CORPSAFRICA - Blog

I Found My Calling

3/18/2023

Written by CorpsAfrica/Rwanda Volunteer Mr. Olive Duhoredushima

Recognizing that I'm volunteering and doing an exceptional job is critical. I had always felt indebted to give back to my country; fortunately, CorpsAfrica was the right place to respond to my calling since I was deployed in a new community far from home. I had never been as far away from home as I was this time, which is why my heart was beating so hard. Frankly, I was eager and enthusiastic to serve, but my thoughts were wondering how things would go with the new community. It didn't take long for me to realize how wonderful my community was; love and hospitality were the guiding lights; my community was quite remote from the main road; however, the lovely sight of nature, full of beautiful mountains above all the beautiful people and charming smiles, warmly welcomed me.

And it has been close to me during my integration, and I admire it. Because of the long distance, we had taken to reach there at midnight, my host family warmly welcomed me on the first day I arrived in the Nyamagabe district. They were essential in assisting me in integrating with the community, and I was very proud to be called a daughter by my host mum! The whole family showed me love and care, and I was touched then.

I started doing door-to-door visits throughout my first two weeks in my host community. I attended various activities, including weddings and celebrations, which built my trust in the host community.

When I arrived at the site, I found that the people would be doing various activities that would benefit them. But there was one thing they liked, and now they would use it a lot. I facilitated them in the Asset-Based Community Development and Human-Centered Design approach, where the development is centered on the community's involvement. The most remarkable thing about my story is being a part of the community and working together to lead their development. My life was influenced by this volunteering experience, which forced me to move on with my ideals from conception to completion. Indeed, being a part of a community is the best experience ever.
My stay in this beloved community always creates for me a unique and inspiring story to share, and my very transformative journey is going on. It is an absolute dream that I walk in, and it is another opportunity to connect with this new family of mine.

For over four months, you can see the people enjoying their community-led development, which gives them hope that more change will pour in, thus achieving sustainable development. I am fond of Maya Angelou's quote, "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." I feel delighted and proud that this is my time, moment, and year to contribute to my country.

Journey to Kanfiehiyili

3/18/2023

Written by CorpsAfrica/Ghana Volunteer Ms. Victoria Ndebugri Wintonya

At approximately 30 minutes past 10:00am, I left home to meet my field liaison officer and some colleague Volunteers in order to start our deployment. I was excited to see my colleagues again after our memorable moments at our Pre-Service Training (PST).

We started dropping off one after the other and I was the third but last person to be dropped. Immediately we arrived at my community, I went into a panic zone. Thoughts started running through my mind and at that moment, I was trying to match reality with expectations. However, the differences I could make were not much because I was quite familiar with the rural setting in northern Ghana.

I was welcomed by my host family representative who quickly organized a room for me. This was not the initial arrangements. According to the assembly man, they were expecting male Volunteers and had arranged for them to pair a room with some selected young men in the community. Since I was a female, my host family representative offered to receive me. His family had a smaller house with 3 rooms situated a few meters away from their family house which was occupied by his niece of about 16 years old. Therefore, 2 other rooms were empty and I was given one. I quickly moved in and settled down. All was set to observe, experience and explore my new environment. I was provided with food (Tuo zaafi with kuuka soup) and water by my host family. Seeing how receptive my host family members were, and how eagerly they were putting things in order (hanging my window and door curtains, supplying bathing water, etc.) to make me comfortable, made me move from the panic zone to the growth zone.

My place of residence. Standing right in front of my room with my fellow Volunteers who were yet to be deployed.

Volunteering Diaries of Victor Annani Togborlo

3/18/2023

Written by CorpsAfrica/Ghana Volunteer Mr. Victor Annani Togborlo

It was an ineffable nostalgia when I entered the KG2 classroom. At the same time though, I couldn’t help feeling slightly wistful about a congested class of 45 young holy souls being taught by Miss B alone. Memories of my early days in school were flickering through my mind as I gazed at these young ones doing exactly what we did back in the day – going under the desks, disrupting class, frequent movements etc. I sure was one of the most vivacious kids who bothered my KG teacher the most and so I smiled as Sampson’s name was mentioned too many times to put him in order. Apparently, he was the zestiest.

This was only my third day in the South Dayi District and Kpeve Model Basic School was my first school visited in my attempt to integrate into the District for a volunteer experience that will span over the next few months.

In a short conversation with the class teacher, she mentioned the obvious congestion in the class as the most pressing challenge. To most people reading this, it will appear counterintuitive to say the congestion in the class is not as a result of inadequate number of teachers. The reality however is that the District Education Directorate had assured the school of posting new teachers to them if the school’s management ever made a request. The actual challenge – the lack of classroom space.

In a dialogue with the assistant head teacher, Stephen, I was awed by the achievements of the school over the past few years at both the regional and national levels. A national best teacher award (kindergarten category) won by the current headmistress, a national best student (Basic School category), first runner up of the national GH4stem Juneos challenge and many more.
The story of the school’s exploits in the GH4Stem Juneos challenge was intriguing. Mawumenyo, a son of a fisher, who represented the school designed an artificial fish to serve as a pirate detector to give cell phone alerts to fishers like his dad whenever illegal fishers intruded their area. Check it out here: https://fb.watch/ib-_SgFcOt/. Stunning right?

And to imagine that this is an invention of a basic school student whose school has no science practical equipment, let alone a science laboratory, only begs one question – what if these young ones experience an education where the suitable teaching and learning materials/equipment exist?

Among the challenges Stephen mentioned are computers for their computer lab, a library, science practical equipment, and above all, a classroom block to reduce the congestion as some classes are currently over 70 students.

Are you an education enthusiast?

Do you care about the quality of the human resource of Ghana’s future?

Do you fantasize of a moment when our young ones are globally competitive in technology, medicine, engineering etc.?

If your answer is “yes” to any of these questions, then avert your mind to the typical Ghanaian classroom in the underserved schools and if you have the wherewithal to support any school, don’t relent.

Guess what is on my mind concerning these challenges.

A community-led development approach, the CorpsAfrica development style.

Watch this space………

My First Week in Gumo

3/15/2023

Written by CorpsAfrica/Ghana Volunteer Ms. Maridia Sule

Everything that we go through is a preparation for something ahead. I attended a university and as part of requirements to obtain a degree, students were expected to stay in a rural community for 8 weeks for the first 2 years in the university. I was very sad having to leave my parents for that long. Never did I know it was preparing me for a future, a future as a Volunteer at CorpsAfrica.

I arrived in my community on the 5th of January around 5pm with a flood of emotions. I knew I was well prepared for this new phase of my life but fear and panic set in on our way. I was not afraid of being alone in the community but rather afraid of the people I was going to be interacting with everyday and whether I will be accepted and loved in my new home.

I arrived in my community and the first comment I heard was “ Why did you bring a lady? We thought it was a man you were bringing. There was no plan to accommodate a female”. At that point, I could only think about how I was going to cope for 10 months with people who weren’t acknowledging me. A kind young man gave his room to me to spend the night and there I was, sleeping in someone’s room while thinking of the way forward.

