Blog Archives

Encouragement

2/27/2022

Written by Ms. Patricia Lily Nyirenda

My passion to Volunteer for my country and my people keeps deepening each passing day. The CorpsAfrica motto which reads locals helping locals keeps motivating me even when I feel like giving up as I go around different corners in my site working with different groups of people.

As an educationist, I had already set a plan before I even got to my site that I will be volunteering at a local secondary school thatI will find in my site. Unfortunately, there is no secondary school nearby, so I had to adjust and work with primary school learners. I love it so I dedicate a day in a week to teach at a local primary school. For me it's encouragement. I think of how different our world would look if someone was encouraged daily, how strong we could be with our arms linked together. I do not let this encouragement end at classroom level, it goes far to girls' club after classes where the girls and I share, discuss, and learn life skills, the environment, sexual reproductive health and many other interesting topics. As part of my service and the passion I have in education I feel it is my duty to encourage these young ones in their different aspects of life.

The amusing part of this duty as a Volunteer is when I meet some of these girls on school days when I do not work at the primary school, with their smiles they say "madam once a week is not enough, we need more days". This takes me to ecstasy of satisfaction and makes me believe that indeed there is joy in learning. I feel encouraged as well.

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Let Our Words Be Kind

2/26/2022

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Written by CorpsAfrica Malawi Volunteer Ms. Umusa Ng’om

In my time with my host mother, I came to know a girl. Let's call her Yankho. Yankho is about 12 years old. She was working as a maid at a nearby house. When the schools opened, I had hoped that she would start school. A couple of weeks down the line, I asked her why she was not in school and her responses ranged from one thing to another, nothing concrete. After a while, she came over to my house and we spoke at length about different issues. I brought up the school issue and she bluntly told me that she will never go back to school. Her mother said something that left a scar. She said "Pa ana anga onse, palibe wa phindu. Sindingavutike kukuphunzitsani'' which means "of my children, none of them is worth sending to school as none is useful."

Everyone has hopes and dreams but, my Yankho doesn't even want to talk about them. She doesn't even see the point of talking about something that will never happen. I attempted to reason with her but it seemed to irritate her. I will take my time with her. A lot of people have succumbed to such words, thrown in the towel, and lived aimlessly. My fear is that these words will likely cause Yankho to end up like some of the girls in the community. A little trip to the health facility and I was told how teenage pregnancies were high and how most drop out to get married. My fear is that Yankho will settle for what is easy.

Yankho is just an example of how powerful words are. It has been said that words have the ability to build someone or tear them down completely. So many have had hopes crushed and dreams scattered because the wrong words were spoken. But the opposite is true as well.

I will choose to be different, to build rather than tear down. I am hoping to start a girl’s club in my community with help from the mother group. I would want to inspire them that they can be so much more and open them up to a whole world of possibilities. Hopefully, my words will help.
I still have a couple of months still to go, I hope to inspire girls like Yankho.

"Be careful with your words. Once they are said, they can be only forgiven, not forgotten." - Unknown

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Planting Hope

2/24/2022

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Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Ms. Grace Siching

Trees are important. I’m sure most of us have heard this many times. But how many of us take this literally and appreciate the trees around us? A tree is a gift that keeps on giving. Trees help to purify the air around us, prevent soil erosion, conserve water, help with climate control, provide food, and shelter as well as material for building. The many uses of trees make them so versatile and vital for our environment. The fact that we are always cutting down trees is evidence of how much we use and need them. However, we forget the other very important uses of trees that require us to keep them alive or plant more. It is our responsibility to plant trees and take care of them.

When you plant a tree, you plant a future. Trees help fight the effects of global warming by absorbing carbon dioxide and storing carbon and providing oxygen. Trees help prevent flooding especially when planted around river banks. Trees are home to many of our wildlife, including birds and insects, they also provide food for wildlife.

My days in my community have shown me how trees bring people together. They act as beacons in our community. They are also a meeting place for many of us. They become part of the community.

