Mizzou for Malawi to raise money for orphan education

The organization is the pilot program for Change a Life.

Three MU students hope to involve the rest of campus in their efforts to help fund a facility for orphans in Africa.

Student organization Mizzou for Malawi's biggest fundraiser will be the profits from tonight's party at The Upper Crust. The restaurant is providing the venue free for Mizzou for Malawi, which is attempting to raise $25,000 to build a school for 600 children in Malawi.

The party is open to anyone and costs $10 at the door. Organizers encourage supporters to wear black and gold.

Junior Libby Wolfe presented the idea of the philanthropic organization to juniors Bree Dunn and Kyle Kilroy after her family became involved with C3 Missions International, a Kansas City non-profit organization. C3 Missions International works to improve the wellbeing of orphans around the world.

"It is really difficult to have an impact on people when there are so many great causes out there," Kilroy said. "Our goal is to define this really well, to get people to say this is worthy of their time."

The group will be in Speaker's Circle today selling advance tickets for $8. Those who donate an additional $12 will receive a T-shirt.

Mizzou for Malawi developed from the work of three students who believe education is key to the future of the south African country, the students said. Only 62.7 percent of the population can read, according to the Central Intelligence Agency's World Factbook.

C3 is planning to build a multi-part complex in Malawi with a school, a health clinic and birthing center, a church and 60 homes that could house 600 orphans. Mizzou for Malawi has taken on the responsibility of funding the school while other parties such as Saint Luke's Health System and Integral Life Foundation, both of Kansas City, took on other projects, such as the health clinic and birthing center.

C3 Missions International asked Wolfe to involve MU students as part of Change a Life, a program they created that aims to involve college students with their cause, especially concerning the education of orphans. Dunn said the girls renamed the program Mizzou for Malawi because they thought it would "tug at a few more heartstrings than something more generic-sounding."

The three founders are the first in the nation to bring Change a Life to their school, but the program's founder hopes it will eventually spread, Wolfe said.

Wolfe, Dunn and Kilroy brought the issue to the attention of their individual Greek chapters, who then spread the word to other Greek organizations.

Most Greek organizations are holding contests to see which can collect the most spare change.

Six committees will help spread the word about their cause to the rest of the campus through things such as events, outreach and T-shirts. They've collected money in Speaker's Circle, reached out to other campus organizations and hope to place change boxes in downtown Columbia.

If Mizzou for Malawi can reach its $25,000 goal, Change a Life plans to start building in January.

"The whole thing for me is, we've been given so much opportunity, why not give back?" Wolfe said.