Hello dear readers and my fellows! I hope my blog finds you very well . First of all, I’m going to introduce myself to you. I’m Fatima Zahra, I’m from Marrakech but Casablanca is my hometown. I received my BA in English studies, majoring in linguistics in 2018 from Kaddi Aayad University.
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My experience as a Volunteer with CorpsAfrica for 2018-2019 giving me the opportunity to discover and improve my personality. I am becoming more confident and better at public speaking. Also, I experienced how to be patient under the challenging conditions, without some basics needs, in a remote village. Moreover, the interaction with the people of the village helps me a lot to be close to their way of living, despite their different culture, accent, food, way of dress.

The ability to face difficulties in a remote village came out of the belief in the idea that volunteering is a lifestyle and we have to invest our time and energy in something that we know will have a positive impact on others.

Finally, CorpsAfrica brings hope to marginalized people, encouraging them to persevere for positive change and invest their potential in their community. 

It has been almost three months since I started serving as a CorpsAfrica Volunteer in Kasungu District in the central region of Malawi. How time flies because it just feels like yesterday when I started my volunteering service.  It has been an awesome journey but with challenges but let me talk about how my journey started before joining CorpsAfrica as a Volunteer.
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I remember quite well it was on 8 July in 2018 when I came across a CorpsAfrica post on its official Facebook page.  The post was about calling upon ambitious young men and women to serve as CorpsAfrica Volunteers. I was so excited when I saw this post since it was my passion to serve as a Volunteer with CorpsAfrica. Around 9 in the evening I submitted my application. After about three weeks I received a phone call from CorpsAfrica office calling me for the interviews at their office in Lilongwe. I was excited and at the same time I was afraid. I asked myself, “what if I am not going to pass the interview?” I started preparing for the interviews by practicing common interview questions and did some research on the internet about CorpsAfrica.

I went to the interview with confidence and well prepared. I answered all the questions with confidence and went back home and waited for results. After three months I received an email from CorpsAfrica congratulating me for passing the interview. I was so excited and filled with joy after receiving the email since my wishes were fulfilled. My family members were also happy for me, since they knew how much I wanted to serve as a CorpsAfrica Volunteer. A week after receiving this email I received another one informing me about the Pre-Service Training.  I went to the training where I met my fellow ambitious young men and women. It was a one-month intensive training, two weeks at the CorpsAfrica office and the remaining two weeks at Dedza College of Forestry.
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After the training I went back home and waited for the training results. Lucky enough I received an email informing me that I have passed the training. The following week it was a Swearing-In Ceremony at Crossroads hotel. It was a beautiful ceremony and I was very happy since I was officially a CorpsAfrica Volunteer. Three days later, I packed my stuff and went to my designated site in Kasungu District.

Cervical cancer is the most common cancer in the women in Malawi and is one of the major concerns for the Ministry of Health as well as the public as a whole. Every year, over 2,300 Malawian women develop cervical cancer and over 1,600 die from the disease. It is estimated that, if nothing is done, the number of cervical cancer cases and deaths will increase by over 60% to 3,800 cases, and approximately 2,600 deaths per year by the year 2025. These are the words of the Secretary for Health in The Ministry of Health.
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Cervical cancer is really a burden to individuals, families, communities and the whole nation, and we ought not to be silent about it. In response to the request of some community members to sensitize them about this serious disease, I held a talk on cervical cancer. 

The message was simple and threefold. Firstly, though cervical cancer is very dangerous, it is also very preventable. Secondly, though cervical cancer is a disease that affects women, the fight against it is not only for women. Lastly, the fight against cervical cancer is communal so let us all encourage cervical cancer screening. 

I am at the middle of my service. Reflecting back, I see there are some areas that have made me excel and also, areas I needed to improve. Unfortunately, I cannot reverse time but I can advise the next cohorts.

2) No micro-management Remember, in your community, you are the Manager of yourself. There is no office to report to by 7:30, no one to tell you that you are late and generally, no one to micro-manage you. This arrangement is for your own good so you can become a responsible community worker. Therefore, learn to be responsible because with all the freedom, if you cannot be responsible you will most certainly fail. When you call for a meeting, make sure you are punctual, giving the community members the impression that you mean business when it comes to time. I can assure you, when community members see the value that those meetings will bring in their lives, you will see them being punctual. Don’t forget to take notes, make schedules, prioritize and communicate.

3) Change is not easy, but it is worthy it: There are several changes that take place upon you being deployed. You will need to adjust your living style as you meet new faces, get into a different weather and possibly start to eat and drink different kinds of food and water. Amidst all this, be sure to try to learn their language, at least the greetings and other commonly used terminologies. This goes a long way in your community integration. As you adjust, have the end in mind because what matters after everything is the smile you will leave on the faces of the community members after your service. Have fun!!!

Gulewamkulu (the big dance) is a popular cultural dance one cannot miss among the Chewa in the Central region of Malawi. Since I was born and raised in the Northern Region of Malawi, I never had a positive attitude towards Gulewamkulu, until I witnessed it in my community. This is the danger of a single story. In the city of Lilongwe, I used to meet Gulewamkulu gang with machetes in their hand, dressed in a very funny way and, my brother would always advise me to run away because he said I risk getting robbed or even stabbed. He used to tell me that Gulewamkulu guys are wild animals and they do not care about someone’s life hence my instinct to fear them and run for life whenever I saw them.