Early in the morning, I woke up and had to start work that I was told to prepare for so that we could go and greet the elders. I spent the day greeting the elders and other stakeholders.
It’s been a week and I am beginning to love my site but I think I underestimated the responsibilities of being a Volunteer. Sometimes it’s hard and lonely. I hope it gets better because I’ve been given an accommodation for the next 10 months and the people are more receptive than before. I wish myself a successful stay in my site.

Speaking to a missionary sister in the community about CorpsAfrica and my mission in Gumo.

From Empathy to Philanthropy

3/8/2023

Written by CorpsAfrica/Rwanda Volunteer Ms. Magatte Ndiaye

Travel offers us the opportunity to take time out to refocus and to recognize ourselves. Often, it is tempting to move away from our comfort zone to get to know ourselves better and to have a clearer idea of what we want to accomplish in our lives. Therefore, going on an adventure towards the unknown allows us to escape from our daily life and to break from daily routine. I am a young Senegalese man in love with Africa who decided to seize the opportunity of CorpsAfrica’s exchange Volunteer program to explore a new horizon away from my home. This is how I left the country of Teranga for Rwanda, the country of a thousand hills. I appreciated everything I saw around me, especially the beautiful landscape decorated by the greenery and mountains that make this country special. I was far from imagining that this country would be a school of life for me. After a month of training, I was finally deployed to a site located in the North of the country and more precisely in the district of Rulindo. As soon as I arrived, everyone was staring at me, I didn't understand the language they spoke and they didn't understand mine either. Fortunately for me, I was deployed together with another fellow Volunteer who usually helped me with the translation. In my host family, I sat with them for more than half an hour, during which time I was often absent because of the difficulty of communicating in this language. I was then directed to a cement room with a roof made of straw on the inside and tiles on the outside. I went in and lied on my back and Morpheus took me in his arms and it was only in the early morning that I opened my eyes again. This first day was the launching of a great adventure where my feelings did not stop evolving. The questions were multiplying but fiercefully believing in my host community’s open arms and pleasant reception.

Between community meetings and focus groups, I kept explaining why I had come to this community, but for some people, only concrete actions could make them see reasons. It was my second time serving and I was really enthusiastic to facilitate sustainable change in Rwanda and my journey started then.

This experience was one of the best I have ever had and I now realize that volunteering is empathy in everyday life. It is the ability to put yourself in the shoes of another person without judging them. It took me some time to understand this but I must admit that it was a great help and I can now confirm that it is through the cracks that the light emerges. The other aspect that deserves to be highlighted is that this experience allowed me to make the decision for the first time to change my impulsiveness and work on my spontaneity. The practice of this daily empathy has led me to feel an unparalleled love for this community allowing me to promote philanthropy on a daily basis. I put the human being at the heart of my actions.

Today, I blossom and I live a beautiful period of my life. I understood then that volunteering is certainly a gift of self that gives the volunteer much more than what he offers. There are so many things to say to magnify this solemn experience that a novel can’t cover. With my current Service in Rwanda, I have no words to express my feelings towards facilitating sustainable changes in my community.

Once a volunteer, always a volunteer.

A Growing Mind

3/7/2023

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Ms. Olivia Viola

I love travelling. I want to travel to as many places as I can in my lifetime. But I have come to realise, my desire to travel has been selective. I wanted to go to all the nice places in the world, never to the outskirts, let alone of my own country. But today I have come to understand why tourists leave comfortable homes to camp in the woods.

Too much has changed in such a little time. In precisely two months and three weeks I can confidently talk about mind-set change. CorpsAfrica is big on mind-set change. We had this intensive training about how mind-set change is paramount in community development, and how to be a catalyst for mind-set change in our respective communities. Little did I know mine was a mind in need of urgent change. My personal growth as a CorpsAfrica Volunteer? Beyond imaginable. I am not going to talk about how my integration has been excruciating to say the least. Sorry to disappoint. Maybe next time, probably next time. I am going to tap a little into the concept of humility and how I literally fell face front into it. How I have found myself needing validation from the ones the world has come to call "proletariats?". But listen, this approval is not an illusion. It is indeed credited.

When I thought about going to my site, Mpalale, Dedza, my stomach turned upside down, every time. I wanted to be excited about the new experience and everything that came along with it but my fears overcrowded me. I developed a coping mechanism to try and get over my fears. A very terrible one I must say. I told myself, “This can’t be hard. You’ll be dealing with a community that is uneducated and illiterate, bet they’ll listen to every word you have to say”. An extremely shallow mind-set. The kind of mind-set that certainly needed change. Fear has a big shadow, and mine came in form of negative coping methods, even in other situations. I would soon learn humility from these so-called ‘uneducated people’ who in so many ways have shown me just how significant they really are. My community has rendered me speechless in many times than I can count. They are rich in in knowledge, dignity, discernment, leadership in depths I can only admire. I have come to find out there’s so much more I can learn and it is not from a professor or a philosopher’s book. It is instead from modest human beings who have managed to find purpose in the smallest of things. My mind-set has since transformed from the divided view of people; from the negative coping mechanisms and views that made me see the world in unbalanced scales. I have a different perspective now, one I believe will take me a long way in life and I have CorpsAfrica to thank for that. There is no lesser or more, there is only diversity and there is beauty in diversity in its entity.

Participating in a community meeting with a women's savings group.

Taking a photo with a community during home visits.

Women grinding local snacks while passing time.

Volunteering Adventures

3/2/2023

Written by CorpsAfrica/Ghana Volunteer Mr. Victor Annani Togborlo (Dreams)

A community far away from the population and the deafening noise of the city.
The cold breeze at night in the calmness of a small community.
The warm but pleasant breeze that ushers you into a new day and the freshness of the air that connects you to real nature.
The beautiful scenery to behold from my house, on top of the mountain.
The reverence of the people that pierces through every act, even greetings.
The busy morning - community folks hurrying to catch up with activities that constitute their bread-and-butter issues.
A palpable love that is exuded by everyone towards the other as shown even in the affectionate greetings among the people.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Change, they say, is scary in the beginning, messy in the middle, but beautiful at the end.

The last two months have made me appreciate this saying even more. In everyone’s life, certain episodes do not need to be written in diaries, because the experiences thereof are by themselves, capable of leaving indelible marks on one’s memory.

Two things struck me on the eve of my arrival in the community - the calmness of the community and the heights of the buildings. From the outside, the buildings looked just about my height. For a volunteering experience that would last for months, I wondered if the short buildings would create any inconveniences, like high temperature. However, my worries were settled the moment I got into my new room on top of the mountain, overseeing the community. The buildings only appeared short from the outside and had an awesome architecture.

The fun-filled communal labor that is invariably characterized by teasing one another at the least provocation, crowned by the excitement when the designated cooks arrived with the meal and climaxed with the traditional songs that convey the energy needed to last the long hours of labor for the day.

The sounds of the birds, often very clear without noise interjections, makes you appreciate the ecosystem as it is designed by the Creator. All these and more can be found in a community full of rich culture. It is a perfect environment to live a stress-free family life while being in touch with nature and culture.

