Written by CorpsAfrica/Senegal Volunteer Ms. Nakhady Djighaly

I am happy that my first blog since I began CorpsAfrica is written in the month of March; as this is the time to celebrate women. In this context, I invite you to follow the story of Aminata Dominique Diouf, nicknamed: “the Lady of Nemading.”
 
Nemading is a small village close to my site, Nemebah, which is located to the region of Fatick in the “Saloum Islands." Upon arrival at my site, I met this young woman born in 1989 who is today the Director of the Farm of Nemading. Since she was little, Aminata was passionate about the field. Nourished by this love, she predicted to her father (founder of this farm) her future desire to manage the company when she was only five years old. To realize her dream, she undertook studies in management and operation of farm business in Canada. Although she could have chosen to remain in that developed country, she decided to return to Senegal and devote herself to agriculture. Upon her return she took control of the general management of the family business. She undertakes several daring initiatives with lucidity, ardor and selflessness to meet the challenges of mango production.
 
Today the mango "Aminata" which bears her name has managed to penetrate the markets in England and Germany. The Lady of Nema is an example of what the modern woman can achieve when she lives her ambitions and she is the proof that one can succeed in agriculture as a woman. She continues to work for the great empowerment of women through training but also to instill in the women of Nemading, the virtues of work and self-esteem.
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Today, the wish of Aminata is to see her mangos in all the great supermarkets of the whole world! She hopes one day to receive visits of Presidents from African, European, and American nations in the agricultural field. She is meeting this challenge very soon because a team of Canal + is coming to film the show "Success of Africa" in her agricultural field and she kindly invited CorpsAfrica/Senegal to participate.
 
For my part, I wish a very good celebration to the brave women of Nemabah who advocate for the empowerment of women and female leadership. Bravo to you dear ladies...

Written by CorpsAfrica/Senegal Volunteer Abdelkader Kadfi

     The story began last year, during my service as a volunteer in my country, Morocco, with CorpsAfrica. Adnane Sounni visited us during the IST (In-Service-Training) and presented about his experience as Volunteer with CorpsAfrica/Senegal. In his presentation he told us about people and their sympathy and kindness, also about the staff and the Volunteers. In his description, I felt that he had many deep emotions and feelings. He finished his presentation by sharing a picture with the people of his village and told us that he started crying when he left them.

      This picture was the biggest reason that encouraged me to apply and come to Senegal.

Being a Volunteer is not easy, and that is why many people think that is a “waste” of time and for free, but the most important thing they don’t know is that you are serving yourself, by discovering new land, new culture, new skills… “Volunteers are the only human beings on the face of the earth who reflect this nation’s compassion, unselfish caring, patience, and just plain loving one another.” – Erma Bombeck.

     After passing the interview and being accepted, the 05 November I arrived to Dakar, I found Mareme Ndour, her husband, and Assiatu (Exchange Volunteer from Malawi) waiting for me. I was very happy to meet them.

     I lived with a host family in Dakar; it was a good opportunity to discover the Senegalese kitchen and many ideas about people here. The next day I went to the office to meet all the staff. They welcomed me and were too kind with me. I started taking some courses of Wolof language before starting the PST.

Assiatu and I visited many places in Dakar; we also visited the Goree Island. ‘The house of slaves’ is a good place to discover the ‘dark ‘era of humanity and how people were treated like animals and tortured. The stories that happened in that time were horrible to imagine. The responsible of the house told us about the story of the island and showed us many rooms that were used for the slaves.

     We moved to Thiès on 10 November to start the Pre-Service-Training, where I met the others Volunteers. They were very motivated to serve as volunteer for their country. I was impressed by their high backgrounds and levels. It was too easy to become friends from the first day. The first weeks were hard for us because we started a ‘Military Training.’ We woke up too early for sport, and we spent weeks of discipline. I still remember one day when Captain Sylla found us laughing and discussing during the lunch; he told us you have less than five minutes to finish eating, when time is up he asked us to leave, the majority of us did not finish their meals.

     The PST helped us to learn and improve new skills, which will help us during our service in the village. Design Thinking, the first aid training with the Red Cross, visits to farms, many presentations by leaders and change makers… .During the training we had to practice all that we learned to memorize it. When we were waiting to pass the exam with the Red Cross; I was with my friend Ousmane Tamba watching some students doing sport, then a girl fell down, we run and found her unconsciousness. We used the skills that we learned for this case until she woke up.

     The big memory for me in the PST was when we visited Joel Island to see the big work of a local association in planting to protect the island. During our walk I injured in my foot. My friends and the staff were worried, but it was a small injury. They helped me and everyone took care of me; they showed the real meaning of one family.

On Friday 08 December, we did the Swear-in Ceremony; we became official Volunteers for the second group of CorpsAfrica/Senegal. I met the Volunteers families, who congratulated and encouraged us for our work and to the best to help others and a have a good impact.

That is a small blog about my trip to this wonderful country, and how I am proud to become a Volunteer in the second group. Since I arrived I did not feel far from my home and my family in Morocco, because I have a new one and I am comfortable here.

I hope you enjoy reading my first blog. Follow me for more blogs and stories about the people in my site.

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Mr. Dingaan Kafundu
 
“Just Do It” – Nike.
 
Before my CorpsAfrica service began, there was just so much that I wanted to achieve and had so many expectations. Five months in and there’s been quite a lot of crossing out and editing of this list and I’ve ended up coming up with a “Bucket-List” of sorts that I hope to get done by the end of my service. There’s going to be a lot of changes to this list, but there’s three things I definitely will not be changing. So, here goes…
 
1.EXPLORE

Exploration is something I’m really passionate about and where better to do that than a new place. My bouts in exploration have already started on a low scale; I’ve been through a couple of forests and down a couple paths, but I want to go beyond. I want to just simply wake up one Saturday morning, grab my toothbrush, some tinned food, my matches, toss them into my backpack, hop on my bike, head out into the ‘great outdoors,’ and not return until Sunday afternoon. I’ve seen enough survival shows to think I can pitch my own make-shift tent and make it through the night., and so I’m definitely looking forward to that little bit of courage on that Saturday morning.
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Maybe that mountain/hill could be a pretty cool camp-site

​2. DO SOMETHING NEW WITH THE LOCALS
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Now this is something that I have been doing and want to keep doing because, quite frankly, it’s pretty darn fun. You can’t fight the fact that nerves will kick in whenever you want to try something new, especially with a bunch of people watching you in awe, but you just got to swallow it up and enjoy the whole thing. Whether it’s joining in the festivities at a local wine ‘bar’, riding a ngolo (ox cart) for the first time, or planting your first ever batch of potatoes. There’s not many thrills that beat trying something new, whether you fall flat on your butt or triumph, you just have to do it. 