When I reached my site, I felt nervous. Why? I had arrived in a new community which practices Gulewamkulu. This being my home for the next 6 months worried me. However, I have never seen Gulewamkulu walking around my community as I used to see in the city, and this gave me a lot of questions because I was expecting Gulewamkulu to be everywhere since it is a typical village where culture is expected to be preserved. From these questions I have been interested to find out more about Gulewamkulu. And, I have learned three unique reasons for Gulewamkulu that I never knew.

To begin with, Gulewamkulu is performed during traditional leader’s inauguration. These peculiarly dressed creatures entertain the masses with different dancing styles, and people give them small amounts of money.

 Secondly, Gulewamkulu is practiced during funerals of loved ones. The family of the deceased are the ones to decide whether Gulewamkulu should be performed or not. In this scenario, where Gulewamkulu is allowed, no church activities are allowed. This is so because Gulewamkulu is also regarded as a religion on its own.

 Last but not least, Gulewamkulu is performed during political rallies to portray their culture while at the same time entertaining the masses.

Too often we focus on a single story, excluding cultural influences, and other perspectives from different experiences. This single story is limiting and make us misinterpret people, their background and their lives. It can lead to judgement, disconnection and conflict.  As a CorpsAfrica Volunteer I have learned that full integration is very important to understand the world around us—for I have learned that Gulewamkulu is not wild animals, it is a friendly cultural ceremony. Therefore, from this experience I admit that our lives and our culture are composed of many overlapping stories.

Here we are in Mzimba, Thoza! I should be honest with you; I did not like the idea of coming to Mzimba. During training, we were given an opportunity to choose where we would like to be placed. So I was like, "yes! This is the moment I had waited for." Excitedly, I opted for Kasungu, Mchinji and Lilongwe. However, my coordinator, cautioned “don’t get too excited, this does not necessarily mean you will only be placed where you have chosen, we may make changes you see?” Well, despite the warning; that inner voice in me still said, "she is just kidding, you will go to one of those areas of your choice." If only I had known.

I remember bragging to my friends how excited we would be, if they should place each of us in our respective areas of choice. We happily anticipated the day they would reveal our destinations until "Boom!" it finally dawned upon us.  The announcement was made, and for me it was a resounding “Mzimba!” And it was like a nightmare happening in broad daylight. You can imagine how disappointed I was.  You might be wondering what made this disappointment scale from 0 scales to 90. Well, I thought about the language itself, though I knew how to speak Tumbuka, but I wasn’t that fluent in it. “How am I going to make stories in Tumbuka?" I asked myself. “What about the people? Will they welcome me warmly? Where will I be sleeping and with whom? What about the food there? Am I going to manage an abrupt switch from my favourite dishes to their local delicacies? Several other inconsistent and, many times, unreasonable questions raced through my mind at the thought of going to Mzimba of all places.

To my surprise, the first day I reached my host family everyone there was evidently so excited to have me. I could even hear them comparing me to the last volunteer. One woman said “huh! Banthu aba mbamoza na, bakughanana baka namyankhe yula” (these people are just the same, this new one resembles with the other one who has since left." This quickly made me gather up a big smile within me and I secretly laughed while slowly assuring myself "I am already home after all." They greeted me and told me to feel free around them as I was at home away from home.

Home indeed I quickly found it to be. They gave me my own bungalow just right next to theirs. They cooked me Nsima with beans which turned out to be one of my favorite meals. Well I was not alone, these people made sure that I did not lack anything. They went out of their way to cater even for my personal and emotional needs. They always come to my house to greet me and make sure I am fine. With the passage of time we have become more like one family. I go to their house and eat freely, of course, on the other hand, they also come to my house and ask for anything, which if I have I will always give them.

I remember, their daughter jokingly (but seriously) putting it bluntly to me one day, “I don’t know what I will do when you leave this place, I will greatly miss you." Hearing this from her made and still makes me sad, as I should indeed soon be leaving this place, and I know I will ever greatly appreciate and miss the kindness these people have so far shown me. Their warmth, support, and kindness are a gift I never expected to receive. I now constantly find I would have to forgive myself a thousand times for the wrong presumptions I once had about Mzimba because, contrary to my wild suppositions, I am not homesick in any way perceivable; I have a home I never expected I would have here.

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Mr. Dalitso Mndala

​When I look back and reflect on the time I have spent with the children at Tsalani Primary School, I don’t regret the decision to volunteer to teach.  Not only did it help me to integrate but it has also brought joy in the good moments I share with the children both inside and outside of the classroom.  Whenever I take a walk in the community, the kids always greet me with smiling faces and I never get tired of greeting them back.
 
Nevertheless, something has been happening that makes me sad.  In the past two months, there have been 2 or 3 children daily returning home from school because they have fallen sick.  I tried to find out possible risks to sickness at the school. That’s when I observed that most of them don’t wash hands after visiting the toilet. This also meant some might even eat porridge provided at the school without washing hands, which is bad for their health.
 
Luckily enough, I had a new skill I learned from my fellow volunteers at PST; making hand washing facilities from locally found resources.  I imagined this will not only be beneficial in the sense that it would help to reduce cases of sickness, but it would also be a great time to bond and have fun with my pupils.
 