The cultural details that we often pay less attention to in our cities, are sacrosanct here.
Growing up, I have always been conscious of the fact that we, the millennials and the GEN-Zs, paid less attention to many of the details in our cultural heritages. However, never did I imagine that I was growing half-fit into the culture of a region I hailed from. There was so much awkwardness when I realized that I could not exchange greetings to the fullest length as defined by our tradition. That was enough to ruin my day.

But let's talk about the Senior High school in a few words, a place I spent some valuable time at. Aside teaching elective mathematics and core mathematics in third year and second year General Art classes respectively, I facilitated the formation of the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) club in the school. My thanks goes to the resource persons who heeded to my call and had their turns in impacting members of the club in diverse ways. I love it when students and teachers are open to new ideas and receptive to the bone.

I came across a boarding Senior High School with no resident teacher; not even the headmaster had a bungalow on the school campus. Students, boys and girls, between the ages of 16 to 22 are left on their own after the day's teaching. Learning ends for teachers at 3:00 PM. The weekends can best be imagined than to be told. Of course, teachers have no place in the weekend stories - they would be in their homes, far away from the students. By the way, there is no computer in their computer lab.

Upon spending the first few days in my new space, my itchy fingers had already put to draft, write-ups with varying experiences and encounters awaiting proofreading and onward publication. It however wasn’t long before I realized that many of these write-ups are better off left as drafts on my laptop than become online accessible contents. In hindsight, I believe whatever pricked my conscience and averted my mind to the fact that I may goof by publishing, did a lot of good to me. In my ignorance, the hasty conclusions I had about my observations at the time would have looked rather too awkward online today. Perhaps, the saying, "A hunter does not say it all" carries more than it appears in text.

As I close chapters of this phase of the volunteering experience, I must confess that I have never been more conscious about my culture than I have been in the past two months. I definitely have more to learn, but I really appreciate the added value over these two months. A big thanks to all persons and institutions that made this possible @mastercard foundation, @corpsAfrica.

Integrate with a CorpsAfrica Volunteer

3/1/2023

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Ms. Wongani Mwasinga

When I first heard that I had been deployed in Balaka district, I was anxious especially when people let me in on how hot Balaka is, but I was still curious enough to know how hot it can really get. After I got to my site, I was warmly welcomed by my host family who up to date have been helpful in my integration period.

The first two weeks of integration were quite challenging for me as everything and everyone around me was new leaving me puzzled about how best I can fit in and blend in with the community. I felt like everyone's eyes were on me, observing how I talk, walk, dress and carry myself around the community just waiting for me to mess up, so I refrained myself from walking around the community aimlessly.

My community holds a lot of meetings and to my advantage, I was given a chance to attend the meetings during the first three weeks of integration. it was during the meetings that I was introduced to the community members as well as other groups such as the Community Based Organization, Village Development Committee, and Youth club just to mention a few.

In order to integrate into the community better, I decided to volunteer at Mpumulo Primary School (not its actual name), where I was privileged to teach Standard Three learners. This has given me ample time to interact with the teachers and students who have shared stories about my community, the people, the culture, and the beliefs.

Apart from volunteering at the primary school, I still couldn't find something that excited me enough to integrate well. This was until my host mother asked me to attend their business group meeting. The group focuses on the production of peanut butter, tomato sauce, and chilli by the community women. Having a degree in Food Science and Technology helped me gain passion in the food production sector by using available resources to initiate value addition of food products. These women's business is on a small scale but their hope and dedication inspired me enough that I found a motivation to carry on with my integration. I join these women in every production.

My integration has helped me understand and learn that in order to carry out your service as a CorpsAfrica Volunteer, you need to learn how to turn the challenges you face into an opportunity that will work to the best of your advantage.

Wongani with Standard 3 Learners in her community.

Women in the community pose for a group photo after the production of peanut butter.

The Shocks that Came But I Guess I Was Made for This: Passionate and CorpsAfrica Trained

3/1/2023

Written by CorpsAfrica/Ghana Volunteer Mr. Daniel Amoah (One Danny)

Wait until I tell you why. After I had settled in my community, my home visits and community transient walks (as ways of integrating), were uncountable. Aside from the fact that the visits and walks were uncountable, the reception from community folks was so great. At this point, I felt I had nailed it, so I thought it was time to begin facilitating meetings………. Hmmm! It was there I got to know that I had not gotten anything right. Why? Because, I had 95% of the arranged meetings fail as a result of low patronage. Due to this, I had to reschedule, and I mean reschedule meetings not once, not twice, not thrice but uncountable times.

My series of failed meetings got me thinking. As if that was not enough, I took a deep breath and said to myself, “Let’s see where I got it wrong”. While I was thinking of how to be the Volunteer CorpsAfrica trained by empathizing more, asking relevant questions, observing more and listening attentively, the feedback I got back from my community got me lost in my thoughts. This was because on average my community’s ratings on the following were 99.9%:

Lack of commitment toward development
Loss of hope in their own community
Prophecies of doom

At this point, I had a mindset that I could give up and I would not be blamed. But upon second thought, I told myself, “You cannot fail humanity.” So, I started to talk myself out of giving up. I started reading my handbook and notes taken down from my Pre-Service Training (PST) and this action empowered me. The support of my Volunteer Liaison with his words of encouragement, “we can do it”, “let’s make it work guys”, really motivated me. His encouragement anytime we had our weekly check – in calls gave me the push I needed to continue my service. At this moment, all I can say is that I have conquered.

The decision not to fail humanity nor myself made me come back stronger and harder. I took every moment to be a CorpsAfrica moment and also fed myself with daily doses of positive talks, not forgetting how I looked closely for community dynamics in:
            Power
            Gender
            Youth interpretations
            Seeing rural living as a normalcy that I had to refuse.

CorpsAfrica/GHANA, G1!!!!!......... The originals, making original and lasting impact.

Me returning from one of my transient walks.

My counterpart and I, during one of our home visits.

My Deployment: Positive Start

3/1/2023

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Ms. Hope Ngondo

The stress of deployment started when the staff gathered in the conference room to announce where we were going. My mind was swimming in thoughts, but I was staying positive hoping to be deployed close to home. When my name popped up, I was placed in Mulanje. At that moment I did not think about it because at the moment, we were in Mulanje finishing our training, so I liked what I saw, and being my first time in Mulanje I was at ease.

I was okay until I got home. I told my parents where I was deployed and they said that’s too far but “kumeneko nde kukulako” (that is the growth) they said, that’s when my emotions built up. I started thinking of how I was going to survive without family, I have never been away from home for more than 10 months. I called the previous volunteer who served at the site to ask a few things and she told me one thing I was not prepared to hear at that particular moment, “there is no electricity.” I was not happy to hear that, and I had a lot of questions of how I am going to charge my gadgets. The day came on the 27 of September 2022 for us to go to our sites. I was nervous because I did not know what to expect, meeting new people far from home where I have never been to before in my life.

