A PAIR of schoolteachers have launched a campaign to build a house for the young Malawian man they call their “adopted son", to help him support other orphans.

Married couple Chris Taylor and Jan Farrington met Christopher Chapema on the shores of Nkhata Bay in Malawi while travelling 15 years ago.

After buying his hand-painted watercolour postcards on the beach they learned about the life and ambitions of the young man who had already lost both parents and two older siblings to what he called “the bad blood”, during the height of the African AIDS epidemic.

They met with his grandmother in her bamboo shack, and the headteacher of the local schoolhouse, and discovered that the money he earned selling his artwork would not be enough to fund this bright boy’s secondary education.

So they started sending him money each month to help with his education.

Jan said: “He was such a lovely boy, and so bright, we just wanted to help.

“We didn’t know it was going to be so long term but then his grandmother died.”

When his grandmother and sister both died, Chris and Jan paid for Christopher to go to boarding school and helped him pay for a driving licence and passport to help him find work.

Chris, the headteacher of Patcham Infant School, explained: “Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world and there were just no jobs there.

“Christopher is currently working in South Africa but he’s far from home and in a very vulnerable position.”

Christopher was left a small plot of land and the Brighton couple are trying to raise funds to build a house on the property which will include a boarding room.

“We want to make him sustainable out there", said Chris. "We want to create a boarding house with a room where orphans can stay, and paint artwork to sell to pay for their education.

“We need around £10,000 and it will feel incredible to set him up on his own and create a place where he can support others.”

Over the years Christopher has become part of the family, who regularly take trips out to see him and have a long trip booked next summer to supervise and volunteer with the construction project once their funding goals have been met.

“He just became part of the family, he calls us mum and dad and he calls our three children our brothers and sisters,” Chris added.

They have already raised over £1,000 online at which rewards supporters with christopher’s handpainted artworks, and hope that publicity will help them reach their target in the coming weeks and months.

To donate to the campaign go to www.crowdfunder.co.uk/Christophers-house-2