So, I offered my suggestion to make the facilities available to the children. It came with a lesson on personal hygiene, and it turns out most of them were quite aware of what they have to do each time they visit the toilet.  The challenge, however, was that the borehole is some minutes away from the school.  Due to the distance, the children would rather just go straight to class than go through washing their hands.
 
The children were excited about the idea and volunteered to find the resources.  We then had a good time making the hand washing facility, and now the children are happy that they clean their hands after visiting the toilet.  Some of them loved the facility so much that they will make them at their homes together with their parents.

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Ms. Chisomo Kamlopa

It was around midnight when I heard my host mother knocking at my bedroom window with panic. I knew something was wrong, so we (with my host sisters) run to open the door.
“The wall of my house is about to fall and there is water everywhere in the house, I can't sleep.” she explained.
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It had been raining continuously for the past two days and according to the weather forecast, we still had two or more days of these rains.

“I think my house is going to fall, the wall is very wet that if heavy wind blows again, that will be the end of it. How will I even manage to build my house again?” She murmured and took a deep sigh.
There was silence for a few seconds. We really wanted our Mother to calm down, but what kind of words would calm a woman who was about to lose her only house?

“Your house is not going to fall,” I didn't know what to say next, so I stopped to swallow some "wisdom" saliva and continued. “You know, we have to be grateful that you woke up before it got worse. Now what we need to do is figure out how to control the wall from falling.” I convinced myself that I somehow encouraged her.

My host sister suggested that if we covered it with a thick plastic paper, it would prevent the rain from hitting the wall, which will prevent the wall from getting more wet, eventually not falling.
But it was now getting to 2 am, and there was no way we were going to buy a thick plastic paper at that hour.

As we were about to go inside my house, my host sister thought of checking the walls if everything was okay. Boom! My sitting room wall had a crack. I panicked! There was no way I was going to sleep in a house that is showing the "I’m about to fall" signs.

My host mother tried to encourage me with words similar to what I had said to her, but at this time I didn’t consider her as a mother encouraging a child, but as a landlord convincing a tenant. So her words didn't perform the magic. But I had no choice.

So there we were, all of us in my bedroom. Scared of what will happen next but sharing stories and laughing to bottle up our fear.

As I went through this experience it reminded me of the very reason as to why I am here. To not only facilitate change, but become part of the community, understand their challenges as I experience each and every day with them.

As I read reports online about how much the rains have affected most of the rural areas, what I felt was more than just sympathy. I didn't just feel sorry for the victims and I wasn’t just trying to put myself in their shoes, but, I was in their shoes. I might have not felt exactly what thepeople usually feel when heavy rains have destroyed their properties, but I can tell you what it feels like to be in that situation. To me, that's a life-changing experience.

#ThisIsCorpsAfrica. We are not only about bringing solutions, but also immersing ourselves in rural communities, experiencing and living life together with our communities.

Written By CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Ms. Chimwemwe Nzima

As powerful as the quote sounds, it still has a story to tell. December, the month I arrived at my site I had mixed feelings as to how was I to integrate and be part of this beautiful, warm village. Little did I know that I was one of those people in the village they had been waiting for. Three months down the line I bear this testimony. When I arrived at a community day secondary school where I am teaching Life Skills as part of my community service, I never had in mind that I would introduce a computer club and that learners would have keen interest in this new development.

However, upon liaising with member of staff and the Head teacher, they welcomed the idea and it did not take long for me to introduce the idea to the students. The students were so excited and overwhelmed, as some did not even know how a computer looks. During one of our sessions one of the students asked me; “madam how does this computer we are talking about look?”  I did not know where to start from explaining or illustrating as some members mocked and laughed. Another one asked again; madam, you want to tell us that we are going to learn how to type? There I stood speechless. These are some out of the many questions I have come across from the day the computer club was introduced.

Interestingly, each session we meet (once a week) is worth it. The number of students attending keeps on increasing almost each meeting session. During one of my individual conversations with the village head, I was astonished as she asked with curiosity, "I hear you have introduced a computer club at the community day secondary school."  It caught my attention as I just smiled and proceeded asking her about the intention for the visit. "We have really been waiting for this development for our children," she concluded.

It has been a nice experience at how one can serve passionately and reach out to people in a way one never thought about. We are living in an era whereby technology is the order of the day with the coming of different social sites, including education sites, making learning more exciting. Despite this being the case, we still have some areas where people have little knowledge of how quickly this technology is trending. This is a life-changing experience, and I am glad that I am part of this, "the people they have been waiting for."

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Ms.  Chifundo Soko

It's been 2 months and some weeks since I have been here. In my opinion I will say I have integrated pretty well; the host family considers me as one of them. How do I know? They called me when one of the family members felt sick, and they even asked me to name a baby that was born in the family. So we have a Michael named by me. I must say I felt honoured and had that sense of belonging; we all crave for that wherever we go. Honest truth. I have many friends and they are increasing every day.

That aside. The question: what have you been doing in these two months? I had been having meetings with the community. We had come up with a goat pass project to address the financial struggles of the community. Everyone was excited about it, including me. Why? Because I felt like I will do something that I had worked together on with the community. We started working on that, reached a stage of writing a proposal, and my coordinator was then updated.

She advised that according to the past projects that other volunteers have done concerning animal husbandry, there has been no impact. So it would really be good to drop that project and do another that will address the same financial problem.