Our journey started and there were three people. Two of us were going to Mulanje but different villages and one was going to Phalombe. We packed our bags in the car and started off. I couldn’t believe that my CorpsAfrica journey had started. Our first destination was Phalombe. We dropped off one of our friends and it started getting real. I was the last person to be dropped off, and I arrived in the evening, and I could not see clearly where I was going. I was tense since it was dark, and my community does not have electricity. When we arrived, I met my host mother. She was nice to me, but I was still emotional. I locked up my emotions after seeing how my host family welcomed me. I kept the sadness and worries away.

After a few days of staying with my host family, I asked my host sister to invite her friends so that I could get to know them. I needed people to have small conversations with since I was spending most of the time alone in my room. One of the things I learned in my community in the first week was that they eat “kalongonda” I was surprised to see people eating it because I have always known that “kalongonda amapha kudya” surprisingly in my community it is a hot business and people cook and sell it.

I have met amazing people in my community, and so far, the journey has started well.

Me and my host mother on my arrival, with my host brother sitting on her lap.

Me in blue (CorpsAfrica t-shirt) with the girls I met.

This is the process of peeling Kalong Onda.

A Personal Experience in Facilitating Community-Led Development

3/1/2023

Written by CorpsAfrica/Kenya Volunteer Mr. Kelvin Mutuma

My first big assignment when I got to site and held the very first community meetings was to trim down the walloping expectations of the community members. It was not a walk in the park to stand there and inform them it is not as they thought. It was a daunting task for them also to let go of their preconceived notions on the kind of community development that CorpsAfrica had brought. However, the community members in Kyuso, were so happy to know that they are the ones who will lead this development intervention of CorpsAfrica.

The fact that I had come to the community with skills to pass on and facilitate them to get better was interesting, it was even more startling when I told the members “We will leverage on the local assets that the community has to help them grow; it is Asset-Based Community Development”. But we are not rich, we have no assets, some said. Some were surprised that I was not bringing grants and direct aid to them as had been. For those who felt this way or shared similar kinds of feelings, it only took them a few community meetings to open their eyes on what was possible with what they had. As we used to sing with the other Volunteers “Our CorpsAfrica song” I communicated to them that this is CorpsAfrica the New Africa, a phrase that has always lingered in the corners of my head. New in the way that development is packaged and brought to them, in the wrappings of Asset- Based Community-Led Development to ensure sustainability and build capacity.

Some of the challenges I have observed and been told about is the plight of people living with disability in this community. Many of the people here live in poverty and struggle to access necessities like clean water, electricity and healthcare. Despite these challenges, I have also seen the incredible resilience of the people in this village. They are determined to improve their lives and the lives of their children, and are always willing to work together to make things better. I have been amazed by their generosity and kindness, and by their willingness to welcome me into their community.

A personal experience that I have found interesting are the high octane dances by the Akamba. Their dance is high energy and vibrant display of cultural tradition and community spirit. The dancers moved in sync with the beat of their clapping hands, their colorful waist tied cloth adding to the lively atmosphere. I am always captivated by the energy and enthusiasm of the dancers, who moved with grace and skill, creating a truly unforgettable performance.

As a CorpsAfrica Volunteer, I have had the privilege of serving as a teacher at the Nascent Kimu Secondary school, where I have been imparting knowledge on the intricacies of Biology and Physics to the students. The school, although newly established, lacks the necessary staff, making my presence all the more imperative. But beyond imparting knowledge, my volunteerism has also served as a crucial bridge to integrate and connect with the members of the local community. In addition to my teaching duties, I have also actively engaged in various activities and trainings with the community members, tailored to address their specific needs and challenges. These endeavors have been a collaborative effort, with the community members themselves identifying the most pressing issues and working together to find solutions. Some of them include community-asset mapping, charcoal briquette making and training on WASH among others.

Overall, my experience as a CorpsAfrica Volunteer at my site since arrival has been an incredible learning and serving opportunity. I have gained a deeper understanding of the complexities of community-led development, and have been inspired by the determination and resilience of the people here.

Life as a CorpsAfrica Volunteer, the Journey So Far

2/28/2023

Written by CorpsAfrica/Ghana Volunteer Iddrisu Issahaku

My life has been full of anxiety ever since the CorpsAfrica journey started; an anxiety that moves from one stage to the other. After putting in my application in July 2021, I was anxious about whether I would be invited for an interview or not. After I was called for an interview in September of 2022, I was now anxious about whether I will be given an opportunity to serve or not. The anxiety level was so high at this point but I kept assuring myself that it shall be well.
When I finally got a congratulatory message in October, I told myself that I was now a happy person. Little did I know that another anxiety awaited me even as I was preparing to for my Pre-Service Training (PST). Having arrived in Accra earlier on Saturday, November 12, 2022, I finally joined some colleagues who came from the north in the early hours of Sunday, November 13, 2022, at Achimota New Station. The reception from the CorpsAfrica staff gave me the impression that I was coming to join a family. And exactly as I thought, the experience at PST was just like being with a family.

Everything about PST gave me joy but anytime I remembered that I didn’t know the community I was heading to, my old anxiety set in again. Every day, I prayed that the communities would be mentioned to us so that I will be at peace. I realized that I wasn’t the only one having these anxieties.

When I was finally told that I where I was assigned, I became happy but at the same time I became sad. I was happy because I knew for a fact that my community was in the north and I had almost every thing in common with the community like language and culture. This gave me a little bit of joy. However, when I listened to the expectations of people and thought about going to live in a community I didn’t know much about, also gave me a number of sleepless nights.

I finally arrived in the Savelugu Municipal at about 6:30pm on the 6th of January 2023, I was the last person to be dropped off. I was happy to see that my host family had prepared ahead to receive me in the community. The following morning, I was introduced to the community and from there life as a Volunteer started.

In the past 2 months in the community, I spent time interacting with students, men, women and youth groups. Just listening and observing has taught me invaluable lessons as a Volunteer and development agent, and I am prepared to learn more going forward.

Strangers That Become Family

2/28/2023

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Mr. Washington Chifunda

The Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu once said; “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step”. I definitely agree with him, because no one in this life has ever got anywhere without starting the journey.

My CorpsAfrica journey started when I had to travel from Blantyre to Lilongwe on a Monday to attend my interview on Tuesday at 10 in the morning. I was very excited to be called for an interview but at the same I had some interview fever. I vividly remember my mom calling to give me encouragement, which helped me regain my confidence and do the interview. After some days I received the news I was hoping for: I had been selected to be in the 2022/2023 cohort of CorpsAfrica Trainees.

We underwent a 6-weeks pre-service training (PST) before becoming Volunteers. After swearing in as Volunteers, we were deployed to our respective sites. The day I was going to my site in Dedza, I was a little bit stressed as I had no knowledge of the people I was going to meet in the community. Few questions popped into my head; Is it a safe site? Are the people there welcoming? How about my host family, are they good people?

I started feeling better after I met with my host family who welcomed me like I was no stranger. Now I am a fully-fledged member of the community as I participate in several activities in the community and work together with the community youth club, Village Development Committee (VDC) and other community development clubs. I have been making soap with a soap making group, moulding bricks with the youth club, attending community meetings, weddings and other activities as part of my integration in the community. My integration has been going very well and am now super excited and ready to continue serving as a CorpsAfrica Volunteer.

