Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Ms. Angella Chizimba

We know that young people aren't just the leaders of tomorrow, they are working to transform their communities today. Safe spaces help girls develop into leaders and change makers. As the United Nations explains, safe spaces can be found in any type of setting. They are inclusive and promote civil discourse, ensuring that young people from diverse backgrounds feel comfortable and respected as they learn to express themselves and contribute to community life.

We create these spaces to provide participants from all backgrounds with a place to come together to build their skills. During my service, I have been lucky enough to work in a safe space with the girls in my community who are between the ages of 13 and 24. We discuss main areas of concern of girls including health, hygiene and gender-based violence.

Though adolescence is usually a period for young people to gain the education, knowledge, and skills needed to shape a secure future, this isn't a given in many communities around the world.  As I grew up, in my early years I had someone who encouraged me to face challenges head on. My youth services at church was my safe space and we could share and openly speak about issues. Many people are not so fortunate to have all that. Safe spaces help fill this gap, it’s a safe haven.

Marginalized girls often lack access to quality education and healthcare, decision-making power and the ability to make choices about their own lives. Safe spaces provide them with emotional support and physical support.

This has been the case for Atupele, a young girl aged 20 years. Atupele was born epileptic. She experienced a hard time in school to the point that she dropped out. Having lost both parents at a young age, she stayed with her relatives, but it was not easy for her. She was locked at home to do all chores and take care of other children. She could not associate with others or do anything for herself. In other words, she was powerless. Her relatives were approached to allow her be part of the safe space. Luckily after some time, they allowed it. She started attending the safe space and she opened up and joined another club where she is learning how to sew clothes, which will help her earn her living in the near future. Without safe space, she could have not been confident enough to learn a skill, make friends and learn more about her human rights.

Just like Atupele, there are a lot of cases out there that need such groupings. Young girls need to build their confidence, need to learn skills, they need to associate with others to learn different issues pertaining to their health, hygiene and gender based violence. "Safe space is a home for me, it's comforting to be among girls experiencing life challenges and finding solutions together. I am learning a lot of things everyday," said Atupele.

​Most of them lack motivation to take them through life. They need a confidence boost. I am so glad that in this short time, I could work with such girls and experienced change in their lives. As I experience change in these girls' lives, my life is changing as well.

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Ms. Margaret Magombo

​Passing around Mpheta village in Domasi, one would forget that this is summer. This is the area where Domasi scheme is located. It is a large chunk of land which is supporting livelihoods of thousands of people. It is through the sweat of the locals that the large expanse of land is constantly green in and out of season.

Since my arrival at my site, I took it as my initiative to explore the area. The just past weekend I considered visiting Domasi scheme, which is found to the far end of my site. What I witnessed has clung to my mind and it is inspiring my imagination. The agricultural scheme that was pioneered by the Chinese government a couple of decades ago has formed the bedrock of economic activities in the area. I have learned that the scheme is the main producer of rice in Zomba and Machinga. Supported by Domasi river, rice is cultivated twice alongside maize within the green belt. I remember wondering and asking recently where the large quantities of watermelons flooding the nearby markets are coming from. Through my weekend journey I had the answer to my curiosity.

Walking around the households surrounding the scheme all signs of self-sufficiency were too visible. One cannot complain of food insecurity in this part of Zomba. Standard iron thatched houses are a main feature in this area. I was really thrilled to see how nature is being harnessed for the advantage of man. I wish how people are using water in Mpheta could be a model in different parts of mother Malawi. It is an indisputable fact that this nation is blessed with countless rivers. Most of these rivers are not being used to the advantage of the locals. How I wish relevant stakeholders played the needed role in turning these feely given precious pearls for the support of standard living.

My weekend adventure, has helped me in debunking the myth that rural dwellers are a lazy bunch of people. As one wonders how can a lazy body turn a summer landscape into a winter one? And how can the same busy body feed thousands? Rural masses deserve a push in the right direction. All they need is to be set into what they know best by providing them the needed structures in the right place. What they need to be given is the skill to fish not a fish on a platter. It is imperative that we begin to view our brothers and sisters living in rural areas with sustainable perspective. It is high time we stop using the poverty and lack of the rural masses as a resource to our advantage!

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Ms. Margret Chavula
 
My service as a CorpsAfrica Volunteer has not been what I had imagined mostly due to the COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions that came with it, which affected meetings, public gatherings and businesses.  However, amidst the pandemic, there has been a group of farmers that I have been working with closely, Titukuke ndi Ulimi farmers group, which has outstandingly performed beyond expectations and hardships they have been going through due to the pandemic. These farmers were previously dependent on rain-fed crop husbandry farming. Unfortunately, the area was continuously hit by dry spells, which left them without enough yields to sustain their families. The farmers eventually contemplated venturing into animal husbandry farming, particularly poultry farming to broaden their scope, but lacked capital and funding to make their dreams a reality.

Luckily, there was a call for grant applications from World Connect. As a CorpsAfrica Volunteer I helped the group to write a project proposal on their intended project, which got approved for a grant. As a prerequisite for every CorpsAfrica project, the group was expected to contribute 15% of the total budget in-kind, which could be services and activities offered to make the project a reality and 10% in cash. Sourcing these community contributions, especially the cash contribution was a hard task since most sources of income that these farmers relied on were affected by the pandemic. Being a business venture that was to be run by the farmers in the group, contribution per individual was high to meet the 10% target. Most onlookers in the community doubted the abilities of the group to source the funds.