This is why I was excited to learn about the trees my community and I were gifted, courtesy of the Rotary Club in collaboration with CorpsAfrica/Malawi. We were given 20 Bamboo trees and 80 fruit trees to plant in our community. Apart from the benefits mentioned above, Bamboo trees grow rapidly and rarely need replanting, they also do not require pesticides or chemical fertilizers. We planted some trees in our community and the rest at a primary school in the community.

Individuals in the community were able to take ownership and responsibility of the trees we were planting, as I explained the benefits of the trees. Most were excited to plant in their farmlands to help with soil erosion as well as floods. They were also excited that they would be able to access nutritious fruits, namely grafted mangoes, grafted sweet oranges, pawpaw, custard apples, and avocado pears, especially for the children in the community. This encouraged them to plant more trees whenever they could.

The trees that were planted at the primary school gave students a chance to also take ownership and be responsible for the trees. The students also learnt more about how trees work as well as the practices of grafted trees, and how to prepare to plant a tree.

This tree planting initiative not only brought my community together, but it also reminded us of the importance of planting trees and how it is our responsibility for a better tomorrow. So, let's remember that - he who plants a tree, plants a hope - Lucy Larcom.

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From Lower Shire to the Plains of Mulanje

2/22/2022

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Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Endington Wa Kavuli.

Building relationships with the community which you have never been with before is quite a challenging and exciting experience at the same time. It is inspiring when you see people start trusting you and also when you start understanding their language as you blend in with their cultural traditions and beliefs.

Three months of integration was exhilarating and the working relationship was wonderful and splendid. Nobody was quizzical anymore; every member of the community knew me and knew the reason I was there and we were ready to learn from each other. This kept me motivated and inspired.

Everything was going well until Cyclone Anna came and separated us. It washed away the trust and the bond that we spent time building, all the plans we had were flooded leaving everyone in desolation.

Anyways, no one can go against the needs of nature, “it is what it is”. Here I am now in the plains of Mulanje, transitioning from the valleys of Shire-starting over again. I swore to this, I swore to work with the vulnerable communities, I swore to volunteer, as Nelson Mandela said, “what counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is the difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead”. I am the agent of change and I want to make a difference. I am optimistic that integration with this new community will be just as great.

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Way Out of My Comfort Zone

2/20/2022

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Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Ms. Umusa Ng’oma

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

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

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

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

Addressing the crowd that gathered for a community meeting.

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Worlds Apart - Life in A Rural Community

2/18/2022

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Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer, Ms. Tusekile Mukhody

A rolling stone has its day to hit a snag and gather the mosses. After days of struggling to settle down and getting accustomed to community life, finally, the sense of belonging to the community sank in. I had started to enjoy the community life through the sessions that I managed to have as they gave me a platform to interact with people and appreciate their way of life. Living in the community is intriguing and equipped with life-changing experiences. One of the charming experiences is how the community has adopted me as one of them. I no longer feel like a stranger and I found mothers, brothers, and sisters within the community.

From my childhood, I had no knowledge of how a mud floor is made until I found one of my community mothers making the floor. Without hesitation, I extended a hand to help. I joined the process as she taught me how to, though I still found it difficult to ably do it. It was funny to the mother and other family members as I struggled, but in no time, I was able to carry out the task. My community mother was amazed by how I quickly grasped the knowledge and she was grateful for the hand I extended to her “Tusekile tathokoza mwatithandiza, ntchito ina phweka. Muzabwerenso ulendo wina kuti muzolowere’’ (Thanks Tusekile for helping, come again next time so that you get used)

Just as development is slow, so is the learning process, which does not end. I have had the privilege to attend a traditional wedding. A wedding in town is different from weddings in rural communities. In rural communities, people are selfless, and the number of invited guests is not limited. It’s an open feast and a variety of local foodstuffs are prepared ranging from Thobwa (sweet beer) and Nsima served with chicken. The experience has been life-changing. One of the lessons learned is unity in diversity. Aside from their differences, communities still believe in the power of numbers in achieving goals. This has been evidenced in the support the community rendered to the newlyweds as they adorned them with assorted gifts as a blessing for their new lease of life.