Meeting my host family.

Moulding bricks with the Youth Club.

Attending a community meeting.

Making soap with the soap-making group in the community.

My Integration Journey in Wamale Community

2/27/2023

Written by CorpsAfrica/Ghana Volunteer, Rahinatu Mohammed

My thoughts on being deployed to my community began during the last week of Pre-Service Training (PST). I was looking forward to the community experience and at the same time I was anxious about what it would be like. An inner voice kept on assuring me that it would be fine especially since I had had my Third Trimester Field Practical Program in the university. The day finally arrived and I made all the necessary preparations as I waited for the Volunteer Liaison Officer's call. Around 10 am on the 6th of January, I was picked up from the house. We then went round to pick up the remaining Volunteers. Gradually, the bus was filled with the other Northern Volunteers. We started our journey to drop the Volunteers in the Tamale Metro District since it was closer to Tamale and I was the first to be dropped off. We met the assembly man who led us to the chief. We met his elders and they informed us that they had prepared a room for me in the chief's palace. They cleaned the room for me and helped me unpack. Later in the evening, I was introduced to the chief and his family.

The next day, I decided to go around the community to interact with the people. I entered a number of houses to introduce myself and explain the mission of CorpsAfrica. Some of the community members thought I was giving out loans, but after explaining what we do, they were excited and told me they would give me their support. They also advised me to be patient with them.

As part of my integration, I began teaching in the community basic school. I had some activities with the students so I could get to know them better. I also interacted with the weavers, seamstresses and the Village Savings and Loans Group. On weekends, I followed some of my host sisters to the community dam to wash our clothes and I also helped my host mother sell her food.

So far, my life in the community has been amazing. The people are hospitable and they always try to make life comfortable for me. I have improved my communication and public speaking skills as well as the ability to interact with people and teach in the basic school.
I'm grateful for this journey and I look forward to more beautiful experiences with my community members.

I had a session on career guidance with the Wamale M/A JHS students.

I had a colouring activity with the nursery children of the Wamale Smart Start Academy.

I met a group of weavers to have a discussion on the mission and development approaches of CorpsAfrica.

The End From the Start: Walking the Volunteer Talk

2/22/2023

Written by CorpsAfrica/Ghana Volunteer Mr. Daniel Akebe Amoah (One Danny)

On my first night on site, I thought it was going to be a night that I will be on an anesthesia in order to sleep away not just my stress and worries but my fears. Someone will ask if I got that anesthetic night? It is a big no. Rather it was a night of an active mental marathon in thinking and strategizing on how;

I was going to wake up to the community’s stare
I was going to be that Volunteer, CorpsAfrica trained
I was going to start my integration and where I would start from.

Morning came and there I stood, behind the door to my room after I had dressed up to go on rounds. Doing what? Hmmm! Rehearsing how to walk, talk and especially speak a language to replace the community’s language: Ewe, which I didn’t understand as well as how to win over the community.

I finally stepped out, greeted my host family and took off to start from one of the peripheral sections of my community which should take you 7 minutes or less on foot. I was escorted by my host family’s son, popularly called “Uncle” (who is 7 years old and in class 2). As we walked, we were not talking because he could not speak English and I also could not speak the local dialect but in place of oral communication, we kept smiling at each other and our hearts were at peace. Before I forget, Uncle was my only hope in taking pictures for and of me, and guess what he delivered. Wait till I show you his shots.

The walk lasted more than 7 minutes. Why? Because of the fear of what to expect, it was as if whenever I took a step forward, I also took 100 steps back. Please don’t laugh.

The time of reckoning had come! I arrived at the very first household and greeted them, “Good morning”. It was as silent as a cemetery. This gave me the feedback that I wouldn’t get anywhere with my English phonetics so I quickly switched to “Twi” (a local language largely spoken by most Ghanaians). Though my “twi” was not the best melody you would want to hear, it got me a seat and an opportunity to engage the household while we (the household members, Uncle and I) worked on the palm nuts they had harvested. Fast forward, I made a friend from there who accompanied Uncle and I to the other households, and through similar stories in other households, I became a friend of the entire community.

I became the Volunteer the community was waiting for, not because I was a messiah but in community work, one has to appreciate community dynamics like: observing more, making no interpretations, asking relevant questions, creating a psychologically safe environment for others and building trust, just to mention a few. The above things I did, got me the magic and much more which I will share with you……. Come along with me. I worked on farms, roasted “gari”, worked as a laborer and taught as a classroom teacher. I’m still teaching and will be teaching for my entire stay. I also attended funerals.

In a split moment, I phased out of the panic zone (a zone characterized by fear, uncertainty and self-doubt) into the comfort zone. This switch from the panic zone to the comfort zone was extremely relieving. However, for some reason, I still thought the switch was not true, but I was made to realize that I was indeed in a comfort zone. Though page 18 of my volunteer handbook says, “Outsiders are not insiders”, in my case I earned it through a significant personal sacrifice and commitment. However, I may remain an outsider, but while it may last, I have the singular honor of redefining development and making that lasting impact according to CorpsAfrica standards.
My household visits, the friend I made. Also, my hands on palm nuts for first time ……Uncle took this shot

Roasting “gari” (flour made out of cassava), a livelihood in every household in my community… Uncle is the one in front of me.

Returning from the farm.

A Worth Living Experience

2/22/2023

Written by CorpsAfrica/Rwanda Volunteer Ms. Emelyne Umunyana

"No man is an island," said John Donne.
In his poem, John Donne attempts to provide facts about how people are somehow interconnected. Sometimes, many people believe that vulnerable groups or communities have nothing to offer, but everyone has something to offer and something to learn from.

Joining CorpsAfrica was a lifetime opportunity. I am saying this because it sharpened me and helped me identify my full potential. Before, what would "away from home" on the site look like? Later on, after training, I was equipped with the knowledge and skills I needed and eagerly awaited my deployment to my current site. It seemed as if a fantasy had come true.

When I arrived on the site, being welcomed by a caring family was beautiful. I had no idea my host family would be so warm and welcoming. But I was amazed by how they treated my fellow Volunteers and me. I used to wonder how I would cope in a different environment with other people. I had no idea, but to my surprise, I found connecting with my host family easy and felt at ease from the first day. Our bond grew stronger as I assisted them with all household tasks and other house chores, such as going to the field, cooking, and so on.

Later, I attended my first meeting with members of the community. I was nervous because I was new to the community, but the meeting was my best chance to introduce myself. I remember being greeted with a warm smile and beautiful hugs. This positive energy affirmed that this community is deserving of my time here. From that day on, I said, "This is just the beginning." Until now, I have never regretted being a Volunteer, and I never will.

I recall CorpsAfrica providing us with Human Centered Design and Asset Based Community Development as our essential development tools to use in the community during our service. During pre-service training, we shared a saying: "We should put a smile on people's faces." I made that my motto: everything I do must benefit the community. Furthermore, I want to devote all my efforts to empowering the community and changing their mindsets so that by the time I leave, they can stand on their own and continue to be at the forefront of their development by leading the social-economic impact in their community. The experience in the community has been tremendous, and it has been such a learning environment for me and a safe place to be. Speaking of the community, I was surprised to see how things are done through solidarity and cooperation.