3. TAKE THE KIDS OUT ON A TRIP

Let’s just get one thing straight here, when I say ‘kids’, I don’t mean my own kids, that’s still a couple years away from happening. I mean the kids from the local primary school in my community. I’ve been there a couple of times and they are some of the most angelic faces and fun loving kids you could ever meet. A simple walk through the school and all you’ll see are smiles guiding you along the corridors. The problem is, most of them will simply spend their whole childhood and adolescent lives in the constraints of the village, so I made it my goal to take a group of kids to experience something new. Something they definitely will not forget. A field trip of sorts, maybe educational, or maybe just downright fun.
 
These are just some of the things I would love to be able to do outside of my main duties, responsibilities and projects here. And people do often say that sometimes if you really want to do something, don’t think about it. Instead, it’s best to, well, JUST DO IT.

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Exchange Volunteer Mostafa Essalai
 
Most of the time we see the life of people change from casual to celebrity in a specific domain. Some of these people become famous and the cameras follow them wherever they go, and others become famous among their families, friends, or community members because they are out in the world doing good and valuable things. Either way these individuals are known as celebrities to others. However, my question for you is, who is behind the success of these people? For example, in Hollywood, we cannot summarize the success of an actor by just looking at the actor. Instead we must also look at the big staff who is doing a double effort to make the celebrity more brilliant.
 
Furthermore, in the field of voluntary community development work, after finishing a successful service, most Volunteers become like celebrities in the eyes of their organization, parents, family, and friends. But all of these parties don't know exactly who's behind the success of this Volunteer. They don't know anything about the people from the community, who works side by side in the field next to the Volunteer. And they certainly don’t know about the commitment of the Volunteer’s counterpart.
 
So let me tell you. The counterpart is the key principle of a Volunteer’s success in the community during their service, and is the person who works with them side by side on projects, voluntarily, without wanting anything in return.

​I’ve have the honor to live both of these two experiences; being a counterpart to Peace Corps Volunteers in Morocco, and now being a CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer working with a counterpart from my community here. From these humble experiences, I can say that most Volunteers who’ve had a successful experience throughout their service gives all the credit to their amazing counterparts. To confirm this, I asked both successful Peace Corps and CorpsAfrica Volunteers from Morocco and Malawi, to give me a quote about their counterpart from their village of service. Below is what they had to say.

​"Counterparts are everything in the life of volunteers. They are the first connection to our communities. They are our link to people and work. They are the ones who help volunteers to overcome obstacles related to language and culture. I owe the success of my service to my work partners who I now call lifelong friends. Never underestimate and underappreciate the importance of counterparts in your service and life. Like a compass, they will guide you to meeting the needs and fulfilling projects that make a sustainable impact on the community around you." -- Jamie Kreindler, Peace Corps Volunteer in Morocco 2015-2018
 
“My counterpart has completely made my Peace Corps service the best experience of my life.  Davie Manda was one of my students during my first year of service in 2015 and over time he became my counterpart, best friend and role model in our community. Over the last two and a half years Davie has lead nearly all my projects. Even taking part in learning how to sew a reusable menstrual pad that he gave to a relative. Davie is a people person, a social light, and very emotionally intelligent. He understands people, and I think that’s why myself and other Peace Corps Volunteers love him so much. He gets us and American culture, and accepts us for who we are. I’m really lucky to have found such a great friend, and counterpart. I know that I close my service in August, but our friendship will last a lifetime." -- Torey Hart- Peace Corps Volunteer in Malawi 2015-2018
 
"One of my counterparts was a Kabaza (bicycle taxi) driver. He was involved in almost all of my projects and drove me everywhere. Apart from assisting me in getting from place to place, he also worked very hard to ensure that the projects we were working on were realized. He never benefited directly from any of the projects we did, but he was always there. He introduced me to people, bargained on my behalf, worked odd hours with me, reminded me of things we needed to do, and sacrificed the time he could have been out making money working. My service would have been way harder if it wasn't for him." -- Sarah Kazira- CorpsAfrica/Malawi Program Coordinator (CorpsAfrica Volunteer 2016-2017)
 
"As a volunteer in a small community, for me there is no difference between “work” and “life.” Following, there’s often no difference between “counterparts” and “friends”—they are the same people. That’s why I’m okay with the fact that I didn’t really do much productive work during my first year in my community—instead, I was just making friends, which takes time. Now, as I bring my new perspective and different resources, my counterparts/friends bring their ideas and in-depth knowledge of their own community. Together, we have renewed an old common space, started girls’ empowerment initiatives, a Model UN club, a women-run patisserie, and trainings for local associations. Even if our projects don’t make a big splash, we tried something new and we did it as a team. Indeed, counterparts lie at the core of what Peace Corps service is—learning, giving back, and exchange." --  Julie Sherbill, Peace Corps Volunteer in Morocco
 
"My first two years in Malawi as a Peace Corps Volunteer would not have been possible without my amazing counterparts. My friend David specifically comes to mind when I think about the influence my counterparts had on my time in my community of service, which is now my home away from home. He wasn't only someone who helped me with my projects, but he also gave me the beautiful gift of friendship. If it weren't for him I think my time in Chipoka would have been completely different than it was." -- Katlyn Saley, Peace Corps Response with CorpsAfrica (Peace Corps Volunteer 2015-2017)

Written by CorpsAfrica/Senegal Volunteer Ms. Faty Ka at Segou

Dear reader, have you ever felt like you have never done anything despite so much effort and sacrifice? Well, I do. I felt like it after a long interview with a teacher at the box for little ones located in a village about twenty (20) km from Kedougou, on the road to Dindiferlo. I realized I was not yet a volunteer as I thought, at least not as much as Aïssatou. The latter has committed to build a hut, made of fences and straw, to keep little angels come to wandering and insecurity whenever their parents were leaving for the fields. Her commitment is not recent because she had built this box since 2009 and remained there until 2014 by going to work every morning without any expectation at the end of the month. Despite many difficulties that could make her give up at any time, she held out thanks to the love, affection, and familiarity with children. Heaven thanked her for taming good Samaritans who gave the village a box for little ones all modern and well built. Working without pay is not something we see every day in humans as them being the most sacred but also the greediest of the planet. Yet this brave lady does it and that for years.

Aïssatou does not just teach in the box. She also does the household and brings water to the children. It is water she drew from the primary school. In fact, the box does not have enough money to pay a housekeeper, let alone a caretaker not to mention there is no fountain to drink.