So I want you to imagine this: here I have a community that is excited that we are doing a goat pass on project and I am supposed to go back and tell them that we should drop it. How did that feel?  Fire—I was tensed.  I had to spend a day thinking how I will relay this message. When I had built courage I went to my Counterpart and explained the whole situation, and he accepted it. He suggested that we tell the Group Village Head as well. We went to his house and told him the situation.  He was like, "It is good that way. This kind of project never succeeded in the past. A person was receiving 5 goats but they all died leaving just 3 out of 53. It was supposed to be a pass-on project as well. So yes, we are witnesses to such projects not having changed our lives".

So I sat there thinking, "Goodness! I was just stressed over nothing? You knew that this kind of project never succeeded and you are saying this now?"

What I have learnt in all this, I shouldn't have been quick to start building something just for the sake of doing something. I should have taken my time. I would  have learnt sooner that this of kind of project never succeeded in the community, and I would have saved myself from all this trouble. I have learnt my lesson to be patient.

Written by CorpsAfrica/ Malawi Volunteer Mr. Billy Makombola

Whoever said "Mondays" are boring did not live in all corners of Malawi, especially some parts of Mzimba District. Here in my community, which is located in the southern part of Mzimba, Monday is always an exciting day of the week because it's Bwandilo (Market day) at the most famous trading center known as Embangweni, which is just 40 minutes cycling from my site. To cut the story short, we always have Christmas every week. Some of the interesting things about Bwandilo are:

CHEAP FOOD
While the rest of the world hates Mondays, it's actually loved by my community and other areas around Mzimba south because it's when we get cheap food items such as, Tomatoes, Fish, Meat, Rice and all other farm produce. This is the day I usually go to buy food especially bonya (small fish). A 5-liter container of bonya goes at K2 500 (US$3.4), so what does a bachelor have to do to survive? Meat is even cheaper on this side as you know it's a Ngoni (local tribe) territory and they value meat a lot.

CHEAP CLOTHES
Not only do we find cheap food on the Market day, but we also find clothes. Clothes are also very cheap on this day and some are even sold on auction. Imagine getting a nice Jacket at K300, a shirt at K150 and even trousers at below K500. What other day would you ask for?

SOCIAL DAY FOR THE YOUTH
This is also one of the day young people cherish the most as they look forward to looking nice and hanging out with friends at the market center. It reminds me of my college days when we used to have social weekends; making sure to spare some nice clothes to put on this day to impress the ladies, do you relate? If yes, this is how the day looks like here. I strongly believe that most crushes are born on this day because all the boys and girls look extra-adorable.

If you visit this place on Monday, you would think there is a social weekend or social engagement activity taking place. You would tell simply by looking at how congested the traffic gets. That's how and where I spend most of my Mondays: at Embangweni trading center. Mondays are mostly like half holidays to us, and you know how Monday holidays feel. 

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Ms. Alinafe Chikombole

“It is the friends we make along the way that help us appreciate the journey!”

Going into my second month of volunteering I have learnt to appreciate the social connections I have made this far. It can be hard to admit that you are feeling lonely away from what are your ordinary, family and friends. But what do you do? Well, I decided to make as many friends as possible. Therefore, I also have a lot more learning opportunities. While my old friends are always cheering me on and supporting me on the sidelines, it is not the same as having people in close proximity that you share common interests with, being able to share some of the smallest details of your day with.

Undeniably, friendships are important; they give you a reason to smile yet again. In my case I find that my new friends have helped me to relieve stress when I felt like things were not going according to plan. They have made me laugh to tears even when I thought I could not laugh. They have also taken it upon themselves to make sure am well fed all day so that I do not complain about being hungry.

The early morning knocks have become a trend I look forward to. If and when I do not get a knock in the morning it worries me thinking what has happened to one of my friends. I take every chance I have to make a new friend. These are the people that make my experience even more worthwhile; they are not only my one-minute friends, but my friends for life. Friends for life because they have taught me some of the most valuable life lessons; going back into my normal I will carry with me some of these lessons.

Left right and center I have made connections amidst the community with diverse people of various age ranges, from old to young, my work mates and even people I meet just once in a while.
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“Happiness is when you make unexpected new friends.”

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Mr. Peter Mndalasini

During one of my visits at my counterpart’s house I found him with his pastor making a certain traditional drink. At first I thought that they were making some tea since the drink had tea leaves and milk. Little did I know that this was not tea but a special drink.  I was rushing to the market, but I changed my plan and decided to go to the market later. I wanted to quench my curiosity by asking them some questions about the special drink. My counterpart and his pastor were very happy and excited to answer all of my questions. 
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Maybe someone might be asking why enthusiasts consider Tchombe to be a special drink. According to the Zion Church this drink is considered as medicine for several diseases or infections. Those living with HIV/AIDS can even take it in order to help boost their immune system. This drink also helps to reduce body pains and brings good luck to those who want to success in their lives. According to the pastor of Zion Church, people pray for the person before he or she is given this drink. He also said something concerning a certain person who was demoted from his senior position at work. This person came to my community; they prayed and gave himthe  Tchombe drink, and two days later, he got promoted at his workplace.

