Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Ms. Shyrene Kossom
My typical day as a Volunteer revolves around giving out my time and energy to the people in my community. It is hard to pinpoint all my projects and activities that I’m doing in Dedza East currently, but below is a basic rundown of my day. Hopefully, this will give you a sense of what life is like as a Volunteer with CorpsAfrica.
07:00 am RISE WITH THE SUN
I mostly start my day at 7 o’clock. I wake up, take a cold bath (something you get used to after a while), and dress for the day. Usually, my outfit is a piece of cloth (chitenje) and a T-shirt of some kind, along with comfortable shoes. This is something I get dirty in playing with the kids. My breakfast is always something simple, bread with peanut butter\potatoes, or cereal. This small meal keeps me fueled up and full throughout the day.
08:00 am OUT OF DOOR
In the morning I arrive at the Hunger Project, our partner organization. This is where my office is as a Volunteer and where I prepare for the day. What I prepare depends on the kind of activities and assignments I have for the day, whether its writing proposals, filling out my Google forms reporting, writing a blog, teaching at the primary school, or working with the youth.
10:00-01:00pm THE MOST ENJOYANLE PART OF THE DAY
I jump on my bike, heading to the school or the community as a whole. I work with Roman Catholic primary school where I teach life skills and agriculture in grade 5. I also help with marking and assignments if the teachers are busy and plan more lessons and other activities. This is always a win\win for me, I get to help with the school and at the same time enhance my skills and gain confidence.
02:00to 04:30 BACK AT THE HUNGER PROJECT
This is the usual time we have lunch as co-workers. In total we are six. Three from the loan department, two guys (Chris and Fannel) and a girl (Georgina). And then me, James (my site mate), and Abraham the epicenter officer. Me and Georgina do the cooking and we eat together as a group. This is the best experience of my life as a Volunteer. Making friends and sharing our life time stories. After lunch, it’s time for the youth friendly group. We discuss issues concerning HIV\AIDS, give career talks, and talk about entrepreneurship. Sometimes we perform dramas and music for the people in the community. This is part of our entertainment as well as education for the people.
06:00 DINNER WITH MY HOST FAMILY
I head home, we prepare dinner together, and we usually listen to the radio at this time.
08:00pm WINDING DOWN FROM THE DAY
Having a goodnight sleep with a smile on my face.
Volunteering with CorpsAfrica has been a great experience for me. I’m learning a lot and discovering a world I didn’t know existed.