In rural Districts of Malawi, Africa, literacy rates are as low as 60% and poverty rates are as high as 69%. There are also significant inequities between male and female students, with 80% more males than females completing secondary school or going beyond secondary school and 14% of females versus 8% of males never attending school. Through his position with the Joliet Rotary Club, Spesia & Taylor partner John Spesia is working with ... Read More
John Spesia of Spesia & Taylor Gets Third Rotary International Project Off The Ground
On May 3, 2019, the third Rotary Global Grant project sponsored by the Rotary Club of Joliet and the Limbe, Malawi Rotary Club (with the help of Spesia & Taylor’s John Spesia) was approved by Rotary International. The grant – which totals $117,148.00 – will go towards to providing essential services to people in the rural Thyolo and Mulanji Districts of Malawi, Africa. Based on the success of previous projects, the most recent grant will ... Read More
Spesia & Taylor Supports New Sewing Facility and St. Joseph’s Centre in Malawi, Africa
ST. JOSEPH’S CENTRE, MALAWI, AFRICA SEWING FACILITY UPDATE In July of 2016, an exciting new project began at the St. Joseph’s Centre. The project, designed and implemented by Fr. Phillip Mbeta with assistance from the Montfort Missionaries, was to raise enough money to construct a new building where local villagers in rural Malawi could get the instruction necessary to make clothing and other wares that could then be sold to families of ... Read More
Partner John Spesia Leads Effort To Renovate Schools and Provide Clean Water in Rural Malawi, Africa
The media documentation of the constant domestic struggle occurring in Malawi, Africa makes it no surprise that the United Nations ranks Malawi in the 20 least developed countries in the world. This plight, although felt throughout the country, is arguably felt more so in the rural villages of Malawi simply due to their remote nature. Malawi native and Catholic priest, Father Phillip Mbeta, befriended former senior partner at Spesia & Taylor ... Read More
Philanthropy and the Malawi Africa Story
Doug Spesia was the senior partner of the Spesia & Taylor law firm for 20 years. He had a passion for world travel and a deep conviction to helping others. In 2003, Doug Spesia and his wife Lori travelled to Malawi, Africa to volunteer at a mission located in a small village called Namitembo. While there, the Spesias worked with two missionary priests, one of whom had been in Malawi for 50 years, as well as with many native priests. ... Read More