But what is Tchombe drink made from? What are the ingredients required when they want to make this drink? This special drink is made from milk, water, Tchombe tea leaves, and anointed oil. Tea leaves are boiled with water and milk for some minutes and anointed oil is also added to the mixture. After 30 minutes the drink is then filtered and ready to drink.

If you want to know what Tchombe drink tastes like and other stories related to this drink, do not hesitate come to Wimbe Community in Kasungu District in the central region of Malawi. 

Written by CorpsAfrica/ Malawi Volunteer Mr. Redson Nyondo

The Oxford dictionary defines a hero as someone who is admired for their courage and outstanding achievements. Let me introduce to you one of the heroes of Mkwachi; my host mother, who is spearheading the introduction and establishment of Village Savings and Loans (VSL) groups in Mkwachi.

She was first introduced to the VSL concept in the year 2010 when her husband was teaching at one of the secondary schools in Nkhatabay district. Having seen the benefits of VSLs, when she came home to Mkwachi she mobilized and trained 20 community members to start a VSL group. Most of these members were doing small-scale businesses but struggling to get loans from micro-financing institutions to boost their businesses because they could not afford to produce the required collaterals. At the end of the first year, the group managed to save a total of MK 2,400,000 (about US$3,240.00), which encouraged other community members to join.

As of today, she has established a total of 9 VSL groups on a voluntary basis in three Group Village Heads. She was also at one time engaged for two weeks by the Member of Parliament to train fellow women who had started VSL groups in Mzimba district. She boasts having contributed to poverty alleviation in the community, as the knowledge she shared has benefited almost every household in Mkwachi. People now have easy access to loans and have developed an attitude of saving money, enabling them to do projects that were otherwise impossible. My host mother strongly believes that one ought to be self-reliant rather than just waiting for outside support.

One outstanding example is of a carpenter whose business was going down because of lack of capital and financial management skills. Most of his proceeds were being used for beer drinking. After joining VSL, he is now a such  successful carpenter that he built his own modern house with modern household assets like television. He now supplies furniture to the community, including my host mother’s display cabinet.

“A few years down the line, last year our group managed to save MK 6,000,000 by the end of the year. There are numerous benefits and one cannot afford not to be a member”, she argued. She says that personally, she is so much more economically empowered that she has helped her husband do some major projects, including constructing a modern house and paying school fees for their children. Currently, one of their children is at Natural Resources College. She also added that CorpsAfrica Volunteers are of great importance as they are bridging the business management knowledge gap that existed among the VSL members.
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She envisions a future where community members will be collaborating to conduct one business, as a way out to poverty, arguing that most Malawian companies are built on collaboration.

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Mr. Smart G. Banda

Culture is something that defines a group of people. It covers religion, food, language, clothes which people wear and how they wear them, music and dances, marriages, funerals and worship. Each group of people is known by its culture. Here in Malawi we have Tumbuka, Chewa, Yao, Ngoni and many other ethnic groups whose cultures differ from one another.

Meet Chewa people in Dedza, Malawi. People here are more welcoming and loving. I could say Malawi is called “the warm heart of Africa” because of these people’s hospitality.  Chichewa is the language which they speak, and they are well known by their traditional dance called Gulewamkulu.  This dance is well known in most parts of Southern Africa, as you can find Chewa people in Zambia, Mozambique and Malawi. The traditional dances for the Chewa are mostly performed during events like the appointment of chiefs, initiation, healing, funerals and village festive ceremonies.

Gulewamkulu is believed to be a traditional religion whereby the dancers are believed to be communicating with ancestral spirits.  The dancers wear masks which resemble faces of animals while others are humanoid. Gulewamkulu has a lot of characters which tell different stories and give different messages to the audience.

Meet Chilembwe, an antelope character which displays jokey physical moves like shaking its body while laying down like a tired antelope. Mostly when this character of Gulewamkulu is dancing people lough a lot because of its funny dancing moves.

Kasiya maliro (funeral escort) is another character of Gulewamkulu. It has a tiny antelope like a head and a tail on top of its body. The character shows up during funerals and mostly performs at night. Other characters are Chazunda, Maliya, Njinga and Makanja just to mention a few.
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Characters like Njovu (an elephant) don’t easily show up in ceremonies. Mostly this character shows up when a Chewa chief dies and it is accompanied by other Gulewamkulu characters such as Kasiya Maliro, Gandali, Nyani Makanja and Njinga (local names). Gulewamkulu is highly respected by the Chewa people. It is associated with secret rituals and only those who have gone through the cultural initiation ceremonies are allowed to become the Gulewamkulu dancers. 

​Gulewamkulu performing at funeral ceremony 

Written by CorpsAfrica/ Malawi Volunteer Ms. Zione Maweru

There is a Malawian proverb that says, “ukaipa dziwa nyimbo.” This means, when you are bad at something, know your song. This song is not one of the ordinary songs we sing, in the form of music; there is talent within it. So in short this proverb means when you are bad at something just know your talent. There is a woman in Mangochi, in my site if I am to be precise. She has a good shop, dresses nicely, and looks gorgeous. She has a lot of leadership positions in the community as well.

The time I got a chance to talk to her, she told me she is not educated and she successfully runs a hair dressing salon. I am always humbled with how she carries herself and the positions she holds. I was quite surprised! She also said, she never got a chance to go to school but she knows how to read and write. Do you know how she got those wonderful literacy credentials? Well, she was actually home schooled by one of the teachers who works at a nearby primary school. Back to the hair dressing issue, she learnt it just through observing others when doing it.