Who would be willing to do much for the children of his community?

Currently, his concern is to find ways and means to equip the box of toys and a cafeteria.

The commitment and devotion of this woman for the cause of children of her community should serve as a reference, a model. Give meaning to our lives is to live in service to others. A still, self-centered and based on interest life cannot be radiant and fulfilled because it will ignore the many other facets of happiness. Life is good when we are happy but it is even better when others are happy thanks to us.

Dear readers, let's give meaning to our lives by living yes for ourselves but also by living for others. Take the example of nature. The rivers do not consume their waters, the trees not their fruits, the sun not its energy and so on. Just to say that "Being a volunteer is good, but being a volunteer as a person is even better". 

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Ms. Hope Mawerenga

Today has been a very interesting day. I got to do things I am passionate about and had so much fun. Several weeks ago, I was invited by a Peace Corps Volunteer in my community, Fiona, to make a permagarden and paint a mural.  With nothing planned for this date, I agreed of course. I had no idea at the time that it was a memorial event for a late Peace Corps Volunteer whom passed while serving here in my community. When I realized this, I wasn't so sure whether it was right for me to attend the event since I didn't know her personally. However, I decided to attend, and the day was a great one celebrating a remembered Peace Corps Volunteer.
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We started the day with working on the permagarden. We couldn't finish the whole garden today because it's a very big piece of land, but we will continue until we're done.

​We also painted the Children's ward and brightened it up with some flowers! The beauty in painting was wonderful, and painting was so much fun. The kids and all Volunteers (Peace Corps and CorpsAfrica) really enjoyed it.

​Reflecting on a full day, I have seen a fellow Volunteer's passion live on even though she's no longer here. I have seen how a smile can make all the difference in a child's life. It's amazing how much a Volunteer’s service to a community can impact lives. Even though I will leave my community someday, knowing that someone somewhere is a better version of themselves, because of my service with CorpsAfrica, makes me happy.

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Ms. Khwima Nyirenda
 
It’s been four months since I settled in Mzimba district, and it’s been quite an extraordinary four months of my life. I have to say I have done more than I could ever do anywhere else and I can comfortably say I have successfully integrated into my community.
 
I’d like to talk about my experience with the girls at my site who I have been mainly working with in schools. Boy, have I met amazing school girls with big dreams! I wish I could say the biggest dreams, but no dream is too big. I recently started a pad-making project in my community after I was approached by a female teacher at the primary school. Through this project I have made 75 new female friends that call me “amama” (mom). My relationship with these girls grew beyond sewing pads because they are a curious bunch (and I love myself some curious girls). We sewed pads and we talk about sexual and reproductive health, but the real conversation started when one standard 5 girl, Sinthani, asked “Kasi degree nivichi?” (What is a degree?). I later learnt that a teacher had left last December to get a “degree” at the University of Malawi, but some of the students never understood what that meant. Sinthani opened a door and let in a swarm of bees with that question. After she felt comfortable to ask this question, questions flew in about degrees, about university, why go to university, and how to get there.
 
These questions have not stopped, even after the pad-sewing project ended a while ago. You see, I could tell them to work hard, set goals, be determined, be great, no boyfriends (that’s what I say actually), but the truth is we need a little more investment to make the ”work hard, set goals, be determined, be great, no boyfriends” talk a reality. I mean can you make it without a book to read, career talks, and many other things? For so many girls in my community, and in Malawi, getting an education remains a distant dream, an unattainable ecstasy that hovers beyond reach. BUT, it doesn’t have to be that way if we invest in girls in one way or another.
 
In my own humanly possible way, I intend to use this opportunity with CorpsAfrica to invest in the girls in Mzimba, and bring attention to my site for YOU to invest in the girls here. Follow my blog on this amazing journey! Happy Women’s month and #March4Women.

Written by CorpsAfrica/Senegal Volunteer Ms. Mame Binetou Ndour

Hello everyone.

My name is Mame Binetou Ndour.

I am part of the second cohort of CorpsAfrica Volunteers in Senegal, living in the West of Senegal, in the region of Thies. More precisely in one of the villages that constitute the commune of Mont-Rolland.

Born and raised in Dakar (the capital of Senegal), I have not had a chance to speak my family language, Serer, in a long time. CorpsAfrica offers me this great opportunity to discover not only the commune of Mont-Rolland and all its splendor, realities, traditions, and cultures, but also a new perception of life, a way of thinking, and the chance to live in a community.

I can say that now I'm actually “Serer Ndut.”
​Ndut is a word in Serer which designates a space developed by the farmers in the fields allowing you to protect yourself from the heat. This philosophy of security and protection has an important meaning in my community. My village consists of a Community Serer who is very anchored in their cultural and religious value – that of a Great Opening.  They embody the Life of a Dahra, where everyone finds their place. My integration was not very hard because they see in me as a granddaughter Serer who was lost and now is back in the fold. Because of this fact, the community strives very hard to help me learn my language and ways of living. I have met with the principal of the school, where I studied prior to my Bachelors in Dakar.  I want to acknowledge the principal, who comes from Mont-Roland and gave me much motivation, courage, and guidance on how to adapt and approach this population.

Islam-Christian Dialogue; The Force of My Community.
I noticed a very good cohabitation between Muslims and Christians in my community. There is an Islamic-Christian dialogue present in families, the administrative structures, and many more institutions with mutual respect and their religious practices. When there are community meetings, the prayer is directed either by a Christian leader or by a Muslim leader, and they share with ease.
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The Dynamic of My Community and My Aspirations.
In addition to the cultural and religious aspects, I find a community that strives towards emancipation and is open to all kinds of discussions on the questions of development. I was surprised to find different structures working in several development areas in the community before I arrived. I think this process is already strong and they hope to have me help and find their own way in their development efforts. I am therefore very surprised by this organizational structure and strongly believe that in my work with this community I will learn from their knowledge and also be able to count on all their assets the community has. 

Written by CorpsAfrica/Senegal Volunteer Mr. Assane Seck
 
Lost in the middle of nowhere, between the arid and dry climate of western Senegal, through a red and dusty clay road, 11km after Bambey, is a village called Ndem. The first thing you will notice is a huge baobab tree. They told me it is the village gateway, the mystical guard of all places. It stands tall with its branches like tentacles, a symbol of the distant past and a future that leaves a thousand possibilities. 

It is said that Mame Samba once lived in the village of Ceddo, meaning animist, which is just 3.5 km away. In his will to break the tradition of his ancestors and dedicate himself to Islam, he retired to this corner of Senegal. Here there was only trees, animals, and spirits to practice their religion and find the peace of mind. He would say I am going to the "Dem", literally meaning jujube, sidem, in Wolof. Hence the name today, Ndem. More than three centuries later, Ndem still keeps this Bayfall spirituality, a place conducive to reflection on the world and on oneself.

