Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Mr. Chifundo Chibaka 

From the beginning, I always knew that the opportunity to serve with CorpsAfrica was a chance for me to meet new people, make new relations, and expand my network. However, nothing prepared me for what was coming ahead. After settling in my community, my peers and the elderly welcomed me, but there was a 7-year-old kid who welcomed me with much joy and openness beyond my expectation. I later learnt that the girl's name was Macbeth. 

The girl is very warm and friendly to me to the point that she regularly pays a visit to my house to check up on me. She also stands on the veranda of her house and waves at me whenever I am coming from my morning jogs. Whenever we meet on the road after days without meeting she will rush to me and give me a hug. We also usually meet at the borehole with her grandmother and sisters and we share some light conversation filled with giggles and laughter. 

I recall, one particular day at the borehole, after I drew water and was heading home I heard her telling all the women gathered "awo mba sibweni bane" (he is my uncle). All the women laughed and agreed with her and said "enya nadi mba sibweni wako" (yes indeed he is your uncle). At that moment, I was filled with pride knowing that someone has welcomed my presence in her community and embraced me as a relative.

Going to settle in new places is always hard but having people embrace your presence in their lives with joy, love and warmth makes a stay worthwhile. This is making me grow more confident every day that my service is worthwhile and that it will be a success. 

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Mr. Chiukepo Mwenechanya
 
It all started as a rumour and others joked about it. Well, reality has caught up with Malawi. Those were some of my thoughts as I played over and over a video clip circulating on social media from the presidential press briefing on the three Coronavirus cases in Lilongwe, Malawi. Until the 2nd of April 2020, Malawi had no confirmed cases of Coronavirus. Even though others argued that maybe we didn't have the capacity to detect cases but it still stood, no cases. As of 2 April 2020, Coronavirus has affected over 896,450 people with 45,526 deaths worldwide in just four months (WHO, Situation Report #73). These numbers are expected to rise exponentially if we do not take part in sharing and adhering to coronavirus preventive measures. 

Coronavirus is not news across the globe, at least I thought but I was surprised to learn at my first Coronavirus awareness meeting in my community that other people did not know of its existence. Out of 39 attendees, only four were familiar with the name...I mean just the name Coronavirus. I paused for a second trying to take in that hard fact. I knew that there was a lot said about the virus in the media and I thought again, maybe they got the question wrong. I hoped at least everyone did listen to the radio and own a smartphone with WhatsApp, but I was wrong. Not even half of the attendees listen to radio and over three quarters of the people had no phones. At that point, I bet some of the attendees noticed the worries and fear in me.

I had questions to which the answers did drain the life out of me. Is Malawi ready to handle the virus? Are Malawians ready to follow Coronavirus preventive measures? Will my community be able to protect itself from the outbreak? My fear worsened when I recalled the many illegal migration patterns between my community and South Africa where they already had confirmed Coronavirus cases. Some senses hit me at the end and I asked myself another set of questions. Whose responsibility is it to sensitize our communities about Coronavirus? We call ourselves agents of change while our communities are still in the dark about the deadly virus, which experts have assured us that it can be contained with a little nudge of information. This made me think about those rural communities where there are no CorpsAfrica Volunteers and with communication blackouts. Who are we waiting for to save our communities from the virus? Does it require someone to be a professional health worker to share this important information on Coronavirus? We are part of these communities and it is our responsibility to help and equip our communities with necessary knowledge on how to prevent Coronavirus. Yes, we can serve our communities and save lives.

I do believe I have played my part and I will continue working with my community to make sure that everyone has the right information and is a part of the preventive mechanism. After several Coronavirus awareness meetings with my community, I am happy with how my community has responded to the outbreak. It is now a subject of talk in the streets, homes and market places. Some community members visit my place to seek information. These days I no longer organize Coronavirus awareness meetings, rather I am called to community meetings organised by community leaders in various villages to share information on Coronavirus. Interesting as it sounds, but some community members have even started to think that maybe I have worked as a health worker before. People are expressing fear and discomfort giving handshakes, they are making estimations about their distance apart when talking and encouraging each other to wash hands with soap. I do believe that sharing this vital information is key in preventing the spread of Coronavirus. I do not think it will cost us anything to share with our friends, loved ones and community members on how to prevent the coronavirus. Trust me we can save many lives in our communities.