So far, I am confident that the community has much to offer when there is a desire to learn because everyone has unique skills and the ability to contribute. I learned how to make pots out of clay and am now expanding my knowledge. As a result, from my experience, vulnerability is not a sign of inability but rather the source of innovation, creativity, and change. We can overcome all odds if we work together.

Deployment to Site: A Trip of Expectations

2/21/2023

Written by a CorpsAfrica/Ghana Volunteer: Mr. Daniel Akebe Amoah (aka One Danny)

It was all a cruise of certainty and joy as I made my way to the CorpsAfrica/Ghana Office at East Legon in Accra. I sat in the Trotro with smiles that could last a century and that continued till I arrived at the office, without feeling any stress nor a sense of losing touch with family, friends and loved ones.

Night soon came and I had to sleep after a long journey from the northern part of Ghana to the southern part of Ghana, which should not take you less than 12 hours. My night was not a stress-reliever but rather a night of mental stress from the trip; thinking of whether I had to be there in the first place and waiting to be deployed in the name of volunteerism and community work. Though I managed to close my eyes, I intermittently snapped out of it till it was morning. Hmmmm!

Morning came and the line “the D – day is here” hit me so hard that I relapsed into my nightmare of whether I had made the right decision or not? I stepped out of bed and into the shower still holding myself to ransom for taking this decision.

We set off from the Country Office at exactly 6:12 am with our Volunteer Liaison (Mr. Isaac Obodai) and had to pick up some few colleagues as they arrived from their homes for deployment. The expectation to see the family I had made from PST (Pre-Service Training) kept me calm as well as my adrenaline level. After an hour when everyone was picked and we finally hit the road, trying to navigate our way out of the capital city, Accra, I was still at ease because I had a lot to feed my eyes on while stirring out the window. After hours on the road from Accra to Cape Coast, we finally initiated a curve where we were told that we are almost there. Little did I know that the statement had a “placebo effect” to make us feel good. Then we started on a long, dusty, untarred, never ending and yet no signage road for about 20 minutes with high speed. My name was mentioned, “One Danny, we are going to your community”. That moment, I relapsed into my nightmare without a second thought.

Finally appearing out of the “woods”, we saw the first set of houses. Then my Volunteer Liaison said, “One Danny, this is one section of your community” while we moved along and eventually arrived in front of one mud structure on a high ground. At that moment, I shouted, “in the middle of nowhere” and started cursing the day I considered volunteerism as the way to go. In the heat of the moment, I had colleague Volunteers helping me to locate my luggage. I kept refusing REALITY and patting myself on the back that it was just a prank……hmmm! But all my coping strategies lost potency the very moment my luggage was found and then I was shown the room where I was to spend not just the night but 10 months in as a CorpsAfrica/Ghana Volunteer. Oh! God help me! A few minutes on, my colleagues drove off in the bus. It was then that reality hit me, and I realized I was in this alone.

I began moving away from denial and started accepting reality. So I moved to greet my host mother (Mama Jane) and entered the room I was to spent the rest of my days as a Volunteer in. There, I unpacked my stuff and quickly picked out my phone to find consolation in surfing the internet but a hard truth I had to live by was that the entire community did not have good access to network (for either calls or surfing the internet) unless under or around particular trees (about 2) before good network could be accessed. Evening soon came and before I could run into my new-found home, I begun feeling a sense of belonging as a result of the entourage of community members that came to welcome me - speaking a mixture of English and “Ewe” (a local language spoken by the people of the Volta region of Ghana) with smiles telling me their emotional state due to my arrival. The next morning, two things happened which actually calmed me.

First, I was visited by a senior citizen (an aged man who bears my name but is affectionately called “Thunder Blow”) of my community at around 6:56am – 7:05am. He shared with me his perspectives on life, his life as a volunteer (he cautioned me that I was not going to find it easy but joy will come at the end) and ended by introducing me to his family. I felt overwhelmed by their reception especially since they did not even know anything about me.

Secondly, I returned home to meet my host family who treated me as if I had been a part of the family from infancy. I had the pleasure of meeting a lovely set of young twins who taught me a couple of lines in their local language and made me laugh a lot. This encounter helped me prepare for the CorpsAfrica journey of #LocalsHelpinglocals.

Me and "Thunder Blow", the first guest to visit me and welcome me to the community.

Reuniting with other volunteers.

Beauty of CorpsAfrica

2/15/2023

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Mr. Wonderful Mudolo

“Instead of putting others in their place, put yourself in their place.” – Anonymous

The day of departure to my site had arrived. All sorts of iterations of what my site would be like ran through my mind. I was very excited and anxious simultaneously, wondering where I would spend the next 365 days of my life. I kept on asking myself, “Is it really necessary for me to live in the community I will serve?” As much as I understand the significance of community engagement for sustainable community development, I truly never recognized the importance of living in my community during my service. It has been two months now since I moved into my community, and I would love to share with you some of the amazing benefits of the CorpsAfrica model.
During my integration period, I have mostly been facilitating community meetings to identify the challenges faced and find possible solutions to the problems. The water drainage area is quite large, and I sometimes cycle for over 18 kilometers to and from the meeting places. As I travel, I get to experience the long distances that children walk to access education, as long as the distance other community members travel to access water and health care services among other essential needs. In meetings, I have a chance to better understand the challenges that the community is facing, as I have ample time to tackle with the community how such problems can be addressed locally.

Living and interacting with the community members has helped me to understand the people and this certainly impacts my ability to communicate with them effectively. It has also ensured that trust is established between myself and the community members as we chat and share our different experiences in life.

Residing at my site has definitely moved me out of my comfort zone. It is a new environment, full of new experiences and so much more to learn from. I have had the opportunity to work alongside a CorpsAfrica Alumnus on a World Connect classroom block construction project. Upon completion, the classroom block is expected to create a conducive learning and teaching environment for 120 learners at the school. This work experience is advancing my project management skills. I have found myself facilitating meetings with community leaders, managing construction procurement, executing budget analyses, writing weekly reports, and blogs, and many more. Some of which, if one required my input 3 months ago, I would honestly be skeptical about.

Albert Einstein once said, “Only a life lived for others is worth living.” As I continue serving at my site, I feel there is a lot more that I can give to my community whilst learning and sharing my experiences for sustainable community development, concurrently, advancing my career prospects and growing personally. And that is the beauty of CorpsAfrica.

Facilitating a meeting with community leaders.

Digging foundation trenches of the classroom block.

Watering a school garden at Matti Community-Based Childcare Center.

Do You Know Amadaou Bamba Diaw?

2/15/2023

Written by CorpsAfrica/Ghana Volunteer Mr. Amadaou Bamba Diaw

Better known as Bamba, I am a young graduate in Economic Engineering at the University of Dakar-Bourquiba, who specialized in Accounting, Business Management and Administration at the University Institute of Technology and Commerce (ITECOM). After my studies, I was to integrate Chemical Industries of Senegal (ICS) under a contract as an accountant, stock manager and then a representative of the interim company BSI within this same industry. Due to these experiences, I became passionate about development and improving the living conditions of rural communities.