My host father is currently renovating his house. He called one of the village carpenters to help with the windows. The carpenter did a great job and people were asking my host father who did the work. That’s when my host father told me that the guy learnt carpentry by observing his elder brother who is a talented and experienced carpenter.
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So far I have noticed that a lot of people in my community who are builders, carpenters, hairdressers and others. They did not learn their skills from any recognized institution. Instead, they taught themselves through observing or just trying. Most of us feel that we don’t have talents; but have we ever tried to learn something new? Know your own song. If you think you are failing try harder. One way or the other, eventually you will make it. Remember that no one is a failure!

From the treasures of life
I borrowed a few days
To live a life my way
Some I spent in weaving wishes
The rest in anticipation
I squandered away
 
I have lived the untried life
Walked in the glories of the follies
Took the chance by the palm of my hand
But crashed! In pieces it lay on the floor
 
I have drunk from the cup of wisdom
Only to become more ignorant
Clung to feed on what gnaws away my pride
I have ventured to fly free like a bird
But grew my roots into the ground
 
If only wishes were horses, I would ride
To free to a far free fort
Where no one lives for one alone
A utopian world
Where albinism is not fatal
But creation of nature to be embraced
 
If only wishes were horses, I would ride
To take me where there is nowhere to run or hide
For crime finds no home
Corruption is out of the norm
Without a king but still a safe dome
For all to dwell and call it home
 
If only wishes were horses, I would ride them
From my dreams to reality
Like beggars on the street
Wishing for nothing but food in their stomach
Food not for the stomach but the mind
To ponder fast forward and rewind
And bring all these atrocities to a demise

An umbrella is a cloth-covered frame used for protection against rain or sun according to the dictionary. Most people think the protection an umbrella offers is not worthy to be recognized as it does not protect one fully against the rain or sun. This is the same way people perceive volunteerism. When people in the community see the person claiming to be a volunteer, they do not take that person seriously. According to them they think the person is not well-qualified to help them realize their potential. As a CorpsAfrica Volunteer, I hereby present to you two facts as to why both an umbrella and volunteerism are very important in the lives of people.

To begin with, an umbrella acts as a sun or rain protector; the umbrella protects people from the sun by shielding their fragile skin from powerful rays and avoiding the heartbreak brought by the sunburn. Similarly, a CorpsAfrica Volunteer acts as a cycle breaker of extreme poverty in rural communities, by bringing innovative developments that have bigger impact on the communities.

Umbrellas are also used for decoration. At events such as wedding, graduation and other office-related events, decoration is the order of the day and this is done according to personal preferences. Similarly, a CorpsAfrica volunteer acts as a role model (decoration) in the community by inspiring the youth and community at large.
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In conclusion, an umbrella usually symbolizes the canopy of the heavens, shelter and protection. It is often an emblem of power and dignity in many religions. Therefore, as a CorpsAfrica Volunteer, I am an umbrella to this remote, high poverty community; I manifest and facilitate change for sustainable development.

Written by CorpsAfrica/ Malawi Volunteer Ms. Funny Maseya
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I am so excited to explore this new part of Malawi. Of course, I have heard about Mzimba but had never stayed here before. So, I have embraced this as my chance to discover new things while I work as a volunteer. “Cheer up girl, this is your new-found opportunity to meet your prince charming here,” I even joked to myself and smiled within me. It’s now been a month since I left the capital city to live in Mzimba. Now I am used to hearing birds singing in marvelous sounds and trees chorusing along.  It’s almost like background music for this place.

 I was sitting down on my Kabwacha (small chair). The sun felt so good parading its rays on my face and the air around the place was so soothing and fresh.

 “Mwauka uli Ngoma?” That’s the good morning greeting in Tumbuka. I was startled to suddenly notice Adeze standing beside her local baking stove (wuvuni), smiling at me.

“Good morning, thank you”. I waved back as I responded in the same language.  (Ngoma is the name that people call me in this area).

Adeze (not her real name) is one of the young ladies in the community. She is the first person that made my settling in so easy here in Mzimba. She runs a local bakery and has been in this business since she got divorced from her marriage. She decided to change things for herself instead of staying idle. She learned how to make bread using a local stove. This was the launch of a whole new venture that would change her circumstances for the better.

Adeze entered her house to collect the remaining bread.  It was now 3 pm in the afternoon, and this was her last piece to make. She had been baking since morning.

“Do you like baking this much Adeze?” I asked. “Yes Fannie, you know how people love bread in this area, and they have been buying since morning, so I couldn’t help it but bake more for tomorrow,” she explained.

“This bread is so delicious, you know? It tastes like the one people make and sells in bigger shops, how do you do it Adeze? What’s your secret recipe?” She looked at me and smiled, “Funny, there is nothing special there; it’s just the mixture of flour, salt, and yeast. I guess that’s the energy I put to it huh?” she joked about it, and we both laughed.

I like Adeze because she is a very hard-working lady and she is very unlike the other girls in the area. If you didn’t know more about Adeze, you would think she was one of the teachers in the community. She has a personal discipline about her hygiene and dressing which defy her status in the community.

“For how long you have been in this business?” I asked her one morning.