However, members of the group were determined to make their poultry farm dream a reality and tirelessly worked to source funds to meet their target. I was shocked and amazed at how fast these farmers were able to source the funds and I learnt that determination is key. Because these farmers were determined to change their yearly misfortune with the rains, they worked together as a team to collect their community contribution target. With such determination the group now has a sense of ownership on the project and the sustainability of the project is promising because the group is determined to see and experience an improved livelihood from the poultry project.

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Ms. Mieke Mmeya

"The truth is that teamwork is at the heart of great achievement." -- John C Maxwell

Dear Reader,

A couple of months ago I discovered an interesting group of young men and women in my community. Of course, like many great discoveries in history, it was by a pure yet happy accident that I encountered the said group. I was on my way back from one of my numerous engagements in the community, mentally brainstorming on which possible candidates to include in my project implementation team when I stumbled upon a group of about ten young people engaged in a heated discussion. I will confess that I did not want to engage them at first, after all I had had a long day and was just looking forward to getting home to rest. But when I heard what they were discussing, I got interested. They were talking about using their collective power to improve their livelihoods.

Sometimes we take it for granted that it is typical for young people to sit in groups and fantasize about the future. Most times these "fantasies" focus on success of the self or extend to a few close friends who are viewed as instrumental to the attainment of this success. However, as I listened to the group I concluded that what had brought them together was not a bond of friendship or family but a shared vision. And they were not discussing illusions of a successful future where everyone was rich and famous. They were trying to come up with practical solutions to their financial problems and though each one had differing problems, they wanted a solution that they could implement as a team. When I sat in on their discussion they were very excited to hear my input but I told them I had none, which was not a lie or a tactic; I had never in my life been asked to help determine the future of a group. I told them that I could, however, share with them the tools that they could use to develop their plan, and I could work with them until they figured out what they wanted to do.

We recruited other young people from the community who shared the same vision. Using asset-based community development and human-centered design tools we navigated through the problems and possible solutions until we reached a consensus; we were going to start fish farm. Luckily, we secured funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through World Connect to implement the project. For the past three months I have witnessed these vibrant young adults channel their hopes, dreams and passions into action, and every day that I work with them I get inspired more and more.

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Mr. Chiukepo Mwenechanya

It is a fact that youth unemployment is a global challenge and Malawi is not spared from this. Being in a rural community, youths are at a disadvantage because of limited employment opportunities. As a result, most youths from my site leave for South Africa every year in search of greener pastures. These hopefuls usually follow a relative who left earlier and help them settle in the new country and connect them to job opportunities. Those who remain home, after finishing their secondary education level, explore the little economic opportunities like farming, small-scale businesses and pieceworks for survival, while others just move around the village without a meaningful form of livelihood.

Chimzy (not his real name) is one such youth in my site who remained home after completing his secondary education. This was not by choice, but he had no one willing to meet the cost for him to travel to the rainbow nation. He felt unlucky and cheated as most of his peers travelled to South Africa promising to help him join them once they settle down but never hearing from them again.

As years went by, he tried different ways of keeping his head above the waters of abject poverty. Due to his hard search for a purpose in his life, together with his charming character, Chimzy was liked by many in the community. Thanks to the intervention of the Church under the program called LISAP (Livingstonia Synod AIDS Programme), the community chose him to be among a few beneficiaries of a scholarship to study Carpentry and Joinery at Phwezi Technical College. He chose this particular skill since his community had no skilled labour in that field and he saw this as an opportunity to start a business venture for his legacy.

After the training he returned home to set up the very first carpentry workshop in the community where he now makes furniture for clients within my site and beyond. Realizing the plight of youth in the area, he volunteers to offer free training to interested youths to learn about carpentry. Years after launching the workshop, he has taken several apprentices under his wing and taught them the skills. Passing by his workshop, a group of youth can always be found observing and trying out carpentry skills and it is always amazing to see him sharing lessons to a bunch of knowledge-thirsty youths trying to learn as much as they can.

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Ms. Margaret Magombo

The announcement of the reopening of schools on 7th September was a source of joy to many learners. However, this was not the case to some learners, girl learners, who were greatly affected by the closing of schools due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This is the case of Alinafe (not her real name), a form four (middle high school) student at Nsondole Community Day Secondary School.

When schools were being closed in March 2020, Alinafe was just as normal as any other girl child. She was anxious of her future just like all the other learners whose eyes could not see beyond the Covid-19 pandemic. She vividly recalls that with the passing of time, hearing no positive news about school reopening, her anxiety began to turn into worry. She could see herself slowly succumbing to the pressure, which she could once easily resist. Without considering the consequence, she was pressured by those she called friends to find herself a boyfriend. As she recalls, it was easier to fall for this trap due to the sugar-coated fantasies that her friends told her as being part and parcel of boy-girl relationship. To her amazement, the relationship was nothing more than a game of manipulation and dominance. No sooner than the relationship began, the boy began to pressure Alinafe into sex. Her refusal to bow down to the demand made her feel lonely and vulnerable. It was not long after yielding to the pressure that she discovered that she was pregnant.