I joined CorpsAfrica/Senegal in the volunteer program while working as a program coordinator of the Organization “Tivaouane Green Town” (TVV), which works to improve environmental conditions. With a complete and beneficial training at CorpsAfrica in Design Thinking and Human Centered-design, accompanied by several complementary modules, I am committed to the mission of improving the living conditions of the Village of "SINE NGAYE" where I assisted various groups of women in this community by empowering them in several areas such as the manufacturing of different types of soaps and bleaches as well as the establishment of micro projects such as a community shop and the innovation of modern-improved stoves. These activities strongly contribute to the protection of the environment and fall under the “CorpsAfrica Green “ initiative, which aims to improve the environment and fight against climate change. I also completed a project which involved ensuring that a market garden area of 2 hectares had access to water in order to improve the working conditions of the women and also supply a large part of this community with drinking water.

This was a project inspired by the initiative, “CorpsAfrica Blue” which facilitates access to drinking water. This project was greatly appreciated by the community and the surrounding villages that benefited from it. Being a multitasker and an ambassador for the environment, I have participated in several events of this kind, both nationally and internationally. I was even recommended for the run-up to COP27 in Egypt during my participation in the Ecolotrip Forum in Togo and in many other participations. In the cultural aspect, I have also played a role of co-coordinator for the preparation of the CorpsAfrica International Cultural Work Camp and have worked a lot on the revaluation of the megalithic sites of Sine Ngayene, Wanar, Wassu and Keur Bathie, which are a part of the world heritage of UNESCO. I took initiatives to sensitize and educate young people on the importance of this heritage through several cultural activities around these sites.

Considered as an innovative project, the Modern Improved Cookstoves were nominated and featured in AYICC's SMART GREEN BOOK 2022, a green book of young African innovators' projects for the fight against climate change and a featured presentation during COP27 in Egypt. Always having this thirst to serve, I have re-engaged with CorpsAfrica in Ghana as an Exchange Volunteer to further serve African communities and push them towards a momentum of development by redefining development while being a typical Ambassador of CorpsAfrica for its love and loyalty to African communities. As I have always said “my mission is not to develop communities but to build new people to build societies”. Such are my words.

Take It One Step At A Time

2/15/2023

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Ms. Joana Msukwa

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”- Theodore Roosevelt

I must say the idea of moving to the outskirts of the city was not as easy to digest but after going through six weeks of PST, I convinced myself that living in a totally different place far from home was not going to be so bad after all but rather a wholesome life adventure worth a shot.

After arriving at my site in Ntcheu district, I had quite zero expectations from the community after having been told to lower our expectations throughout service but what fascinated me was the warm welcome I got from some community members. I was intrigued as to how someone would welcome a total stranger they have never met before. This alone does prove the famous quote about Malawi being the warm heart of Africa. Having been dropped off, I was then told by my program coordinator that there was a bridge project at a nearby village pending implementation. I then thought to myself how is a girl like me with little knowledge in construction going to handle a whole bridge construction project? However, after some thought process, I told myself to just do it as Nike quotes it.

During the first encounter with the village where the bridge was to be constructed, I was quite touched to see the commitment the community members have had throughout the years in trying to ease movements to the village. The community has used most of its community assets like quarry stones to put underneath the water across the river but this didn’t really help. Vehicles hardly reach the community. They have to be packed and people cross the river on foot. With the CorpsAfrica Volunteer coming into the picture, the community is more than overwhelmed seeing their story about to change. I am quite excited to be a part of this social change and help make a significant impact throughout my integration process. With a step at a time, we are closer to finishing the project and a great story is about to be told.

"Am I the Faint-Hearted?" There is Only One Way to Find Out.

2/15/2023

Written by CorpsAfrica Malawi Volunteer Ms. Natasha Lughano Chagunda

As I packed my bags for site in Ligowe, Neno district, I had all of these preconceived thoughts and feelings about where I was going. Most of these thoughts were driven with emotions I had no control over such as fear and anxiety. Normal for anyone stepping out of their well-defined comfort zone to go and live and work amongst unfamiliar community. A couple of these feelings with the famous notion that says “CorpsAfrica is not for the faint-hearted”, I headed for my site only with the knowledge of why I was going: To be a catalyst of change and to facilitate small scale but high impact community led development. I was determined.

Did I have all of the necessary tools to aid me in this role during my service? Yes. Did I know exactly where I was going? No. Would I be able to adapt to a new place I would call home for the next 12 months? These were some of the unanswered questions going through my mind. I remember asking myself, “Am I the faint-hearted”? There was only one way to find out.
The first month was very hectic as I was becoming familiar with my community through one-on-one chats with individuals, community welcoming meetings and through participation in various community events such as funerals, weddings, developmental meetings to help me integrate and synthesize well in order to build psychological safety. Overtime, my stay has become much steadier. It is nothing like the sob story I thought it would be prior to experiencing my community life.

After 12 weeks at my site, I can confidently say that I have become very accustomed to my community. I really love the place in regard to its weather, topography and various institutional structures. The people and more especially the culture. Looking back, it is clear that most of the feelings I had prior to my deployment gave me a biased perception of what my stay in the community would be like even before actually experiencing it. It is very paramount to always leave room for how new experiences will pan out. Let go of trying to control the things we cannot control. Nonetheless I can say that the time spent in my community has been remarkable this far.
I have been privileged enough to work with and through a local community development organization that is well established in the community. They have provided me with a platform to easily reach out to various community social organizations such as CBO’s, Community Day Secondary School, the Local Health Facility where I now volunteer, as well as small groups within the community that I can hold group thinks with in order to learn about some of the problems that are present and prevalent in my community.

Life as a CorpsAfrica Volunteer has taught me one thing for sure; the fastest way to get anything done is to not go over or around but to always go through. I had doubts and fears about my stay, but it has already been 12 weeks and just like a child learning to ride a bike, I can finally say that I have set off for my adventure.

Attending to post-natal clients at the community health center.

A photo with the local community development organization.

A student presenting during a menstrual hygiene training for secondary school students.

With the girls that participated in the menstrual hygiene training for secondary school students.

How I Became A Northerner

2/7/2023

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Mr. Frazer Kum'bweza Banda

It all started in Mulanje at Likhubula C.C.A.P house, just hours before completing the Pre-Service Training (PST). It was an overwhelming moment when I saw my face projected on a wall accompanied by “Karonga” as my site. Believe me, I was in disbelief. Never did I imagine CorpsAfrica could allocate me to the northern region of Malawi. I was actually telling my fellow trainees that I could be allocated in any northern district and it happened. Thoughts hit me following the allocation, I felt alone because this meant that the friendship bonds that I made with fellow trainees during the PST were challenged. It was me alone going into a new community where the culture, food, and language are different from back home. Mind you, I had never been in the northern part of Malawi before, this was actually the first time I was going to see far north (Karonga) (and eventually become a far northerner). I was deployed in Karonga on the 28th of September. I was warmly welcomed by my host family, and this was the beginning of my journey as a CorpsAfrica Volunteer serving in Karonga.