This philosophy, perpetrated by his great-grandson, Serigne Babacar, makes Ndem now the Mecca of Bayfall. The Bayfall philosophy, inspired by Cheikh Ibrahima Fall, the first disciple of Serigne Touba, and founder of the Mouridisme, is that of a simple and dedicated life at work. A work without any interest, if not the welfare of his fellows.

In the middle of the Bayfall, you will learn modesty in all its aspects, the sharing in the true sense of the word but also especially the gift of oneself. Give without expecting anything in return. 

​You will enjoy this village, where the sound of car horns in urban mornings is replaced by the songs of birds that perch at the edge of your doors and windows. Where the stress of traffic jams gives way to the patience you will have to show. Where instead of cars passing, you will sit for 30 minutes watching the crossing of a herd of cows, goats, and sheep going to graze.
 
I like to lose myself in the agro-ecological garden of the village with its botanical plants, but also in the ostriches, the peafowl, the turkeys, and the ducks. There are birds of all kinds singing at the top of their voices. A place where the spectacle of a sunset will give you the impression of having never seen it before.

​Ndem is a remote village certainly but remains a crossroads of all continents. In this small village of just 50 hectares, I met more nationalities than anywhere else before. You have breakfast with a French, you eat lunch with an American, and you have dinner with an Italian. Here, the concepts of mixing, globalization, and sharing of cultures make sense. It shows, it is alive.
 
So if you are visiting Bambey, come by and see me in Ndem.

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Ms. Twambilire Kalolokesya

Malawi has many different languages spoken throughout the country but Chichewa is the national language. Chichewa is most commonly spoken in the central and southern regions of Malawi, but since there are different districts the dialectics of Chichewa vary. In these different areas there are some Chichewa words which are pronounced differently, the speed of the language may be faster or slower, and the rhythm of conversations differ. In my previous blog I shared a little bit about how people from my site speak Chichewa in a different way than am used to. In this blog I plan to share further with you my readers the difference in languages that I have encountered.

Firstly, I noticed there was a difference in the way people in my community pronounce the Chichewa word that translates to English as “stepping on something”. Whenever the kids play jump rope outside my house and someone steps on the rope they say “wadyaka” (you have stepped on the rope). It was confusing at first because in a different area of Malawi the Chichewa word for stepping on something is “kuponda”. During the first days I used to wonder what they really meant, but with time I caught the meaning.

A common phrase that is also pronounced differently, is the morning greeting. Generally in the central region of Malawi the way we greet someone in the morning in Chichewa is by saying “mwadzuka bwanji.” But at my site the greeting goes like “mwauka bwanji”, which is the most common way of pronouncing this phrase in the most northern part of the central region. At first I would pause and wonder how to respond, but now I am used to it and I respond appropriately.

Another phrase that was new to me was “wusani” which means “be calm or be patient”. I came across this word when my fellow Volunteer Caroline and I were so restless trying to run away from rains. Someone in my community used this new phrase “wusani” for us to calm down and wait right there for the rains to stop. It was rather new to me because the Chichewa I am used to would be the word “dikirani” which means “wait”.

One other thing I have noticed here is that they pronounce most words in short form, for example the Chichewa word “ndikuuza” means I will tell you “nkuuza” means I’ll tell you. So most of the words are mostly pronounced as if you remove some letters and put an apostrophe.

So this is kind of an exciting time for me at my site. Even though I thought I knew how to speak Chichewa, I have ended up learning other ways of pronouncing words at my site and I am glad to share a few of these words with you. 

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Ms. Ireen Kanjala
 
The Chewa people are descendants of the Bantu tribe, who widely settled in the central part of Malawi. Among many distinctive moral values and cultural norms, the Chewa people are widely known for their highly magnified traditional dances (i.e. Gule Wamkulu), beliefs and perceptions towards women in society. 

​Culturally, Chewa women are viewed as having a social life that revolves around defined cultural gender norms. This division centres women being largely engaged in household chores and lighter agricultural activities. The Chewa people strongly believe that there is a high demarcation between women and men in terms of social interaction and work in the community.

Traditionally, grooming a Chewa woman begins right at birth. In a Chewa family, the father’s relatives name the baby, and if it is the last born in the family the parents are not allowed to call their daughter by name. Instead they call her “baby girl”. As a sign of celebration, a Chewa baby is given beads that are worn around the neck, legs, hands, and waist.
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A Chewa girl undergoes a ritual known as Chinamwali, a traditional girl initiation ceremony. It is done soon after a girl hits puberty. The girl is taken into confinement for seven days, where she is counselled by elder women (known as Anankungwi) on a number of issues believed to prepare her into adulthood. The topics discussed during this initiation, include:

• Menstrual hygiene
• Good manners and respect for the elderly
• Sexual abstinence
• Why they should no longer eat eggs, for fear of becoming barren
• Why they should no longer enter their parents’ bedroom 
• How to carry out household chores
• Good behaviour towards their husbands once they are married, and to dress respectfully

The initiation is finished when the girl leaves the house after being shaven of all hair, including pubic hair.

Personally, I respect culture diversity and traditional values of different tribes, however some of these practices violate women’s and children’s rights and therefore require modification or abolition. Others promote the enjoyment of human rights, and therefore I believe require to be preserved. According to my community, Chinamwali is viewed as an acceptable culture practice, which should be maintained and preserved by the Chewa tribe because “ndi chikhalidwe cha makolo” (ancestral tradition).

Over time, some of the beliefs and traditions about women have been modified, meaning today a Chewa woman does not only take responsibilities at home as a housewife, but can also partake in society as a career woman, taking up leadership roles in the community.
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I believe that it is crucial for Malawian culture to be preserved, but also that communities are made aware of the harmful practices that need to be modified or removed.  We as a country can give up harmful practices, without giving up meaningful aspects of our culture.

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Mr. Chris Kaudzu
 
There is a saying that goes, "The youth are the leaders of tomorrow." I believe this is true, and I can see this attitude amongst the youth of my community. I have come to value the three points below, which are tips I have found effective when trying to understand and interact with the youth in my community.

• Get to know them

Since I started my service, I have interacted with a lot of youth and they have amazing plans for their lives. My first formal interaction with them was during a career talk project that I had at a secondary close to my community. This was done to encourage and inspire the youth to work hard in their studies and become productive citizens. Ever since the project, I have had youth come to my house and we talk about different things in life. As I get to know them and interact with them, they will understand that they have the capacity to be better people in the society.