Alinafe was devastated by the discovery. She did not know what to do. She felt lonely and more worthless than ever. The boy who made her conceive made it point blank that he has nothing to do with her and the unborn baby. She was at great pains to embrace her reality. Being a form four student awaiting to write national examinations, Alinafe was very bitter with the announcement of the re-opening of schools. It has always been her determination to be the first child in her family to walk into the corridors of college. Now her dream seemed farfetched, she could not see herself withstanding the ridicule teen mothers and pregnant school girls face.

When I got wind of the news of Alinafe I was moved. I knew she needed the right guidance and counseling. Meeting her I could see the despair and frustrations pretty plain. I had to encourage and restore her self-worth. Through our meeting, Alinafe understood that all is not lost. She affirmed her determination to continue with her education despite her condition and take full advantage of the government's directive that all girl learners who have fallen pregnant during the Covid-19 pandemic are welcome to go back to school.

With the reopening of schools effected, Alinafe is weathering all the storms of ridicule and atmosphere of shame surrounding girls who fall pregnant out of wedlock while in school. She is now more than ever determined to work her socks up to achieve the dream that almost died due to untamed pressures experienced during the Covid-19 pandemic. Hers is a story of unmatched courage; courage worth applauding.

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Mr. Chiukepo Mwenechanya

It is a sad reality in my country that young girls get married at a very young age. My community is no different. With a patrilineal system, girls and women are mostly considered as housewives. School is like a waiting place for most of these girls for marriage. Puberty sounds like a sign of readiness for marriage in my community. Most of the girls enter marriage before even reaching the age of 18, with little education. These girls mostly rely on their spouses to provide for their basic needs. Another sad thing about this is the abusive marriages these girls end up in.

This is a story of Miss Jane (not her real name) who was married at the age of 16 to a polygamous and abusive husband. After nine years of enduring a very physically and emotionally abusive marriage she decided to call it quits and returned home to her family with her only child. Getting back to her family was not easy since she had to assume the responsibility of looking after her child by herself without looking for handouts or support from her parents or siblings since they too had responsibilities of their own. In 2011, she was about to give up on life to the point of thinking of committing suicide when her brother in South Africa decided to give her a fresh start in South Africa. She managed to secure a job there as a maid of which she saved all her earnings and returned home after a year and half.

After much reflection, Jane decided to venture into business as a way of empowering herself economically since securing a job in such a small and local community seemed to be an impossible task. After all, she did not go far with her education to land her a decent job. After weeks of doing farm jobs, she secured funds and with her savings from South Africa she decided to start a baking business, a skill she learnt from an acquaintance years back when she went to visit a relative in Mzuzu. 

A few months after venturing into this business the gamble paid off. She is now a popular business lady in my site and making profits from her business. She bakes Mandasi (local scones) and on a good day she sells up to $40 worth of the baked goods. She also bakes bread and in December, a time of peak for community ceremonies like Christmas, she can sell over 250 loaves of bread in a week. The booming business keeps her occupied and able to take care of herself and her kid with no support from relatives. She currently has a savings account, which has over $700, which she intends to use to expand her business by upgrading her equipment to meet her ever-increasing demand for her goods.

After dropping out of school and suffering at the hands of an abusive husband, she chose not to stay down but rose from her ashes and created her new future. She inspires her community to the point that most women in the area come to her to learn about her sacred secret to success.

Yes, “What the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve.” -Napoleon Hill

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Ms. Angella Chizimba

The past four months have been incredible. I met Nyamsuku (not her real name); founder of Takondwa club, a local club for people living with disabilities. Nyamsuku suffered from polio at a young age and has used walking aids ever since. Growing up, Nyamsuku did not think of herself as disabled, she taught herself to reframe challenges and not see them as obstacles. Despite her disability, Nyamsuku is a self-motivated person and so passionate about inclusivity.  For over ten years she has been teaching people in adult literacy despite being paid so little. She did several small income-generating activities which sustained her and her family. She noticed how most people living with disabilities (PWD) were being left behind in most activities and the PWD never felt motivated to work for themselves. 

In 2018, Nyamsuku was made the chairperson and a representative of PWD under the Area Development Committee. She aimed at finding scholarships for children living with disabilities especially the deaf and by 2019, she saw about five children in Bandawe school of the deaf in Malawi through sponsorships. She talks about these achievements with pride. This motivated her to start a group called Takondwa club. The club is comprised of people living with disabilities and/or have children with disabilities. This group was formed to motivate its members to see good in everything and to be limitless in their thoughts. As a group they were able to work towards food security by making organic fertilizers that boosted their harvest. 

In realizing that PWD need skills to engage in livelihood activities, with help from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the group received funds to go through a tailoring training as one way to ensure self-employment to the members. As we believe in small investment and bigger impacts, this group aims to find a reliable source of income for their families through tailoring and other income-generating activities to come. As it is an enterprise; oneness, willingness and hard work will bear more fruit.

"There is dignity in work. It contributes to an individual's self-worth and self-respect and offers a sense of purpose and accomplishment", one group member commented during a tailoring training session. This opportunity is a big step for them and a step towards achieving sustainable development for persons with disabilities. Nyamsuku is happy to see people with disabilities work for themselves, "We will set an example to other people living with disabilities," she commented. 

PWD need skills to engage in livelihood activities. Their families and communities may assume that they are unable to engage in such activities. They often lack access to basic education, making them unqualified to join skills training courses. These disadvantages frequently result in a lack of skills, as well as low confidence, expectations and achievement. As the trainings continue, I personally look forward to seeing the team grow in confidence and boost their skills, which will help them to improve their livelihoods.

