My journey with CorpsAfrica Malawi began with a single step into Mkongolo Village, Nkhotakota, under T/A Mwadzama. As the dust settled, I was welcomed into a community that would become my greatest teacher. I arrived with theories of development, but quickly learned that real, lasting change is not delivered to a community; it is built with them through shared understanding and action. Every day of my service continues to teach me more.
From our earliest meetings, the principle of “Umodzi ndi mphamvu” (Unity is strength) guided our work. Uniting Village Development Committees and forming groups like the Tiwonerepo Youth Club created engines for local initiative. In quiet conversations, community leaders showed me the power of Asset-Based Community Development. Pointing to the dry Khula River bed, stated, “The solution is here,” teaching me that my role was not to bring solutions from outside, but to help recognize and mobilize the strengths that already existed.
Through these collective dialogues, we mapped a path forward. When the Tiyanjane Club’s goat-rearing secondary integration project faced financial hurdles, strategic meetings led to adaptation rather than abandonment. When rains damaged the Tiwonerepo Club’s garden, planning sessions birthed a thriving baking venture. Our tree nursery, community clean-ups, and briquette training all grew from gatherings where the community’s collective wisdom shone brightest. This resilience became our greatest asset.
As I continue to serve, I find myself playing many roles, a facilitator in meetings, a student of local knowledge, and an extra pair of hands whether marking schoolbooks at Khula Primary or baking with community members. The real impact is visible in the growing confidence of youth leading enterprises and in the community’s remarkable capacity to adapt and persevere.
My service has been a living lesson in Ubuntu: “I am because we are.” As I look ahead, I am guided by the wisdom that “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” In Mkongolo, our shared meetings have mapped the path, and our joint efforts are walking it one collective decision, one shared step at a time.
