Is investing in people. Malawians don’t lack ability but do lack training, skills and opportunities.

The ultimate aim of this ambitious 25-year programme is behaviour change on a region-wide basis. Already, changes are being seen. Make a note to check in on progress in 2050!

Bananabox Trust can be contacted through Facebook (follow us for regular updates), our new look website (going live at the end of August)  or by emailing info@bananaboxtrust.org.

 

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