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Ms. Dorothy Mapira

When I moved in my community, I was shown a house where I would live during my time serving in the community. During the orientation with the landlady, I was shown a grass made structure that was meant to be my bathroom. I looked at the bathroom, and in my heart I thought, how could they make this to be a bathroom. It had no roof, just nearby there is a mango tree and it was a mango season which entailed that kids would be spending most of their time in the tree with a clear view inside my bathroom. Inside the bathroom there were bricks laid as the floor with some grass growing in it. I politely told my landlord and my host that I will not be comfortable to use the bathroom. They told me to use their bathroom as I was waiting for mine to be fixed.

After some days I thought of what I could do with the bathroom. I told them not to fix it again. I had thought of making a kitchen garden. They looked surprised as my landlady told me that the place was small for a garden and she sounded doubtful that I would yield anything from the garden. I never wanted her doubts to overcome my thinking. One early morning I borrowed a hoe and started preparing the place for my garden. No one believed what I was doing, they thought I was just wasting time. They came near to ask what I was doing and all they could say was don't waste your time. They did not know that they were wasting their time by telling me to stop doing what I was doing.

I made my permaculture kitchen garden, there was a mixture of every vegetable my mind could think of. People still thought I was wasting my time; they did not see what I was seeing. Goats, pigs and chickens broke into my garden several times destroying my plants but I did not quit. I would start all over again and plant new ones. Little by little my garden blossomed, all who thought I was wasting my time started coming to ask for some vegetables. Some decided to start their own kitchen gardens. My garden has all the vegetables I need. I have pumpkin leaves, beans, rape, mustard, okra, sweet potato leaves, Irish potatoes, maize, tomato and onion. I saved myself from spending extra cash. My little garden has become my friend. When I am stressed up with work in the community and need time for myself, I spend time working in my garden. 

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Ms. Margaret Chavula

The world has been hit by a pandemic that has disrupted what was considered the normal way of living. Covid-19 has affected the social lives of people as interactions are limited and controlled as well as the economic status as businesses and trade have been controlled. When our neighboring countries registered positive cases of Covid-19, most people in my community believed that the disease does not affect black people. They felt safe and immune to the disease. However, when our country, Malawi, registered its first positive case of Covid-19, people in my community began to worry and stress about whether they will survive the pandemic or not considering the rise in deaths due to Covid-19 around the world. Schools were closed, travel controlled, borders closed and businesses negatively affected. People in my community began to stress about how best they can avoid contracting the disease while at the same time find ways of engaging in their daily activities and routines for survival. Life had to go on amidst the pandemic.

Because most people in the community have limited access to correct information, as a CorpsAfrica Volunteer I took part in sharing information on Covid-19, such as signs and symptoms of Covid-19 and where they should report or the hotline they should use if one is showing or experiencing Covid-19 signs and symptoms. I also shared preventative measures that people were to follow to protect themselves from contracting the disease, such as observing social distance, frequently washing hands with soap, and wearing masks as they carry out their daily activities.

To complement the messages on preventative measures, CorpsAfrica, with funding from Mastercard Foundation, gave me an opportunity as a volunteer to work with my community and provide resources and materials that the community can utilize in protecting themselves from Covid-19. The materials provided were masks, tap buckets and soap for washing hands in places where people frequently meet such as churches, mosques and market places. I have been very impressed with the people's efforts in utilizing these materials and following the preventative measures because life has to go on, but as it does, they have to be protected.

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Ms. Margaret Magombo

The road has been very long to the young ones in our societies. Those who have been living and believing that they can turn around their lives by the power of ink and paper have had their hopes and dreams twisted and almost laid waste. The closure of schools and the uncertainty that followed the reopening has done a damage whose magnitude is beyond quantification. Mastercard Foundation and CorpsAfrica’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic in Zomba-Nsondole has done a commendable job of resurrecting dreams of learners from Nsondole CDSS, which were hastening into a deep slumber. 

The learners being out of school for over four months, most of them lost touch with their school work. The donation of mobile tablet phones to Nsondole CDSS by Mastercard Foundation cannot be appreciated enough by the learner community, specifically form four students. The donation came at the perfect time. Most of the learners have been indulging in unproductive practices in the absence of active teaching and learning. The reality that some girl learners have fallen pregnant and others have married cannot go without saying. Loaded with reading materials characterized by well-articulated assignments and exercises, the tablets have been providing an interactive platform to the learners.

How much the learners missed school was too evident to grasp on the day the donation was handed to the school and the days to follow. During the handover, the learner community did not hesitate to begin using the tablets to access the reading materials. Fueled with the excitement of interacting with the seemingly little computers, the students whom many of them have never had the chance to use one are being enchanted with the ICT experience being provided by the mobile phone tablets. From the day the form four learners began their study circles aided by the gadgets, the attendance to the same is ever increasing. The enthusiasm the learners are portraying in the recently begun study circles is speaking volumes.   

With the announcement of dates to effect the reopening of schools, the joy by the form four student community at Nsondole CDSS is too much to contain. To many the study circles that began recently facilitated by the mobile tablets has prepared them enough for the soon-to-begin active learning. To this class of learners who will have to sit for national exams that will decide their future in less than two months to come, their hopes, dreams and aspirations have been re-activated.

