Winston Churchill said, "The farther backward you look, the further forward you are likely to see."
Every day, I get to catch a glimpse of a side of myself that I didn't know existed. A couple of months ago if someone told me that I could do some of the things I have done, I would have pegged them to be a jokester. But here I am.

A comfort zone is more or less a place or circumstance in which a person feels relaxed and safe. It is a place that enables you to just be you, nothing more.  However, there is no identifiable growth that comes from this. In the few weeks I have been on my site, I have been forced to get out of my bubble and do things that amaze even me. I have held meetings, initiated talks, inserted myself in meetings, written blogs, and more.

Let me take you back a bit, for as long as I can remember, stepping into the unknown was always scary for me.  Therefore, I would resolve to not step out at all. I was okay with just being where I was and doing the things I know. But at the same time, I yearned for growth, the growth that came with stepping into the unknown.

A friend I had made in the community once asked me how I was able to stand before a crowd and address it. It took me a minute to answer because until then, I had not realized that I do so with ease now. I no longer shiver and wish the ground would open up and swallow me whole. I had not realized that it was one thing that I dreaded the most but now had become one of those things I know to do. I had to come back to reality and respond to her that at times, you just do it afraid.
Looking back, I would do it over again because it may be out of my comfort zone, but it is taking me to a better place.​

​Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Ms. Funani Matemba 

The first month in my community was full of mixed emotions. It was both tiring and interesting. Most community members came to my house to greet and welcome me in the community. I should confess, I have never been greeted by a lot of people like this in a space of a month. I still can't remember most of their faces, let alone their names.

Among these people was a man whom I still remember because of an interesting conversation we had. As I was learning from him about the community, I asked him about the youths and specifically the girls. To my surprise, he answered, “The youths stopped meeting because of Covid-19 and there are no girls in this community.” I laughed because I thought he was trying to be funny, but he was very serious about it. I asked him how this was so, and he explained that most of the girls in the community are married and some are single teenage mothers. I later found out that this is true. On my first meeting with some of the girls, despite being the oldest in the room I felt so young as they all told me that they have babies. There are a lot of girls in my community who dropped out of school and are raising their kids alone in their parent’s homes. Some got married to their fellow teenagers and they are living independently. Some girls want to go back to school. 

Recently I learnt of the death of a teen mother in the community. A huge rock fell on her while trying to mine sand to sell so she could support herself hand her child. This is one example of the struggles these young mothers are facing. This has made me realize that there is more to being a CorpsAfrica Volunteer than facilitating development projects in my community. I hope my service will help to change the plight of some girls in my community as I work to mentor and inspire them to remain in school and have big dreams for their future.

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Ms. Lonney Banda

It is a well-known fact that water plays a major role in our lives and that without it, there are zero chances of our existence. When I was told about my site the immediate thought that came to mind was the Lake Malawi. Being someone from the central region who has visited the lake not more than five times, I knew I was bound to have a great time. It was a surprise to me how the whole time my host mother talked about the lake being useful, she only mentioned fishing and washing. On the contrary, I envisioned it as a place where I could find peace in the steady waters and perhaps have a quiet time. 

My weeks in the community are usually fun as I have made it a point to visit Liuzi beach once or twice a week. Liuzi is not very far from where I stay. It is an environment where I meditate and remind myself of the reasons I embarked on this volunteer journey. I now have a great appreciation of the book ‘Blue Mind’ by Wallace Nicholas. Wallace explains the remarkable benefits of being near water on our health and well-being. He shows how proximity to water can improve performance, increase calm, diminish anxiety, and increase professional success.

I am also lucky to have met a great friend Sibongile, who lives by the lake side. She has helped me understand my community better and she is also a great tutor as I am now able to understand some conversations in Tonga (the local language). Sibongile is a mentor for Tiyanjane club, a club for girls who are below the age of 18. She provides guidance on sexual reproductive health, dangers of teenage pregnancies and early marriages, as these are some of the major challenges that adolescent girls are facing in my community. I am currently working with this lovely lady to mentor the girls in Tiyanjane club.

Written by CorpsAfrica/Maroc Volunteer Ms. Aziza Himmad

Autumn is a magical season in which everything can change. At my site, everything looks lovely and charming. From the bright yellow to the flaming red, the leaves' colors will give you a new perspective of the outdoors. They slowly fall from the trees to cover the ground, creating a colorful autumn painting. The view pleases the eyes, especially when it is raining. It transforms the valley into a paradise, and I couldn’t let this wonderful painting be missed. I went out for a walk,  watched the trees, danced left and right with the wind, and got wet from the raindrops. The air interacts with my mind and body and  the mountain lifts my imagination,  making me feel inner peace.