• Let them speak out

When I engaged the youth during the career talk, they had the opportunity to speak out and share their views. This was a way for my colleague, Ireen, and I to listen and understand their perspective of life in general. They expressed themselves on how they want to develop their families and communities. They also shared their general and personal challenges, and we worked through them together. As they shared their challenges, they were able to seek support from their peers as well.

• Let them lead

Just a week ago, I was talking to two young men and they came up with an idea. They had an observation of their community and realized that the youth are engaged in things that don't benefit them. This observation led to the two young men wanting to have a youth club within the community. As we were talking, they said the youth club would have the aim of engaging youth in various activities and keeping them busy from engaging in reckless behaviors. Even though the youth club is still being developed, I see great things coming out of this club.  These two men are a part of this community, and they are the ones who have discovered the challenges, and the ones leading in order to tackle them.

​It’s interesting and amazing to see the youth of my community come together to transform both their lives and their community. I have seen youth attitudes change in the past few months through engagement of various projects in the community, reflecting their commitment of development. The three points above are pointers on how I am engaging with the youth in my community, and I hope to see great things come from them. 

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Ms. Ruth Chamangwana
 
During my first community meeting, I was surprised to see that the women were more vocal than the men. They were not scared to speak their minds, and they did so with so much enthusiasm. The same thing happened during the second and third meetings; I was SHOCKED!
 
In other communities, women tend to be more reserved than men, but this was certainly not the case in mine. Women speak out here, and they are so passionate and hardworking.  They run their businesses, and some have even enrolled to go back to school, though they are much older than the usual school aged student.
 
Some of the most inspiring women that I work with in my community belong to the Mother's Group. They are a group of ten women who took it upon themselves to ensure that girls in the area get educated. They sew menstrual pads for girls, encourage girls who have dropped out of school to return, and offer counselling services to girls. The female teachers at the primary school, that are also a part of the Mother’s Group, are role models to the girls, and also encourage girls to attend school instead of getting married and becoming pregnant. 

​Because of this inspiring Mother’s Group, and their encouragement towards girls, it was my assumption that most people in my community shared the same ideas and beliefs of educating a girl child. However, I was wrong. In my community, women are deemed as the 'weak' humans; so weak that they can't think for themselves, they cannot excel in school, and they cannot be financially independent. These beliefs have led to girls undermining themselves and resorting to getting married at a young age. Girls as young as 12 years old are pregnant and are forced into marriage in my area, without hopes of ever attaining an education.
 
As a woman in Malawi, I believe myself and other women need to critically strategize on how we can empower young girls in our communities. Strong, inspiring, Malawian women such as Traditional Authority, Kachindamoto, and the women in my mother's group have taken up a tough task, which will require their fellow women to come through and offer a lending hand.
 
March4Women is the time for us all to show solidarity in empowering women to become better than what society sees us as. No human should be deemed weak based on their gender, and advancements toward equal treatment amongst all sexes need to be accomplished. A lot of work needs to be done, and while I work with my mother's group in my community, I urge other women to work hand-in-hand with their communities to bring about change. Together, let’s help the girl child breathe a sigh of relief.

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Mr. James Matipwiri
 
Waking up every day in an isolated, rural community, surrounded by farms and bush has now become a routine. It’s been more than three months since arriving in this hot part of Dedza District. The singing of birds, mooing of cattle, bleating of goats, and clucking of chickens have become my favorite sounds, and a normal part of life.

A lot has changed about my life during this time. Living in a new environment has taught me a culture I used to only hear existed beyond my home district of Nkhotakota. Chichewa "a national language" is spoken in an unusual way here, with small accent variations. I have adopted it as a part of my speech now, such that I am able to add some fancy vibrations to syllables containing the letter "t". For you to pronounce the word "tea," you have to remove the sound of the letter “t” and replace it with something that will sound like "rrhi". So whenever you want to drink “rrhi” in the morning, just remember to brush your “rrhith” with your “rrhith”-brush, hahaha.

My favorite part about living in this community is the opportunity to attend some cultural dance performances. The Chewa people (a local tribe) organize weekly events for their famous dance called Gule Wankulu for entertainment. Men, women, boys and girls gather to sing, beat drums, and clap their hands for Gule Wankulu's breakdown. Gule Wankulu and it’s Chewa tradition is so powerful and symbolic that it is usually included as part of important events, such as initiation or death of Chewa chiefs or renowned members of the tribe.

Times when I am not engaged with community members or doing personal activities I sometimes feel low in energy, the boredom kicks in, and the day goes at tortoise speed. But recently, I have discovered a way of relieving myself from these boring situations. Now, I can’t help but go cycling around my community when I find myself feeling alone. I find it the best option, and that one lap greeting my community, waving at folks, clears my mind, and makes my day perfect.

Things that used to take some time getting used to here, are now things that I am telling my friends about. I enjoy the learning about the differences between my current community's culture, and the culture I was brought up in. From subtle differences to big ones, I’ve realized that my service here will teach me a lot.

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Ms. Shyreen Kossam
 
The passion of helping others started way back when I was a kid. I have always dreamed of having an orphanage, which required not only the heart of helping, but also money. I grew up thinking I would never live up to my dream. Then my journey began. On the 15th of February, 2018 I joined CorpsAfrica. I quickly realized that it is not always about money when it comes to living our dreams, but instead becoming a servant of the local people who have the dream to become somebody. Being part of the community is the key. Listen to them and help them find their knowledge with whatever talent they have. This is what I mean when I say “Living my Dream.”

​Dedza District has now become my second home. I’m now the 9th born of Mr. and Mrs. Kwenda, my host family. They gave me my own house in the compound which I’m proud to call my new house. Mr. Kwenda is a very hard working man who depends on agriculture as the main source of income to take care of his family. Staying close to a river he practices irrigation farming. He grows rice, which requires a lot of water, and maize all throughout the year. Every morning and evening I’m having roasted maize, which is my favorite, all because of his hard work.  He also owns two cows, goats, pigs, chickens, and ducks. Mr. and Mrs. Kwenda treat me as their own, and I’m happy to be part of this amazing family. After being in this community for two weeks, I’ve recognized that my success is based on building trust and confidence with my host family. This is what defines my life.

​In the village, riding a bike is a must. There are long distances you have to travel, without coming across any vehicle, so a bicycle is the only option you have. During my childhood I never had a chance to learn how to ride a bicycle, but now cycling is my hobby. I’m able to travel very long distances much easier, and reach everyone without any difficulties. I had actually given up on cycling, until I became friends with Elton, Maggie and Alick. These are now my best friends and I spend most of my time with them. Elton a 12 year old boy in standard 3 (grade 3), Maggie is a 15 year old girl in standard 4 (grade 4), and Alick is a 10 year old boy in standard 3 (grade 3). After school I help these friends with their homework, and in the evening they have been teaching me how to ride a bike.
 