Perhaps how the Covid-19 pandemic has affected our education system should be a wakeup call to instrumental stakeholders and all concerned parties. It is time we began to look for innovative and sustainable means of delivering instruction to our young ones amidst troubling seasons. It's time, perhaps, to make risk-proof the system that keeps dreams intact and alive for the sake of our future generation, for when dreams die, life fades. 

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Ms. Margaret Chavula
 
Women have been very underrated in most societies but have capabilities that can transform their surroundings if only given a chance to utilize their full  potential. In most societies women are faced with what is known as the triple role of women; where they carry the reproductive role such as child caring, domestic work and caring for the sick, the productive role where they engage in activities that would earn them an income and the community role where they carry out community work such as attending to funerals and weddings. As much as women already have a lot of work to do on a daily basis in the triple role, women take up additional tasks that arise in their communities and perform exceptionally well. 

In my service  as a CorpsAfrica Volunteer, I have experienced and seen the triple role of women in practice, and I have been amazed at how eager and willing these women are to take part in community development work without expecting to receive any incentives in the process to motivate them to work. Whenever there's a community meeting,  one will observe that a majority of the attendees are women, ready and willing to take up any tasks that would improve their livelihoods. Apart from being in a majority of attendees, when given an opportunity to contribute to whatever is discussed women have been contributing brilliant ideas and suggestions, which would be left uncovered if women were not involved. 

I can confidently say that my service as a CorpsAfrica Volunteer has been made easier by women who take part in and show great support in my activities in the community. I have also realised that women have so much potential in taking the lead in activities to come up with a well-coordinated group.  For example there is a farmer's group in my community embarking on poultry farming which has a woman as their leader. Apart from being a trustworthy individual, this woman has been holding the group together to ensure that the group does not deviate from its primary goal of attaining improved livelihood through poultry farming.

​An empowered woman is a great asset. 

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Mr. Chifundo Chibaka

Months after working with the youth club in my community, I feel like we have together made tremendous efforts in increasing the role the youth can play in the development of the community. A few weeks ago, we had a training of trainers where all 22 members of the club were trained by a local nurse on the issues of COVID-19 and how we can relay this information to our respective villages. CorpsAfrica recently partnered with Mastercard Foundation and I as a Volunteer had an opportunity to tap into a generous grant to prepare my community in the face of the pandemic. As a youth club, we have managed to reach to over 11 (still counting) village heads and their subjects and sensitised them about the pandemic (story for another day).

As a club, we meet at the local health centre twice a week. But there was a problem. The health centre was on the verge of closure for the second time in just four months. The facility is just a year old and it was built with the support from Good Health and World Servants. It was recently handed over to the government and is still in transition to be receiving an annual monetary support from the government. As such, the health centre doesn’t have a paid ground labor to help in maintaining the hygiene around the premises. In addition to this, the health centre doesn’t have a water supply system as such villagers have a weekly roster for supplying water to the health centre.

A few weeks ago, after the health authorities toured the health centre, they recommended that the health centre's premises, including a filled up incinerator, be cleaned up or have the facility temporarily closed since it was no longer conducive to serve its purpose. As a club, we decided to take up this task to clean the premises and save the day.

We partnered with the health centre authorities who supplied us with gloves, aprons, masks and other working materials. We volunteered to clean up the premises as a token of appreciation for their continued gesture to allow us use their facilities.

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Ms. Margaret Magombo

I vividly remember how nervous and anxious I was when I arrived in my community for the first time. I had no idea of what my life and work was going to be like in this new environment. No friends, but flawless smiles on people's faces; faces which were to be turned into colleagues and companions. The smiles convinced me beyond reasonable doubt that I had to come out of my comfort zone to embrace the noble challenge that was before me; to serve and sacrifice for my community, a community I barely knew.

It was not long after my arrival that I was invited by Nsondole CDSS to teach. I was excited at the same time nervous by the offer. Working with the youth energized my spirit. The school environment made me realize how much impact I desired to bring to my community. I was so thrilled when I met the Area Development and Village Development Committees. Their contact, helped me to be well known in the area. Before I realized how the community prized my presence, groups and organizations found in the area were at my doorstep. I was awakened to the challenge of their expectations; a battle which has characterize my stay in Zomba-Nsondole.

My visits to meetings of different groups and organizations in the area were greeted with unspoken enthusiasm and vigor. It has been a tough and a seemingly lost battle to conquer the attitude of the members in my community. Whenever I am around them, I am seen as the one with keys to lock away their miseries forever. They view me as someone who has solutions and the resources to turn around their lives. My explanations about who really I am and my role in their community most often seems to fall on deaf ears. It has taken energy to make my community members see and understand that they are the ones pregnant with the ability to change their lives - it’s them alone.

When time came for me to write a proposal to implement some projects in my area, I became more nervous. I was engulfed with fear when we were discussing possible projects. It was very difficult to make some of the community members understand that not all funding proposals meet favorable consideration. The waiting for a response almost made me conceal myself in my room running away from questions from community members. Making a resolve to continue meeting groups and organizations in the area while waiting for a response from funding agencies.

CorpsAfrica, World Connect, Friends of Malawi, and Mastercard Foundation were beyond the courage I have known in my life. Since my arrival I have made it my sole purpose to live in service for my community. Presently am cherishing the idea of living one’s life in service to others. The funding of my proposals has affirmed my desire to impact my community. I am more than convinced now that even if my project proposals were not to meet the favorable response I was to continue being there for my community, stirring their imaginations, efforts and drives to do anything within their capacity to turn around for the better their lives. My time is never precious if I am not living for the benefit of my community. 