​When you live simply, you will be lucky enough to find yourself in the essence of life. The village AZRO N’SOUQ is one of the perfect places to live if you are in search of simplicity, tranquility, and harmony with nature. It is located in the province of AL HAOUZ, in the rural commune of Ijoukak in Nefis Valley, and  is 127 KM far away from TAROUDANT and 99 KM away from Marrakech. “Souq” means the market, and it the village earned this name because it used to host the local market. 

I am so lucky to serve in such an amazing site, and I am blessed to have such a wonderful host family as well. They are  welcoming and generous, and I feel like I am home. “Mi SFIYA,” my host grandmother, is a calm, wise, kind, and energetic woman, despite her old age. She doesn’t speak Arabic but she wants to learn and will also help teach me Tamazight. “KHADIJA,” her unmarried daughter, is a funny and cheerful person, and one of the nicest and the kindest people I ever met in my life. She always tries to do what she can to make me feel comfortable in the family and with visitors. “Fatima,” Mi Sfiya’s son’s wife, is eight months pregnant and has 2 boys - I have a beautiful relationship with them. I usually help them in their studies, especially the younger one, “SOULAIMAN,” who always comes to me to learn the alphabet. 

I enjoy being with my host community, I try to help with some daily activities: feeding the goat, bringing wood from “JNAN” on the back of the donkey (using it to prepare “TANOURT”), but the activity I enjoy most is carpet weaving. The family  shows me how, and I try to do it on my own. At first it was difficult for me, but after some minutes I found it enjoyable and easy to do (but not for a long time because it’s really tiring)! 

Doing things outside of your ordinary routine can be an exciting way to spice up your life. Meeting new people and talking to them, seeing things you may have never seen, or doing things you have never done before help to refresh the day. No matter what you do, just do it with love, because nothing will happen the same way again. In all you do, make sure that you enjoy your life and don’t forget to have fun.  

Written by CorpsAfrica/Maroc Volunteer Mr. Soufiane Dayi

What am I doing here... It’s freezing cold!

What is voluntary work? What is the point of living for one year where you are a complete stranger? Am I truly a valuable asset to this community or not, and can I bring a change? 

Well, read my story and maybe I can answer some of these questions above. 

Greetings everybody. My name is Soufiane Dayi and I am 28 years old. I’m from Fes, the spiritual capital of Morocco, a city that dates back to antiquity with a twelve century old medina and a World UNESCO heritage site. I feel homesick and nostalgic for this city most of the time. After traveling all these miles and missing my family, I found myself alone in the snow-covered mountains and immersed in the discovery of Amazigh culture!

I will skip the details of the CorpsAfrica selection, interview, and PST to shed light on how I am living this volunteering experience. I will try to convey images to readers through words. After all, as Albert Einstein said, “There comes a point in your life when you need to stop reading other people's books and write your own.” I’m writing my own and it begins here.

I will start by saying that God endowed us with something precious, something we might sometimes take for granted, something that without it, our lives would be bitter and dull. It is the love of our moms, and may God bless all the moms of the world, because without their blessings we would not walk the right path. Without their advice, we would easily diverge from lightness to darkness. Honestly, I will always remember the look on my mom’s eyes as I was leaving, and how much she was heartbroken even though she tried to hide that expression of sadness while waving goodbye to her son, leaving to the uncertainty and to the unknown. 

Frankly, I had no voluntary experience before. I used to be a successful entrepreneur investing in tourism, transportation, and lodging in my company, which I built on my own. The arrival of the pandemic was an unlikely turn of events that shattered all my goals for financial freedom. I was my own boss, conducting business in an international scope, and being the freelancer that I always wanted to be. However, with such a catastrophic pandemic, my business plans needed to change, and voluntary work is a new field that I can use to give back. I hope to gain a lot from this humanitarian experience.

I have always been competitive, and have found great pleasure in accepting new challenges. 

I think the first time I felt like a stranger was when I set foot in my site, a village called Tacheddirt, but it’s okay. Not only is the culture different from mine, the language barrier is my worst nightmare. I won’t lie, while working on tourism for years I learned many different languages naturally, and I’ve been learning Chinese as an alternative to work with Chinese companies in Morocco. Nevertheless, learning Berber Tamazighit is definitely the masterpiece challenge this year. As a polyglot, it will take me a few months to learn. Now almost two months have passed, and I can understand and speak a lot of the local dialect, although it drives me crazy when I can’t understand when people mutter.

I was happy to prove to many people in my site how wrong their stereotypes were that city men are soft and not capable of doing rural hard work. I basically jumped in every activity they do over here, from collecting fertilizer, to ploughing fields, to riding mules. After many attempts, I start feeling that not only I can adapt, but I can overcome challenges and be successful in my integration process. I suppose, during this one year, volunteers can learn something precious, something we cannot find in the fast-paced city life. Over here we can learn how people persevere to earn a living and survive in hard conditions, the mesmerizing simplicity of life. I value this simplicity and have learned to love the little things, while also being grateful for city life. City life is easy and I used to take it for granted, but now I have learned the true value of appreciation.

