Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Ms. Grace Sichinga

‘Gile! Mwadzuka?’  (Grace! Are you awake/ Good morning?) This is the voice of my landlady that shakes me awake usually around 5 am. I answer back and continue to sleep till 7 a.m., then I officially start my day.

My morning consists of getting ready and planning that day’s activities. After my morning routine, I walk a few minutes to our partner organization’s office. There, I help with the administrative work. After office work, I go to the market to buy that day’s news (relish), which usually consists of leafy veggies, eggs, tomatoes, and onions. On a good day, I buy some meat instead of eggs. After my short trip to the market, I go home and cook that day’s food.

By the time I finish having my lunch, I have about an hour or two to go to my community engagement activity. The usual meeting place for this activity is about 6km away from where I stay. The only thing I can complain about is the heat, it makes the 6km bike ride feel like 20km. On the bright side, I always meet people on the way who are always cheerful and offer warm greetings.

My community members have been welcoming since the beginning. Our meetings are always insightful and I tend to learn something new about the community each time. My favorite part about my day is the trip back home, the sun is finally setting, the wind has picked up and so the heat is not much of a problem. My day usually ends with me seeing a beautiful sunset.