Hanging out with these kids has made me realize that we are each other’s strengths. We can’t do life in this world alone. We need other people, just like they need us, so everyone is important during our journey. Never leave anyone behind.

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Ms. Mildred Chirwa

“Bekako skirt yane, ndazinangisyira yaye?” asked one of the girls to her friend to check if her period had tainted her skirt. Volunteering as a teacher at the local community day secondary school has exposed me to some of the challenges that students face, especially my female students. I have realized the things I take for granted are a major concern to the girls in my school.

The anxiety of the possibility of being humiliated every month in front of the whole class and the discomfort and unhygienic nature of traditional materials used during menstruation all became so real. With the GLOW (Girls Leading Our World) Club I work with, Kelsey, a Peace Corps Volunteer, who helped us source materials and trained some students in reusable sanitary pad making skills. These pads have proved to be cheaper, hygienic, more comfortable, and sustainable (since they can be used more than once).

The reaction I got from the girls when I told them they were going to learn how to sew reusable menstrual pads was overwhelming. So instead of having only one training, we scheduled another session of pad making, but this time around it was the girls teaching other girls how to make the pads. We called this “Girl-to-Girl Pad Making Day.”

Throughout the session, the girls discussed the need to build positive self-esteem for young women. We also discussed safe space and I told them what it is and why it is important to have whenever we are meeting. This made more girls open up on the issues they face surrounding menstruation, and basically it all came down to menstruation being seen as a taboo. No one talks about it in their homes and if they have questions about it, they have no one to ask. I answered some of the questions they had, one being that if you take pain killers during painful periods will your flow stop for good and you won’t be able to have children. Some villages believe that as soon as girls start menstruating, their bodies are naturally ready to start conceiving, hence the rampant cases on early marriages. Health-wise, this is dangerous to girls who start having their periods at an early age, as young as nine.

Some of the misconceptions on menstruation were cleared up, but I know there’s still a lot of work to be done. Since some of the misconceptions put the girl’s health and future at risk we think it is important to have these conversations. The skills that the girls have gained at this training are invaluable, and everyone is required to bring a pad made from local resources at one of our meeting next month.

Finally, an Exchange Volunteer from Morocco, Mouhiddine, visited my site during this session to see how the club is run, with plans to start a GLOW Club in his community. He also learnt how to make reusable sanitary pads and he said he would definitely do the same at his site. Of course the girls were also excited to have a male visitor and an excellent photographer while they worked on their pads.

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Ms. Ireen Kanjala

It’s been four months since I came to this community, and I am loving the experience. I have gotten so attached and have fallen in love with so many things during the process of making this place home. It is amazing how optimism can be so motivating and rewarding. I would like to briefly share with you the five things I love about my community (not in any order).
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1. The Youth’s Energy
When I arrived in this community I received such a warm welcome from the youth. They honestly motivate me because they seem so eager to take charge in developing their community. It is wonderful having meetings with such great attendance and participation; they definitely make me look forward to what the future holds for Malawi! I also love the time I spend with the girls. They make it so hard not to miss them when I’m away, and they keep me busy with stories and discoveries. I love it! 

2. Walks In My Community
I enjoy my walks through the community, my favorite being the 20-minute walk to and from the school where  I volunteer. Though occasionally I appreciate the bicycle ride offers too. I have discovered that these walks are a great way to meet people. I enjoy the company and the stories I share with strangers who over time have become my friends.

3. Interacting With Kids
Kids are fun to be around because I love their laughter and the games they play. They have the freshest ideas and the most tiring games! But a little sweat never hurt anybody. I recently just learned how to play kumenya nguli (hitting a spinning wood top), and I love the way it gets me excited.

​It’s not all about fun and games though. Teaching and mentoring the kids has been a huge reason why my service is wonderful. I really love the time I spend with them, inside and outside of the classroom.

4. Culture and Tradition
This is one of most intriguing things I love about my community. I am learning so much about the Chewa culture, which also happens to be my native culture. I thought I knew enough about it, but after being in my community for some time I realized I knew nothing. I feel so enlightened after getting a first class seat into this culture and am finally taking the time to learn it all. I am happy to say I AM PROUDLY CHEWA.
 
5. The Eye For Sustainable Agriculture
Most of my community’s livelihood depends on agriculture, with their most grown food crops being cassava, sweet potatoes, and groundnuts. These also coincidentally happen to be my favorites! The community members have been adopting more advanced agricultural methods to improve the soil fertility by planting nitrogen fixation trees.

A few months ago, I was clueless about this community. Now I am happy to say I call it my home. The connections and linkages I am making with the people and organizations here are continuously making me feel comfortable and most of all proud to be part of this community.  I am looking forward to discovering more of my favorite things.

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer, Ms. Hope Matilda Mawerenga
 
It's been a minute, let's catchup.

There are several things I like and dislike about my site. Today I'll take you through them, in no particular order.

One thing I like about my adopted home in Northern Malawi is that my house is close to the borehole. I don't have to go very far to draw water. Easy access to water is very important!

Another thing I like about my site is the cool chief I work with. Yes, cool. The chief gives my site-mates and I lifts to 'the town' and is super generous to give us free goat meat (bless the Ngoni in him).

I obviously also like that I have access to a nice basketball court. I have so much passion for basketball and I don't know what I would have done if I couldn't play for even one month. Even though the rains hinder my students and my play time, we make most of the sunny days worth it. Yes, I try to keep fit.

I love the weather right now. It's not too hot anymore and it's just right. However, I suspect when it starts to get cold in Malawi, it will be super cold here. So, I will love the rain for now because it also helps me sleep.

I like that I now have a place to watch international football matches. The struggle of reading commentaries online is over!!! If you're a football fan (read Manchester United fan) like me then you understand it's a need.

So many likes, now here are my dislikes.

I said I love living very close to the borehole, remember that. When it rains heavily people are unable to draw water, so they go when the rain eases or stops. Sometimes that’s at 11:00pm. Imagine trying to get some shut-eye with borehole noises that keep going on and on into the late hours of the night. I don't know how safe drawing water is at 11:00pm, but I guess the need is bigger. We all need water.

I like some vegetables (obviously not a dislike, hang on). My site rarely has vegetables. Why? How? I think I'll just grow some.