“It has not been that long; about four months now” she responded, gazing upwards as if trying to count birds in the sky. “Yes! Four months it is!” She finally assured herself.

“Nice, it looks like you have been making a lot of profits from this business, Right?”

“Of course, it does fetch me some good figures. For instance, when I use 25kgs of flour, I make a double profit on it and so, yea I can’t complain my dear. Things are far much better for me. My business sells most during school days because students and teachers love buying my bread.” She explained.

“I can see that you are really happy my friend.”

“Honestly, I never thought I would be this happy, considering my disappointment after the divorce. The only regret I have now is that I had to quit school at so early an age and if wishes were indeed horses I might ride one that would take me straight to the next class room in the village so that I could re-live my career dreams. But that is for another day my friend.”  Adeze said with a grin and a shrug.

I could tell she really meant those moving words. Adeze was a little bit sad as she was telling me this, but she tried hard to hide her emotions. She finished packing her bread, and went inside the house to grab her wrapper. She took the packed bread and put it on her head ready to make deliveries.

 She smiled at me and said, “Let’s go make money….” We both chuckled and happily parted ways as she went about her passion.

That is just a part of Adeze’s life story, and I must admit that it left me both inspired and musing at how such a young lady, who has gone through such a difficult life at a young age, can be successful against all odds.  Her own is just one of the many stories in the community that stand out as clear testimonies of how one could change from being a nobody to a somebody in this life through self-inspiration. To women out there the ball is in our court; let us use it wisely to score.

Written by CorpsAfrica Malawi Volunteer Mr. Dalitso Mndala

​ “The youth are the leaders of tomorrow” is a statement I have been consistently reminded of since my childhood.  A lot of people have argued the fallacy of this statement however, and rather have opted for, the youth are the leaders of today.  This is perhaps so because young people have proven to have the capability to come up with innovative ideas that have led them to top leadership positions.  Think of Mark Zuckerberg for example. He became founder and CEO at the age of 20.  Similarly, a lot of young leaders have emerged and brought forth significant changes in people’s lives. In my opinion, it doesn’t matter whether it’s “leaders of tomorrow” or “leaders of today.” Having the desire to make a difference from yesterday is what’s important.
 
The same line of thought is what got me to engage myself more with the young people in my community.  Through interactions, I noticed that some of the youth are school dropouts, engage themselves in risky behaviors, and have a corrupt mindset.  This is what provoked me to create a club, with help from Volunteer Chisomo, that provides an opportunity for the youth to learn and influence each other positively.  Here are a few things we do:
 
Firstly, we do career guidance and goal setting sessions.  As a young person, I realized that we usually learn and get advice more from people of our own age than from parents.  The club gives an opportunity to seek guidance on what steps one can take to achieve a specific goal.  We also encourage each other to set and achieve challenging yet realistic goals.
 
We also focus on good health and physical activities.  We make it a point to constantly remind ourselves on ways to prevent HIV and other diseases. The club is a place where we keep ourselves busy while refraining from risky behaviors. In addition, we are involved in sporting activities to keep our bodies strong. 
 
Furthermore, we discuss how to deal with difficult situations. We all know that life doesn’t always go according to plan.  Moments that are stressful are inevitable, and it is wise to have knowledge on how to cope with stress.  The club is a place where one can reach for advice from fellows when faced in a difficult situation. 
 
Basically, the youth club is a platform for the youth to be guided with a set of values to follow.  They develop skills and techniques that build up character and shape their decisions.  The good decisions cultivate creativity and innovation through which they will be able to do something that will make a difference between today and tomorrow.  I am optimistic for my youth club. Who knows? I might have the future Malawi president in there! 

Written by CorpsAfrica/ Malawi Volunteer Ms. Chisomo Kamlopa

I was comfortably sitting on my bed when I suddenly felt a sharp painful bite on my elbow. My comfort had been disturbed. As I quickly turned to see what decided to torture me with such pain, automatically my hand grabbed the book I was reading and used it to kill the glittering green-winged insect that had its antennas ready to have a second bite. I passionately killed it with so much anger.

If my skin didn’t feel so much pain, if my comfort zone was never disturbed, I would have never known that I had the ability to scratch such a small insect with so much anger-driven passion. Seeing the insect lying dead on the floor, I thought to myself "pain can either cause you to do the worst or the best." I am sure somebody might be asking "but what best could have been done here?" Well, maybe just pushing it outside.? I am not really sure if that would be the best reaction but one thing I know is that if there was a worst reaction in this scenario, then a best reaction was possible as well. The opposite of worst is best.

If there is worst in a certain situation, possibilities of best existing are too high. And that brings me back to my thinking that pain can either cause you to do the worst or the best.

This thought led me into thinking how the pain of seeing rural communities face various challenges led me into the best decision of offering myself to serve my country through facilitating change in these rural communities.

Pain causes discomfort and when that happens, people usually look for means of eliminating that pain. In most cases the best way to do so, is through dealing with the cause of that pain. If you get to talk to people that have made a difference in this world, they will tell their story that they were hurt with how things were and they felt the need to collaborate and find solution. So the maths is simple; Pain + Discomfort = Eliminating the cause of pain, creating comfort.

What is it that is happening in the world today that causes so much pain in you? What action have you taken to deal with what causes that pain? Has the power of the pain helped you to give out your best?

