Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Ms. Patricia Lily Nyirenda 

My passion for volunteering for my country and my people keeps deepening with 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 would be volunteering at a local secondary school that I 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.