I don't like how lonely it sometimes gets here.
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I know all these are a part of life - we can't like everything - but I will do something about them when I can. I don't think I can stop people from drawing water at crazy hours of the night, but maybe I can buy some ear muffs? And I'll definitely be trying to grow some veggies soon. 

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Exchange Volunteer, Mr. Mostafa Essalai
 
After I knew that I have been accepted to be a CorpsAfrica Volunteer most of my family, close friends, and people around me gave me some advice on how to integrate safely into Malawi. One of these great pieces of advice came from a 42-year-old friend of mine, and a person of which I have much respect. He said, "If you want to live a smooth life and have a successful service, you should look for the common interests that you share with your community members.” Honestly, his advice was very helpful to me concerning my integration into my village and thanks to this advice I now have many friends in my community.

In the first three weeks of my life in the village, I heard many people in the market talking about a soccer team who won the district league last year by taking the award from 16 teams in the district. Hearing this made me think about my friend's advice. I asked myself, "If I am coming from a community who has soccer in its blood, why wouldn’t I join this team for training and to gain new friends.” However, it wasn’t that simple.

A long time before I started playing with the Benga Hammers Team, it was known as Alinafe Team. This was because of the Alinafe Community Hospital based in the community, and that most of the team players were working as staff at the hospital. One of the faithful sponsors at that time was Mr. Devline, a person who truly loves soccer. He encouraged the team financially and spiritually. Also, thanks to him the team had a chance to play outside of Malawi in Mozambique. Mr Devline assisted them to have jerseys, soccer boots, tracksuits, and balls. But suddenly, the candle of the team switched off so fast, when some committed team members and coaches stole most of the team materials and money. This issue immediately influenced Mr. Devline to stop supporting the team and led the team to a huge crisis; stopping playing soccer.

After a long time of team crisis, Alex, the captain and the goal keeper of the old team, called some players to sit down and talk about the team’s destiny. When they sat down they decided to bring the old team back together, but this time by supporting themselves. They did not plan to ask anyone for outside funds because they believed that they were playing soccer not for support, but because they like it. When I reached the village, I found this very excited team under the leadership of Mr. Alex, but with poor resources. After I joined them I tried to understand and explain to them that no one can help us if we didn't help ourselves. Using what I had learned at Pre-Service Training, I talked with them about Asset Based Community Development. First, we tried to check where the team had errors and how we could handle these issues. After lots of discussion, we have decided to build a fence around our football pitch because the team can then gain more money to manage the team if they host more organized, friendly games.

​A month later, I was more famous than I was ever expecting. When other villages started to know that the Benga Hammers had an azungu (foreign) player, most of them started asking my team to play theirs just to make sure the news was true. It has been a fun journey indeed!

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Silvester Kunkeyani

Young people are the future, goes the old saying. Now imagine a country whereby about 60% of the population comprises of youth aged people. Surely you would expect utmost priority to be given to an age group making up such a large percentage of the population, right? Well, when we talk of youth empowerment in Malawi, we are talking of the means through which the youth are assisted to succeed in life. The focus is for children and young people to be encouraged to take charge of their lives and make the country a better place for everyone. We do this by addressing the situation, taking action to improve access to resources, and transforming their consciousness through their beliefs, values, and attitudes. In Malawi most people think that it is only the function of the government to empower youth, but I believe differently. I believe you, as an individual, can also empower the young people around you.

The need to empower youth for a better tomorrow is connected both to the financial elevation, as well as an increment of the standard of living. Awareness is a key factor for this empowerment, with guidance towards developing a wholesome outlook of life. Youth empowerment, in any development, is imperative not only for national development of an entire country, but also for personal development of an individual. Youth empowerment is pursued by promoting youth rights, youth activism, and in community decision-making. Empowerment is a necessary process of inculcating values to equip the learner to live a life that is satisfying to the individual, while also being in accordance with the cherished values and ideals of the society. At present, it is the most effective means that society possesses for confronting the challenges of the future.

Currently, a lot is being spent on fighting crime, without understanding that crime affects the youth at an intrinsic level. It is easy for a young, impressionable mind to get entrapped in anti-social activities because he was not empowered morally, academically or financially. There are serious social and economic consequences associated with not addressing the youth who are at risk of negative circumstances – not only for the youth himself and his family, but also for the society at large. Empowerment enables a young mind to differentiate wrong from right, and denounces the path of injustice for a respectable life.

Utilizing young peoples’ potential as agents of change requires involving and empowering them in development policies, and supporting their participation at all levels. This goes with processes that enable participation enhance control through shared decision making; and create opportunities for the youths to learn, practice, and increase their skills. Engaging youth in pro-social, meaningful, and community-enhancing activities that they define and control, helps them gain vital skills, responsibilities, and the confidence necessary to become productive and healthy adults.

Lastly, by empowering youth the future prosperity of nations is secured because these are the people who are the future of the country. There are youths who are running many managerial functions in many institutes and will soon be managing top offices in the future. This only confirms the popular statement “the youths are the leaders of tomorrow”. When the young are empowered, the society becomes a good place for all to live. They will assist in the economic activities of the society where they find themselves, and in turn, both families and the entire nation benefits.

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Ms. Caroline Luka
 
Being the first born in a family can cause so much pressure on a person. Having your siblings look up to you, being the responsible one, and helping whenever asked can really bring about headache. Brenda is a nineteen-year-old girl in my community, and she is the first born in her family.
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Raised by a single parent, Brenda has seen all the struggles her mother has gone through to give her and her siblings all the things they need. They didn’t have much growing up, but that did not stop her mother from working extra hours to provide for her family. Brenda has always been the one to take care of her siblings when her mother has gone out to seek work in other peoples’ farms. The nineteen-year-old girl has seen it all, but somehow, she still stands strong and smiles.

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Ms. Ruth Chamangwana
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Apart from the plus of being surrounded by a lake that is home to juicy species of fish, Chipoka is also one of the hottest areas that I have been to in Malawi. And of course the hottest days seem to be when I have something important to do. On January 27th, the day whereby an important project was being launched by one of the youth organizations in Chipoka, the temperature was ridiculously high.

Transformative Leadership Youth Organization was started by Mr. Chenjezi, a secondary school teacher at Malowa Secondary School. The organization is comprised of both youth that are enrolled in school and also those that have dropped out. The purpose of the group is to enrich the youth with vocational skills such as painting, carpentry, gardening, environmental management, and computer skills. The project we are currently working on aims at helping youth in Chipoka find creative ways of obtaining a source of income using the skills that will be rendered to them. This project came into light amidst the vast increase of unemployment amongst the youth, and also after seeing the over dependence of these youth on their guardians (who in most cases cannot meet the needs of their children). This in the end brought forth frustration amongst the youth and led to indulgence in malpractices such as drug and substance abuse, and theft.