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Ms. Bertha Mukhuna
 
Eight months deep into 2020 and a lot of people are of the view that it is so far one of the worst years in history and almost everyone cannot wait for the 31st December to finally exit the year. Granted there have been really devastating events in the year, Australia fires, Beirut explosion, new strain of ebola and the paramount, of which is the Covid-19 global  pandemic. 

It looks like this year will justifiably be remembered for all the bad things that happened. But as Kevin Ansbro once said, "Focus on an ocean of positives, not a puddle of negatives." Here are therefore, some ways in which this pandemic era has changed our way of living for good:

1. It has helped in building and rebuilding relationships
Life sure gets busy and somewhere in between busy schedules and trying to make ends meet, we miss out on quality time with our family and friends. Limitations in movement and social distancing have reminded us of how much our loved ones mean to us. We have stayed connected both virtually and physically to check on each other to see if we are doing okay. Even globally there has been enhanced interaction.

2. Lifestyle changes to practice better hygiene
Times have changed. Sanitizing, covering mouths when coughing and washing hands regularly have now become the new normal. People are more aware of how important it is to practice good hygiene, which in turn combats a lot of other diseases such as tuberculosis, common cold and flu .I am sure that if this is practiced long enough it will turn into a habit and just like that, we will all adopt a new life style change for good.

3. Strength in our communities
There have been thousands of volunteers all over the world who have helped in fighting against Covid-19 in various communities through sharing information, providing services and food stuff, among other things. I am so glad to be one of the volunteers to take part in this fight.

Stay physically distant but socially connected. Until next time, be safe!

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Ms. Mieke Mmeya

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." -- Soren Kierkegaard

Dear Reader, 

Lately I have been thinking about my journey as a CorpsAfrica Volunteer and how it has impacted my life. Volunteering in community development work has its own great moments that make every moment you spend with the community worth it. However, it also has its low moments, which can overwhelm you and make you doubt yourself. It is therefore very important to often take a pause and reflect on yourself and your community. This does not serve only as a source of motivation by reminding you why you decided to become a Volunteer, but it also allows you to appreciate the work you are doing and make improvements where necessary. Thus, it helps you to continuously grow both personally and professionally. 

I was especially thinking about when I first began this journey. About how motivated and excited I was to use all the amazing ideas that I learned during my training to facilitate change in my community. About the moments when I doubted if I could really inspire my community members to take it upon themselves to bring about development. My predecessors did some amazing work and left a legacy that scared me to live up to. And, of course, I was confronted with the reality of being in the community and putting the ideas I had learned during my pre-service training into practice. To put it simply; I was frightened. But I then decided to just do the best that I can and here I am now.

A couple of things have helped me reach this far:

• First, the people in my community. Contrary to my initial assumption, I did not have a hard time trying to get people to work with me using the CorpsAfrica approach to community development (Human-Centered Design). I will confess that my work was made easier by my predecessors who introduced the approach to the community and thus people already had an idea of what I was doing. Furthermore, the people continuously motivated me with their hard work and dedication to making things better for themselves, and with the energy that they invest in the activities I do with them. They have made me realize that communities are ready and willing to do things for themselves, they just lack the opportunity and proper support.
  
  
• Second, my CorpsAfrica family. The CorpsAfrica staff have been very supportive of both my personal and professional well-being. They have exposed me to a whole new world where I can challenge myself while holding my hand through it all. I cannot even begin to explain the kind of help my fellow Volunteers have been to me. There is no other group of people that I would rather share this journey with and I look forward to sharing our amazing experiences as we continue our service.
  
  
• Thirdly, my family and friends. Their belief in my abilities even when I doubt myself pushes me to work hard at realising my potential. The emotional support they provide me nourishes my mental stability, which in turn allows me to cope with any challenges that I face when doing my work in my community. 

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Mr. Chifundo Chibaka 

Having spent a great deal of life in the city, I always thought most of the information I easily had access to, a person from a rural area would find a way to get the very same information, but boy was I wrong.

After COVID-19 was declared a global threat almost all social-economic as well as entertainment activities were put on hold. This was to contain the spread of the virus by minimizing social gatherings. As a football (soccer) fan, I was saddened by the suspension of major football leagues across the world and it was a relief when football-governing bodies announced the lift on the suspension. I was excited to see my team, Liverpool, back in action and winning the English Premier League (EPL). I recall having a conversation with a friend and the conversation went like this.

Me: I am so excited the games are back. I cannot wait to see Sadio Mane and Mo Salah back in action
Kamphongo: Who is Sadio Mane and Mo Salah?

I was surprised because this friend is a local football player and I expected him to at least know or have heard about these players.

Me: You are kidding right? Are you telling me that you do not know about these African football players?

He shook his head, indicating that he never heard of them.

Me: Which African football player do you know who plays in the EPL? 
Kamphongo: Didier Drogba

My jaw dropped in total disbelief. This was a player whose last feature in the EPL was 2015 and has retired long since. He further told me that the last World Cup he heard of was the one that took place in South Africa in 2010.

Then it hit me, what other information do these people miss? How about in these COVID-19 times, what do they know about the virus? Are they aware of the prevention measures? I was indeed on the other side of the world.

