A number of international film documentaries have been made by Japanese, French and the BBC in the UK. In the latest documentary (2023), HEEED collaborated with the BBC team led by Sir David Attenborough entitled Planet Earth 3 Fresh Water Episode 4 – featuring the “play-dead” fish (nimbochromis livingstonii) – a unique creature in Lake Malawi that captures its prey by pretending it is dead.
Very recently, the Malawian press published two articles – featuring the HEEED female diving team and their successful removal of under-water garbage from Lake Malawi National Park: this has led to a creative recycling and a flourishing team of artists in HEEED Handicrafts….Also HEEED was recently featured in the MBC video. This also coincided with HEEED’s donation of two mud-stoves to the kitchen of the girls’ dormitory at Chembe Secondary school, while their students also learn to make fuel briquettes and give the school a weekly supply.
In 2022, a private donation to the NYCOM-HEEED Skills Training Centre, gave young children new playground facilities which have become a popular part of the HEEED Children’s Educational Programme.
In 2020, HEEED signed an MOU with NYCOM (National Youth Council of Malawi) and established the NYCOM-HEEED Skills Training Centre, Chembe – where diverse activities have continued and are expanding. With the Malawi Entry Visa now waived, HEEED isparticularly focused on welcoming an increased number of foreign visitors to the Centre, to appreciate and buy HEEED Handicrafts, to go diving, snorkelling and enjoy other tourist attractions of Lake Malawi National Park – UNESCO World Heritage Site.
In addition to promoting activities in the tourist sector, HEEED is also collaborating with the Ministry of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare; Ministry of Industry and Trade, Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Wildlife; Ministry of Natural Resources, Energy and Mining (Dept. of National Parks); Ministry of Transport and Public works; Ministry of Education, Science and Technology; Ministry of Health; Ministry of Civic Education, Culture and Community Development, Malawi Children’s Village, Chembe Secondary School – particularly focused on health issues impacting on both communities and the environment. HEEED also has an MOU with Malawi National Parks.
In 2017, a number of individuals (including 2 HEEED Trustees) founded the Finland-Malawi Association with the aim of strengthening the links between the 2 countries. This initiative has lead to HEEED’s participation in the World Village Festival for the first time in May 2018.
Since 2010, HEEED has also been promoting a social enterprise related to the tourist sector entitled Cape Maclear Scuba Shack Diving School. The income generated from both these entities funds all the HEEED community activities, bilharzia research, educational, orphan-care and Volunteer programmes. HEEED also signed an MOU with NYCOM (National Youth Council of Malawi) and they jointly created the NYCOM-HEEED Skills & Training Centre in Chembe, Cape Maclear.