I will conclude by saying, I am a valuable asset to my community, and I will do my best to bring a CHANGE.

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Ms. Tapiwa Khutakumutu
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Dear Aspiring CorpsAfrica Volunteer,

Unlike many other Volunteers, I almost cried when I first arrived at my site. Waking up in a motel room with a beautiful view of what seemed like a deserted permaculture garden, I was wearing the most beautiful smile just like my fellow Volunteers. We were excited that morning and we took a lot of pictures and videos while walking around the garden chit-chatting and enjoying all the fruits the garden had to offer. I was looking forward to meeting my host family and the rest of the community.

After traveling for thirty kilometers from Dyeratu, which is my pick-up point, we got to my site. A group of smiling women and children had gathered waiting for my arrival. The rains had fallen two days before my arrival and so the pigs and ducks were still enjoying every filled pit they could find. This can't be real. I had visualized my community and it looked nothing like this. "At least you have access to the network," said the driver as I was striving to control my tears and the agony on my face. I forced a smile, we laughed and they drove off.

Looking for a place to dump my anger and disbelief, I remembered all the good things one of the staff had said to me about my site during the PST (Pre-Service Training) and I decided to confront him that same night, and this is a summary of our conversation:

Tapiwa: So this is my site which you praised during PST?

Staff: Good evening Tapiwa, so you have arrived.

Tapiwa: This place has no electricity, it is extremely hot and very far from the main road. I am still awake but rats are already crawling out of their holes. How am I supposed to survive here? This is not fair, some Volunteers have access to electricity and they are just a walk away from the main road.

Staff: Hahahaha, those are your new pets welcoming you. And that’s how we work Tapiwa, Remote and far from luxury. You felt that your knowledge and passion in fighting against climate change could be of use in Chikwawa. Remember the goal.

A little while later, I found myself sleeping outside the house with my host sisters and complaining about the heat. Reflecting on my passion for fighting against climate change, I knew I was at the right place. A month later, I have built a strong relationship with my community. I am working with a strong and motivated team in fighting against climate change and enhance resilience in all the neighboring villages, which are mostly affected by floods. As a community, we hope to accomplish more in the next nine months.

So dear aspiring CorpsAfrica Volunteer; "Follow your passion. The rest will attend to itself. If I can do it, anybody can do it. It’s possible. And it’s your turn. So go for it. It’s never too late to become what you always wanted to become in the first place."  -- J. Michael Straczynski

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 5am. I answer back and continue to sleep till 7am, then I officially start my day.
 
My morning consists of me 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 the office work, I go to the market to buy that days’ ndiwo (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.

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Ms. Sellah Kantayeni

My heart felt a heavy weight at the announcement that I will for the next 10 months Volunteer in Rumphi. I recall wishing not to be placed anywhere in the northern part of Malawi. It was for the obvious reason of language. A typical Chewa (local tribe), raised among the Chewas would definitely find it hard to blend in among typical Tumbukas (local tribe). Well, not all wishes come true. Surprisingly, I embraced the fate quicker than I expected. Reality kicked in again on the day we left the Pre-Service Training venue for Lilongwe for the swearing in ceremony. "It is really happening," I whispered to myself. The thoughts of the adventure we were about to undertake got me teary-eyed. "We are really doing this, guys. Brace yourselves." I audibly repeated these words as I watched our bus depart for Lilongwe.

I got almost a similar response from every friend I told that I was relocating to Rumphi. "Koma ndiye kutalitu!" (meaning that’s very far). I remember my closest friends having a long conversation about my relocation on our WhatsApp group. They assumed the worse. They jokingly give me sarcastic counsel like, ‘Take heart and enjoy the network and electricity while it lasts…you will not have these when you go to Rumphi.’ We laughed about it. My parents encouraged me to embrace the journey as it is the beginning of maturity and independence. A fortnight and some days passed and it was time to begin the journey.

I loaded my luggage at the back of a Toyota Hilux. I almost filled it up alone. We then picked up two of my fellow Volunteers and we were ready to hit the road for Rumphi, Karonga and Chitipa. Chatting along the way kept my mind at ease. However, every time silence crept in, butterflies kept knocking on my stomach walls, reminding me of why I was on the road to the north. Finally, we arrived at my destination. 

After covering quite a distance on the off-road to my site, I realized that it was far from the tarmac road. There was no sign of immediate means of transportation. Surrounded by farms, the place looked so isolated. It seemed different and hard to dwell in. I snapped myself out of the negativity and engrossed my mind with thoughts of integration and adaptation. People live here just fine. I can and I will too. Then I recalled what we usually write on our job applications: ‘I easily adapt to new environment.’ Right in front of me was an opportunity to truly live this out.