Written By CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Ms. Margaret Magombo 

The emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic into Malawi has unsettled the already troubled life of the citizens of the landlocked nation. Malawi is predominantly made up of citizens whose daily sustenance is hand to mouth. The vulnerable of its society have had their worries doubled with the pandemic. Girls from rural vicinity, specifically from Nsondole community, have had a great share of challenges during this period of the global crisis. 

Intensified by culture, girls from the area are often pressured into marriage institutions with different forms of coercion. Many tend to find solace and shield from early marriages at school. Presently, with the closure of schools, girls in the area are more than vulnerable. The story of Mercy (not her real name) a form four girl at Nsondole CDSS is a good example of the struggle girls are facing in the area. Mercy has been forced to get married after discovering that she is pregnant. Apparently, her single mother who relies on farming cannot provide for her and her yet to be born baby. Meeting Mercy, her frustrations, hopelessness and helplessness are very evident. She hardly wants to meet her teachers and her friends from Nsondole CDSS out of shame. I made an extra effort to meet and have a chat with her. Through our little chat, Mercy was at pains from the beginning to the end as her reality is too bitter to be swallowed by herself. However, I encouraged her not to lose hope as she can still go back to school after delivery to realise her dreams of becoming a nurse.

Silence of different organizations that spearhead girls education in rural communities during this time of the pandemic is too loud. One can only ascertain that perhaps this should have been the time different stakeholders claiming to have a softer spot for girls education and that of the marginalized child should have been vocal. With the dates for the re-opening of schools unknown, the uncertainty that vulnerable ambitious girl faces is just too unbearable. The temptation of succumbing to pressure from marriage suitors seems to be under sieging many of the girls. 

The introduced online platform supported by the government of Malawi is indeed a commendable effort, however it is a fact that cannot be disputed that only few learners from rural areas can have access to the same. Most guardians of the learners from these rural schools can hardly afford mobile gargets with features to access online reading materials, let alone afford the same to their children. Broadcast of lessons through radios as an initiative cannot go without being mentioned, but the household chores that burden girls alienates the girl child from benefiting the way she should have. 

The school environment experience is an advantage that is more than needed to the girl. The self-esteem, confidence and determination that comes through different forms of interactions positions learning within the walls of the school a bonus.

The CorpsAfrica Volunteer being aware of the struggle the girl child faces during this troubling time has been trying to be conducting guidance and counselling sessions with some girl learners from Nsondole Community Secondary School to equip them with skills to survive pressures in this time. Additionally, preoccupying the girl learners in the area with the opening of kitchen gardens has been another effort taken by the volunteer to rescue girls from taking the wrong path. In the face of all the girl learner is facing, it should be the responsibility of everyone in different capacities to give the girl child a hand. It is us who shall be held responsible by the end of it all if we fail to do the needful.

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Ms. Eliza Chanika

There she goes, A woman of  purpose
Early as a bird, she rises to till the ground
Her fields smile with different crops she grows
Soybeans, maize, rice, cabbages, sweet potatoes, tomatoes sometimes
She produces enough to feed, and even more to spare
Her family swims in the lake of nutritious food
The smooth, shiny, eye catching bodies of her family agrees
Like a fish in water, her family takes pride in her
A woman of purpose
 
There she goes, a woman of vision
A lioness she is an eagle, she aims
Like a spider, she enlarges her income sources
She sold her ears to knowledge and gave her eyes to entrepreneurship
farm production, clothes, shoes and cosmetics selling she schedules
A little sleep, a little slumber so will poverty sit with her she knows
She invests her money in Village savings and loan
She built her house, she motivates her children and sends them to school
Wise like an ant she is,
a woman of vision
 
Her heart is golden
Like a dove, she is gentle
She relates, she understands and she gives hope
She lends her arms to the needy
Her beautiful scent hovers in the community
She is a woman, she has a name
blessed is her family and community
Meet Mrs Madeya!

The " Golden woman " is a poem written out of observation of a hard-working woman in the community, Mrs. Madeya. I met this woman at the local women's group and what she does caught my attention and inspired this poem. Mrs. Madeya is a woman distinct from her peers in the community. Her family never lacks, she is involved in farming different types of crops and businesses. She is also in several women groups where they sharpen women's lives by sharing different tips on entrepreneurship, home and food management, health and hygiene among others. She also indulges in village savings bank where she invests her money for future use. This poem illustrates her life style and hardworking spirit in summary.

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Ms. Mieke Mmeya

Dear Reader,

Some time ago I received a visit from Grace and Mercy (not their real names), two of my friends from my community. Grace is a cousin to my host sisters and was the one who introduced me to all the interesting spots in the community, while I got know Mercy through Grace. Grace is in Standard 8 (Grade 8) while Mercy is in Form 3 (Grade 9). I like hanging out with Grace because she always has funny yet insightful stories that are helpful whenever I am feeling stressed. However, on this particular visit, she was beside her usual cheerful self and I assumed it was because she felt awkward since this was her first time visiting my house.

The three of us engaged in polite conversation to cover up the awkwardness we were now all feeling due to the silence. However, things got interesting when I asked the girls how they were coping with their schoolwork, to which Grace gravely replied: "Sindikufuna kumamvaso chilichonse chokhuzana ndi za sukulu panopa" (I do not want to hear anything concerning school right now). Mercy and I laughed a little at this but something in Grace's face and tone told me that she was serious. When I asked her why she said: "Mmene zililimu nthawi ikupita ndipo munthune ndikukula. Akatsegula ma sukulu sindikalemba nawo mayeso" (As it is now time is passing and I am growing older. When they open schools, I will not sit for the primary school-leaving certificate examinations (PSLCE)).