To mark the start of this project, we organized a training for the youth in the morning where various topics were discussed. Topics on business, entrepreneurship, leadership, and transformative leadership were discussed with the youth. Speakers included members of the organization, Mr. Chenjezi and myself. It was an amazing experience interacting with these youth and listening to the creative ideas that they had.

“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy,” they said. So it was time to have some fun!!! As an organization, the first activity and vocational skills we have planned is painting and gardening. Various tools such as watering cans, painting brushes, and paint will need to be bought for the start of the project. A painter from Chipoka has also volunteered to train the youth in painting, while the group has set up a fundraising show for the purchase of these items.

A party for fundraising does not go without music!!! The speakers were connected and the DJ was ready. A lot of people came to the show dressed in all sorts of styles. I felt under dressed. The youth impressed me. Musicians and dancing crews were ready to battle it out and they put up a good show. A beauty contest to choose Mr. and Miss Luso meant beautiful boys and girls parading in front of an excited crowd of people. We danced! We had fun! We collected a small amount of money. We are here to stay and these youth are going to acquire the necessary skills for them to lead better lives. We are here to serve. We are the people we have been waiting for!!!

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Mr. James Mapwiri
 
Before I became a CorpsAfrica Volunteer I had no idea what kind of natural treasures the world of living outside of a city possessed, until I arrived and began learning about the natural environment. One thing specifically has stood out to me in all of the amazing stuff I have been learning for the past few months of living here.

That amazing thing was the Moringa Tree. This is not an ordinary tree. It’s a miracle tree as referred to by many cheerleaders, scientifically called moringa oleifera and locally known as cham'mwamba. This plant is a nutritional hero, a super food, immune booster, and drug to a number of diseases that are known to be hard to treat. My community has been growing this plant for decades, but its use previously was just for fencing homes and gardens. Its leaves and pods make a very delicious relish when prepared by locals with their special cuisine invented specifically for it. It is known that in the near past few people used to harvest its leaves for consumption. The indigenous people recall that it was preferred because of fast growth rate and adaptability to the hot weather here.

Realization of its numerous use and potential was made aware to me by my involvement with the Hunger Project Malawi. They mobilized people and helped them build an epicentre that acts a resource hub for the community. They came to help the locals solve their food security, health, and nutrition challenges. What people didn’t know years back was revealed to them like a joke. They now know and understand that the miracle tree should not just be used for fencing their homes, but also should be used as a food supplement for nutritional gain, a source of income, and several home remedies to combat chronic health challenges.

My community has researched about moringa and learnt a great deal about how to use it for their own nutritional and economic benefits. With support from the Hunger Project, they set up a group of fervent individuals that have found a way to produce powder from the leaves. The miracle powder has several uses such as baking cakes and local confections. It’s also used the same way as tea, applied to food like meat as a spice, and taken with porridge. There are no limitations as to how one can consume it. I prefer taking it mixed with my favorite drink “super-shake” .

One important discovery the group has come to realize is moringa’s economic potential. There is a growing demand for the powder and now it is being packaged to be sold in local markets and supermarkets in nearby towns.

As of now, thousands of seedlings have been raised across a number of nurseries in my community. The idea is to distribute the seedlings for free to members of the community to plant around their homes and for easy access. My community looks to the miracle tree as a solution to several challenges spanning from health, nutrition, and economy. They are doing whatever it takes to capitalize on the opportunity for their greater good. 

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Exchange Volunteer Mr. Mouhiddine Hamma
 
Working with the Youth Club of DAPP (Development Aid from People to People) NGO has made life here working in Dzaleka Refugee Camp more fun. I always enjoy the company of these nice people because through the club l am always inspired to be more creative and positive. The youth club finally has a new name for themselves after long meetings and discussions. The new name of the club is “Be Strong” and it comes from a meaning that members agreed upon.
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It is interesting to hear different languages spoken in meetings organized by Be Strong Youth Club. It is common to hear languages like Swahili, French, English, and Chichewa every time when someone gives a speech or contributes to the meeting. There are members who are so willing to translate to English and French so that everyone understands and this is the beauty of this club. The diversity is great. There is also unity and tolerance between the club members and they work so well together although they are coming from different communities. Despite speaking different languages, they can understand each other, discuss, and even play together. This makes me think of the world leaders, especially in Africa, who find it hard to work together because of such barriers. I hope that one day, through these young African leaders in the youth club, our continent will be able to unite regardless of differences in culture, language, skin colour and history.

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Mr. Dingaan Kafundu
 
Quite a lot has happened since my last blog post. The major thing being that due to circumstances beyond my control, I have had to change sites from the hot beautiful beaches of Nkhata Bay to the chilled, serene hills of Dedza. As much as I will miss the life and smiles of Kuwirwi Village, I cannot emphasize how much I am looking forward to living and working in Dedza.

Let me share a quick background of my new community. Well, my new village is just 40 minutes, give and take, away from Dedza town. It is the ‘home’ of potatoes, with 70% of the households involved in some way with potato farming. The village is quite rich when it comes to the academics that it harbors. Both the Malawi College of Forestry and Cjongoni Technical College are surrounding my village, so it’s no real surprise that the locals here are ecstatic when it comes to the introduction of new development, especially through the Education sector.

I have been here a mere fortnight, but I already feel at home. The adjustment has been much smoother and easier than I expected. For starters, my house situation is, for lack of a better phrase, pretty darn amazing. My neighbors are really cool too; they have made me feel more than welcome. Every other morning, I wake up with a bag of potatoes at my door step. And if it’s not potatoes, it’s maize. Basically, I’m about to put on a whole lot of weight thanks to my new community. I’m pretty sure in some language, the name of my village probably means ‘hospitality’.

I have spent most of my time trying to better understand my surroundings. Both the people and the environment itself. I take random walks on an everyday basis, getting lost along the way, but hey, it’s all part of the experience. The tranquil nature of the hills that surround the village make it easy to zone out and stay at peace. It’s no wonder that the locals here are almost always positive and happy. It’s hard to not be.
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On the work front, I’ve managed to have a couple of meetings including one with the village leaders and another scheduled this week, with the school committees. As a whole, we are working on narrowing down a project, but the community is very excited about things to come and is more than willing to work hand in hand with CorpsAfrica.

My short time here has blazed past. What I have learned is that the village has the resources, and the people have the knowledge, what they just lack is the facilitation, and hopefully I can be the missing piece to the puzzle. I am looking forward to everything both I and my community have to offer each other. It’s all really exciting.