Being in a community where most of the things (language, culture, food etc.) are different from what you know or have back home is very challenging. I have had high time interacting with Tumbuka speakers because I had no prior knowledge of the Tumbuka language. This pushed me to learn fast some language basics like greetings so that I could not feel entirely out of place when with the community members. In days, I was able to speak some broken Tumbuka with the help of my host brother who knows some Chichewa and was teaching me most of the things. I started blending in, making some friends (Barber man being the first friend I made because I was mostly at the barbershop charging my gadgets), eating their food, and learning some of the things that define them.

I grew interested in knowing more and being known to many. I wanted the community, not just the friends I made but every population, to know me and the reason why I am in their community living with them as one of them. As part of my integration, I started teaching at the community Primary School so that I can connect with the learners, the staff, and all the associations, clubs, and organizations existing within the school. This exposed me to a lot of community members as well as the leaders and other figures, I became friends with them personally and professionally. I also interact with preschool kids at the Community Based Child Care (CBCC) whenever I am free from other duties. In addition, I also attend women financial clubs to share with them some ideas on how they can improve their income generating activities. Being welcomed and interacting with different groups of people in my site to this far, I now have a sense of belonging and I can proudly say CorpsAfrica made me a northerner.

Expectations vs. Reality

2/7/2023

Written by a CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Ms. Stella Kumphika

“Do not count your eggs before they hatch.”

As CorpsAfrica trainees, we were taught to manage our expectations by lowering them down. But how do you do that when there are more stories supporting your higher expectations?
I was anxious and eager to hear where I will spend the next ten months of my life. “Away from home obviously I thought to myself” to my amazement, I was assigned to go to Dedza. I was so excited because Dedza is my home District, and I knew I would be spending 10 months with my relatives.

“It's a trading center, the area has more potential to develop, and there are many things you could do in the community. Your host mother has reserved two houses for you, she went on, one with electricity and the other one has no electricity.” More reasons to be proud of my site.
The office organized a car to pick me up from home. With Joy I bid farewell to my people, and we left. The trip started off well, a few kilometers after Tsangano, we had a flat tire, but nobody was hurt. We spent about thirty minutes waiting for the cruiser to be fixed. The car was fixed, and we went on with the trip, in no time, we arrived at the first site to drop off a fellow Volunteer. Looking at the environment and everything, reality began to sink in. I felt like crying as if I was the one being dropped.

The road to Kasumbu was dusty; I could actually feel that the air I was breathing in was full of dust. In half an hour, we were at my site, we met my host mother at her place, she hopped in the cruiser to give us directions to the house she kept. I knew it was a bigger and comfortable house because the previous occupant was a married secondary school teacher, as she explained over the phone call.

“The house we reserved for her has been given to another person, I found a small house where she will be staying while searching for another house”. Explaining to my host mother, I was so heartbroken, “Maybe I didn’t hear her well” I comforted myself. When we arrived at the reserved house, I did not like the compound. I entered the small house; I couldn’t hold it and I started crying. I told my host mother and one of the staff members that I am not staying there. She agreed with the host mother that I should spend two weeks at her place.

The family did not have enough space for me, so I was asked to stay in one of her unfinished bedrooms. My few belongings couldn’t fit in the house. I was very sad. After a few days we found a single bedroom house with electricity and water. Immediately, I moved out of my host mothers house, and I settled comfortably in my new home.

Integration Life In My Community

2/5/2023

Written by a CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Ms. Prisca Kadawati

Every new place is very difficult to live in at first, and being in a rural community makes it even harder. Meeting people you have never seen before and somehow you have to make yourself known to them, whether they like it or not, because that is what my kind of job as a volunteer and as a Community Development facilitator is all about. Before going to my community, I had this nervous energy that could not go away no matter how many times I told myself to be confident and strong and that I have spent 6 weeks training to be a capable Volunteer at my site, and that is what will happen. I kept on thinking “what if people in the community are not welcoming to me?” and “what if I do not make friends? And a lot more questions wandered in my head and I was afraid of the journey ahead.

Getting myself known by people has always been challenging for me to be honest, I would not say that I am not a people person and it is very difficult welcoming people in my zone. I stayed with my host family for a few days and got to know them better. The good thing was that they were really welcoming and very open to my staying there. Even now, they are one of my closest people in the community. And as one way of integrating easily into my community, I first visited each leader in the community to introduce myself before having introductory meetings with the whole community. I also worked with the bakery group by attending some activities such as building an oven and training the bakery group on how to bake different products.

I also started teaching at a Primary school in my community. This is really helping me boost my confidence. and it has helped me to form a relationship with the girls from school. Together with another female teacher, we have formed a girl’s guide club, where we will be empowering the girls and encouraging them to work hard in school and also training them on menstrual health and hygiene.

I have engaged with the care groups in my community, and I have facilitated the making of sack gardens, in which they have planted vegetables as a way of improving food security and nutrition in their households. I had no idea how to make Mbeya fertilizer, but now I can do it by myself because I learned from the community members. I can safely say that I am integrating well in my community and I no longer feel nervous whenever there is a community meeting or teaching in class as it is now a psychological safety environment.

Preparing to make the sack gardens with the care group.

Break-time with the learners.

Introductory girl's guide club meeting.

Making Mbeya fertilizer.

Making fuel-efficient cooking stoves.

Heartwarming Integration

1/18/2023

Written by CorpsAfrica/Maroc Volunteer Yassine Elakhda

As a CorpsAfrica Volunteer assigned to a novel destination, precisely to a village called Zaouiat Ahensal, in Azilal province, located in the High Atlas Mountains, I was so excited to meet my new community. I was amazed to experience the mountainous roads and beautiful rocky landscapes scattered with forests separated by a flowing river. The journey was long and tiring, but as soon as I arrived at my site, I felt recharged by the diversified natural sights and warm hospitality of the community. From here, the unforgettable journey began.

All of the community members were excited to meet us and get to know who these strangers wearing CorpsAfrica T-shirts and hats were. We had long discussions with different individuals, which was a chance to introduce the work of CorpsAfrica and possible activities we could perform with them. They accompanied us to see the local associations and cooperatives already working here, as well as the local leaders and government officials. I can confidently say that the CorpsAfrica guidebook was very helpful in our first steps entering the community and building trust with its members.

Despite language barriers, community members tried their best to speak Arabic and even translate for us when conversing with elderly people who speak only Tamazight. The community faces a lot of challenges in performing simple day-to-day duties and has limited access compared to city life. However, as a famous proverb says, “the need is the mother of all inventions,” the community members found ways to persist despite the natural challenges of extremely cold weather, rocky landscapes, and limited survival resources with ambition, motivation, and hope that the best is yet to come.

I have seen a huge enthusiasm from the youth wanting to learn English and from the elderly wanting to take literacy classes. I started providing them with these classes in the local education center of the association and in the center of the women’s cooperative. What fascinated me was their persistence to learn, ask questions, prepare the homework I give them, and write essays at home to be corrected in the classroom. I feel at home while in this amazing volunteering experience within my community. The integration went very smoothly, and I am confident that great things will come.