The world needs people that realise that it is not just about complaining about how bad things are or how pathetic you feel when you watch news of how children are dying of hunger. The world today needs people that realise the power of pain. People that realise that pain must be a driving force into giving out the best of their ability to bring change and solutions.
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Pain that comes with seeing how our communities are struggling should bring you into the realisation of the ability you have to contribute to the elimination of those challenges. Allow that pain to bring out the best out of you.
Pain can either cause you to do the worst or the best. What goals has pain ignited in you? 

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Chimwemwe Mzima 

Two months down the line I look back and realise the new me. If you knew me three months ago you don't know me now. That's what being a CorpsAfrica Volunteer is all about. Personal development while meeting the needs of the community are at the core. Being proactive and learning to work independently. Enough of that.

Networking: I never knew I would have a family away from home. One will be like really?  How is that possible?  I only got to understand this when I became a CorpsAfrica Volunteer. Not only that, I got connected to different partner organizations; I got to understand how they operate much better. When I say this is one way to develop my career, it is not a lie but plain truth.

What about community impact? One moves forward while leaving footprints behind. "Life is worth living for others." One leaves a mark not only on the community as a whole but also on individuals. This reminds me of the young girls I am mentoring from a nearby community day secondary school. I live in a youthful community full of vibrant boys and girls. This would make one think and believe a lot is going on in this community education-wise.
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However, that is not the case; youth in my community have little value in education. School dropout is so rampant despite several interventions from different organizations working tooth-and-nail to keep youth in school. Now, when I see most of the girls I need to understand what actually happened. Coming to their community as a CorpsAfrica Volunteer, I am amazed and humbled. This helps me understand why one needs to begin with the end in mind, as this enables one to achieve great things in life. These girls need to be mentored in such a way that they see themselves as capable of achieving their dreams no matter how big they seem to be. They need to begin their journey to success with the end in mind. When you become a Corps Africa Volunteer, you live to inspire and impact your community.

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Ms. Chifundo Soko
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I don't really know what to write to you, I must admit because I have a lot! But I want to tell you something funny from last month. Which one should I tell you? Hmm (thinking).  Aha! I have got one. I will tell you about my new bike.

My site is quite fascinating, I must say. Institutions are dispersed and in different directions. You have to go that direction to find the market and have to take the other to find the hospital. To make travelling easy, a lot of the people have bikes. I think almost every household owns a bike. So analysing the situation, I was like, "I got to get myself one. Otherwise I will spend my day just walking." So I requested for one from my office. In 3 weeks’ time it was delivered to me. And yeey!!! I was excited.

So here was the problem: the last time I rode a bike was in 2006. Actually, it was also the time I was learning to ride one. I wasn't that much of an expert at it then.  So here is my mode of transportation to make my movements easy but alas! I don't really know how to ride it. So I took the bike at dusk for testing.  Why? It's because I wanted to have a feel of it and if I fall, there wouldn't be a witness because of the dark.  Haha! Did I fall? No, I didn't.  Actually I am very good at it, I would even give you a ride! Just kidding, I cannot carry a passenger just yet.

Riding it helps me clear my mind at times. The fresh breeze hitting my face in the evenings makes me feel like I am an eagle soaring. It energizes me to face tomorrow with a different eye. So you know that feeling when you have something new? I won't say it.  Ah, you are making me say it. It’s like you just want to tell everyone, "watch me.” Haha.

So while that excitement of owning a bike hasn't worn off, I had a chat with this woman. She was like, "aren't these bikes for people with HIV and AIDS?" In my mind I am like, "say what?" My Counterpart responded to her, "No, it's not like that. Everyone can buy these Buffalo bikes. It was just that there is another NGO that had decided to buy these kind of bikes for people who are HIV positive.”  So I jumped in and asked, "So you mean everyone thinks I am HIV positive because I am riding this bike?" She answered, "Yes."

So how do I feel knowing that almost everyone thinks I am HIV positive? It was an opportunity to reflect on this social stigma. Being HIV positive does not mean that one is less deserving of respect. It’s sad to know that people still think that way. They should not be identified with certain things or have everyone pointing fingers at them. They also have the same rights to live without fear of judgment. To be accepted, which globally we all desire. 

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Mr. Blessings Ngwira
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One day after having a long day with community meetings and some other activities with the youth, I was very much exhausted. I stopped by the secondary that is on my way home and I was chatting with one of my friends in the community. He was actually the first person I met when I arrived at my site a little over a month and some weeks ago. How time flies when you are doing something that worthy for a community at large. We stopped by the side of the road and started talking about life in general, politics of the villages, politics in the country, and so on. 

As we were talking I noticed a group of kids running and jumping in the sand. From afar, it looked a sport I recognized. I was intrigued and went to where these kids were to see what exactly they were doing. The sport that I thought I recognized was Triple Jump but to my surprise it was not. It looked the same. This is when I remembered that when I was kid just about their age I also used to play this game; it is called Champion. It is sort of like Triple Jump, but the rules are different. The kids had three sticks on the ground and they used this as their way of measuring.
 
​It was kind of difficult at first to get the kids attention for me to get to know how they knew this game. But obviously they were in a competition to find the Champion as the name of the game clearly states. And I could tell that at this moment they were happy and enjoying their time. These kids showed me that it is not important where you are for you to be happy. It is what you do with those close and around you.