I stayed with my host family for two weeks and they made me feel at home. I felt privileged to be placed in a caring family. I must admit, communication is not easy as most community members hardly speak and understand Chichewa (local language). I feel out of place sometimes, including during church services as I only grasp very little of Tumbuka (the community's dominant language). I have a full belief that things will get better with time and I will learn Tumbuka. The community is warm and welcoming.

​So far, so good. The journey has begun on a good note. Let’s do this!

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Mr. Wongani Siula.

“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the water to create many ripples ...” Mother Teresa.

In life, we usually say we are not in competition with anyone else other than making sure we improve to be a better version of ourselves. But, I find this very inapplicable in most cases where one has to undergo a rigorous and competitive selection process to be found in the final product line. Just like any recruitment process, this was the case when many equally qualified candidates tried their luck at CorpsAfrica Volunteer interviews but never made it to the Pre-Service Training (PST). Without necessarily going through the bits and pieces of the recruitment and PST experiences, let me take you through site announcement day.

The day which sites were due for the announcement had come, it was yet another silent and breath-taking moment in my life. I was filled with tension as I waited for my fate that would finally test my prior commitment to serve the underserved and marginalized Malawians in rural communities. Using alphabetical order, the Volunteer names were listed against their destined sites (one by one), followed by oral announcements by our Country Director. As expected, my name appeared, and boom! It was a southern region district that I had never visited in my life, let alone stayed in. But regardless of the foregoing, I was eager to go and facilitate change in my capacity as a CorpsAfrica Volunteer whilst exploring the district’s flora and fauna.

But here I was, facing two “imaginary” realities as regards my site that will be my home for the next ten months. Firstly, I thought to myself that this is the site that CorpsAfrica has previously deployed two Volunteers since 2015, I being the third. Secondly, I realized that this is the site that has had its previous Volunteers becoming “big cats” within the ranks of CorpsAfrica/Malawi staff, the first one being the HCD/ABCD Consultant and the other being the Program Coordinator.

These two have undoubtedly raised the bar in my site as such standards ought not to be compromised at all cost. As evidenced from these Volunteers’ and community members’ speeches and also reading from other information sources respectively, one can see that the two in collaboration with the community have left a highly reputable legacy that needs to be maintained or surpassed. However, it is not that all I have been engulfed in is complete fear and tall orders ahead, rather this has also revitalized the strength and hunger to do more for the sole aim of benefitting the lives I dearly swore to serve. 

During his welcoming remarks, I recall my host father saying, “You being the third Volunteer, we are very grateful to CorpsAfrica/Malawi management for considering us once again. We are more challenged now to do more to continue changing our lives and this, I am hopeful, will be achieved through cooperation and utilizing the existing local assets.” On a lighter note, he told me to feel most welcomed so long as I am ready to brave the hot and dry weather that is associated with this southern part of Malawi.

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Ms. Patricia Lily Nyirenda

I still remember the atmosphere of the room I was being interviewed in on 21st June 2021. It was the very first interview in my life. You can imagine how I felt. I received an email on 11th August 2021. I made it! I was now a CorpsAfrica Trainee. My uncle kept congratulating me on this new path of my life. Somewhere in the email read “Pre-Service Training is a time for trainees to prepare to serve in a rural community without the luxuries of the city.” I pictured myself in the remotest area. Fast forward to Naming'azi Training Centre, the training was intense and full of fun. I made some new friends and learned new things.
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By the time I was going home after the training and swearing in, I was aware of my career growth path. I was to be deployed in Mulanje. Going through the site description, I noticed the difference between the culture I grew up in and the place where I was heading to. I had heard some stories about Mulanje that got me scared. I could not imagine myself being part of this community. I felt like quitting before I even began the journey but, I remembered the Country Director’s words that “everywhere you get posted is in Malawi,” this fueled the courage in me to go out there as an agent of positive change.

About how I felt traveling to Blantyre on my birthday to proceed for my site drop off the next day is a story for another day. Two hours after my arrival in the community, the Chief of the village, Community Based Organization’s chairperson, and an uncle to my host mother came to see me. I felt welcomed. I said to myself, “I am here for a purpose -- to work with the villagers and grow.” I have been at my site for three weeks now. My host mother and her whole family have so far been very supportive. Every single morning, I have almost every member of the family coming to check up on me. Interacting with members of this family has made me realize the importance of empathy building. As I go around the community; I at least know what life is to the people here. “A single story is dangerous,” Chimamanda Adichie said.

I would not say it is too early to judge, but the stories I heard about this place are different from what I am experiencing. I keep learning new things daily, experiencing some of the rural hardships with the people. I read somewhere that “we cannot overcome what we do not face,” so I have wholeheartedly embraced this path. CorpsAfrica has indeed provided me with a path for my growth.