Aside from the joy of being in the community, I have learned to share in their struggle. One of the long-overdue struggles is the scarcity of potable and clean water. The community’s struggle in accessing water makes them behave like early birds. They are forced to get to the community well as early as 03:00 am for fear of finding the well dry if late. It is quite scary considering they go to the well at awkward hours. What irks me most now is the scorching heat of the sun and the absence of rain as the community wells have now become arid. This is exposing the community to hardships and being prone to waterborne diseases which may affect their healthy living.

Making a mud floor at one the home of my community mothers.

The well where community members draw water is drying up more often now and becoming a growing problem in my community.

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Wonderful Stay

2/16/2022

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Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Mr. Kaitano Maiso

I have had a very wonderful stay on my site since I got here. I remember in my very first days, I could have neighbors greeting me each morning as the sun rose. To top that, my host family has been very supportive. They have made me feel so comfortable and welcomed in the community. I have built a very strong bond with my host family, especially my host brother.

I have had numerous walks in the community appreciating nature as well as assets that the community has. I have been doing all this escorted by my host brother. My favorite so far has been a traditional dance called “Bwanyanga” which is a Gule Wamkulu dance (Big Dance). The community members value this Traditional dance as one way the community members build strong bonds among themselves and entertain themselves. Being part of the audience, I have managed to build strong relationships with the community members.

I have found myself to be useful in the community apart from my day-to-day duties as a CorpsAfrica Volunteer. I have been Tutoring my Host Brother in different subjects including English Grammar, Physics, and Chemistry. This has given me an opportunity to find myself useful and support the people I live with.

I have had an opportunity to assist my host family in their farmland. We sow maize, pumpkin seeds, and groundnuts for two consecutive days. It was a very wonderful experience to be able to help my host family. My host family was very happy that I rendered my hand. My host mother expressed her gratitude and said she did not expect me to put myself in a position of doing any farm work. This has strengthened my relationship with my host family. We openly chant and laugh together. My stay has been amazing so far.

I have been able to conduct community meetings, regardless that most people are busy in their farmlands. People being present regardless of their busy schedules strongly shows that they are committed and willing to develop themselves. "This young man is very humble, approachable, and friendly and from now on I take him as my brother" proclaimed the Group Village Headman in his remarks. Such kind words have made me forge forward and focus on how best I can work with the community members.

All these occurrences have helped me build trust with/ and among community members. They have accepted me as theirs and I have settled so well in my community. My integration process has been rewarding and now, I look forward to more that is coming throughout my CorpsAfrica Service.

Enjoying mangoes with neighbors and children.

Planting maize with my host brother.

Teaching my host brother English.

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Nutrition Education: Unlocking the Local Knowledge

2/15/2022

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Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Chipiriro Mkumba

"To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art." - Food Matters

Food is thought of as what man consumes, not what the body requires. In most rural communities, filling one’s belly full is the ultimate goal of eating, rather than nutrition. This is not dependent on age; thus, food for children and elders is usually the same and cooked similarly. During a child growth monitoring exercise conducted at an under-five clinic in my community, the average weight of under-five children had dropped significantly and most children were malnourished. After a thorough inquiry, the clinic discovered most of the meals that mothers prepared did not contain all the essential nutrients required for child growth and development. After learning about the problem, we embarked on three weeks of food preparation training and demonstrations to teach mothers how to prepare nutritious meals for their children. Throughout the food preparation demonstrations, I was amazed to see my community was rich in diverse foods, which when utilized effectively can help to end child malnutrition. This revelation led me back to a quote from Food Matters, “to eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art." People in my community lacked the knowledge to combine and prepare the available food to produce nutritious meals for their children.

Another child growth monitoring exercise was conducted after two weeks of our food preparation demonstrations to track any changes in average weight or malnourishment. We were delighted to see that most children had gained weight, and the changes were due to the food preparation demonstrations. The food preparation demonstrations helped mothers to realize the benefits of preparing nutritious meals for their children using locally available foods and that living in a rural community should not be an excuse for child malnutrition.

As a part of the food preparation demonstrations, Chipiriro and community members eat nutritious porridge prepared by the group.

Tracking changes of children's weight and other measurements provides important data to measure the success of interventions. In this picture, community members weigh a young girl to track her growth over time.

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