Her answer threw me off completely but I understood where her frustrations were coming from because she is repeating Standard 8 and she worked very hard this year so that she could proceed to Form 1. The reason her answer threw me off was that I realized that she had taken a life-altering decision and it was my responsibility to convince her not to go through with it. 

Instead of going through the motions and talking about the importance of education, the three of us talked about the stress the girls were going through due to the indefinite closure of schools and Grace opened up to tell us about how insecure she feels whenever she sees classmates from her previous school year (she had to enroll at a school in the  next community because she could not bear to watch them attend secondary school while she was still in primary school).

In the course of the conversation, I asked Grace what she planned on doing after dropping out of school and she laughed nervously. She had clearly not considered the implications of her decision.

One of the reasons she hates the closure of schools is that she is now required to help out at the farm all day long. It finally hit her that dropping out of school means that this will most likely become her routine for the rest of her life since she will greatly lower her prospects to pursue other careers. By the end of the conversation, Grace was back to her usual self and she reiterated the plans she had for her PSLCE holiday.

​As I was escorting the girls home, she was happily talking about how her parents will sell their cows to send her to the university and expressed hope that at this time I would have gotten a job that would allow me to also support her throughout university. This statement makes me very happy because it shows that not only will Grace sit for the PSLCE, but her dream has gotten bigger and she is excited to undertake the journey to make it come true.

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Ms. Angella Chizimba

Last month we had an opportunity to explore the beautiful beach of Nkhudzi based in Mangochi for our In-Service Training (IST) for a few days. Well, such a wonderful experience to finally meet up with everyone, get to share experiences, and check how everyone is doing.

Some of the objectives for the training included: Sharing experiences of home stay and project ideas explored by the Volunteers, monitoring and evaluation training, Human-Centered Design refresher, proposal writing and project management training.

Honestly, my own objectives included: reconnecting with my fellow Volunteers and enjoying some luxury life (i.e. good food, some swimming time, and no more fish in my plate).

I left IST feeling very motivated and ready to serve even more. I finally appreciated how much my life is changing and how much my skills are improving. Before CorpsAfrica, I had poor listening skills. Working with my host community, I have to listen to understand how they feel about things. I am very curious to even ask about the most obvious things. I remember one time, I was asking why a lot of people opt for fishing or selling fish as an income generating activity. Though it seems so obvious taking into consideration that we live along the lake, I had to shut up and listen. I was never good at speaking in a big crowd, thanks to my service, through facilitating meetings, hosting meetings, my confidence level has improved and I can gladly stand in front of people with no nerves, whatsoever.

I got to appreciate all the work the Volunteers are doing in different sites. We were all given a chance to leave our sites due to Covid-19 pandemic, but none of us called it quits. This is extremely impressive. All of us are still on site striving to serve our local communities. We have built resilience in times of need. We shared experiences, the good and the bad, we all understood each other, we were empathetic and we wanted to help were we could. By the end of IST we all were closer than before, we created a strong bond that after service, most of us will remain friends.

We are now well trained in project design, management, monitoring and evaluation, and this was my favourite part of the training. Now we are back into our communities working on our project ideas and working for our grant applications. Everything we decide to do lies in our hands, there is no boss to look over our shoulders and making sure we are on task. Though this sounds great, it is a huge responsibility. We are working with minimal resources; we are not giving handouts but rather we have to build capacities in the community members. I can confidently say that our lives will never be the same after our service, we will come out even better that we are now. This is a life changing experience.
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Here are some IST highlights in pictures:

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Mr. Chifundo Chibaka 

In my upbringing, my parents strived not to dictate gender roles when it came to household chores. It didn't matter if my female siblings were around, I would still do the dishes, cook and clean the house. As a result I have grown up to enjoy doing these chores myself. I do all these chores perceived to be for women and girls only, and because of this, men and my peers in my community have jokingly referred to me as anyaChibaka (anya=Miss and Chibaka=my surname). I always go to the borehole to draw water, clean the house and cook all by myself. Several times people have tried to convince me to find female house help to do these things for me.

I recall one particular day while doing the dishes, a 16-year-old boy came up to me and we started talking:

Him: banalume bakusuka yai mbale, he declared (men do not do the dishes)
Me: Who told you that? I asked him.
Him: banthu (people)
Me: So banalume ntchito yabo nivichi? (So what do men do?)
Him: bakuluta kumunda, kupenja ndalama olo kukhala waka nthe (they go to the farm, look for money or they stay idle)
Me: Amama bako bakulutanga yai kumunda? (Doesn't your mum go to the farm?)
Him: She does
Me: Kasi amama bako bakugulisya mphangwe? (I thought your mum also sell vegetables)
Him: Enya, na tomatoso (yes, and tomatoes too)
Me: Aren’t you contradicting yourself?
Him: Mbwee nkhani imale (let us just end this issue) he said while laughing.

I went further to explain that men and women can perform similar tasks as long as there aren't any biological limitations:
Him: I can do anything a women can do, and I can do even better, he challenged.
Me: Can you breastfeed?
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He laughed and left. I hope he got it.