https://www.corpsafrica.org/coronavirus-awareness.html (link to the results of the first ever CorpsAfrica Coronavirus Awareness Campaign done by its Volunteers)

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Ms. Dorothy Mapira

Many are the times that we feel like we can do it on our own. We rarely give a listening ear to those that we see as inferior to us. We think they cannot contribute positively to what we are doing; perhaps we feel we are better off without them. This mindset is what has killed most of our work, it has dragged us down to a place where we wish we should not have done what we did. Of course, just a few would think through their failures and find ways of bailing themselves out. Sometimes letting go of our ego to achieve a common goal will be more worth it. 

Like the saying goes, ‘if you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.’ Maybe sometimes the reason we are so strict and reserved to work alone is the fact that we want to do things faster. The question might be, how far can we go if we want to do things faster. I am not saying we can't always do things on our own, but there are some things that require added effort. One of those things is development work. You really need to join hands to achieve this and more still if you are working in a community.

A word that matters most in working with the community is the word engagement. Sally Hassey has defined community engagement as based on the democratic idea that everyone who is affected by an issue that affects his or her community should have a say in the decision-making around it. This has a long impact on whatever project implemented in the community because it ensures sustainability.

You cannot certainly work in the community without engaging the people, if you want your work to be acceptable and received by all, engage them. Let them see the importance of whatever work is to happen in the community and they will surely own it. Most of the time we have missed the importance of involving the community in our projects, we think we can always impose things on them as if they cannot think on their own. Most importantly, we have to know that we are not permanent residents in the communities and we might not fully know what they really need in their community. Perhaps we might object to say that we did a survey before doing what we did, but what if the survey was a top-down approach that did not even center on the people themselves.
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Development requires efforts, and better still requires mindset change. If only we could value the people in the village and work with them in identifying the most important development projects with them, we could have seen a better Malawi by now.

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Ms. Angella Chizimba

According to WHO/UNICEF (2012), period poverty refers to a lack of access to sanitary products due to financial constraints. Period poverty accordingly is a global issue affecting women and girls who do not have access to safe, hygienic sanitary products. According to unesco.org, in some cases women and girls have limited access, leading to prolonged use of the same pad, or improvising by using socks or T-shirts. Prolonged use of the same pad may cause infections. Period poverty affects women and girls across the world. Access to safe and hygienic sanitary products is essential for anyone who menstruates and it helps one to manage menstruation without shame. As a CorpsAfrica Volunteer, I have joined the world to end period poverty by training women and girls in NkhataBay to make their own hand sewn sanitary products. 

Periods are rarely something we look forward to every month. Painful, tiring and inconvenient, they are challenging to cope with. However, for most women and girls around the world, it is not the side effects but the bleeding itself that is the problem, something many of us take for granted. Period poverty is an obstacle for far too many women and girls who cannot afford basic sanitary pads to tide them over for the month. 

What do we do then? First of all, I am just a volunteer. I cannot distribute sanitary products to women and girls in my community. Teaching women and girls to make their own sanitary products is the option I have in order to help end period poverty. As a group, we can afford to purchase cheap absorbing materials and sew them by hand at no cost. 

In addition to having health benefits, making cloth sanitary products, helps in protecting the environment. The amount of disposable pads that go into the land everyday harms the environment. These disposable pads take long time to decompose. In fighting period poverty, we also want to protect the environment.

Cloth pads are more eco-friendly and they have a high absorbent layer that can hold about 40ml of liquid. With the global effort to go to menstrual cups, these cloth pads work well with menstrual cups, just in case one might be afraid of a leak. Most importantly, they are very cost effective and very easy to make.

"Now I can easily run around and play netball at school without worrying about leaving a stain" (This was a girl's feedback after using the more absorbent cloth pads.)         
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What I am trying to teach women and girls is that making cloth pads can be cheaper than struggling to buy Disposable pads on a monthly basis or using some old rugs. If we have to end period poverty, women and girls have to stand on their own by simply learning the skill. If they get the skill, they can make pads on their own and that knowledge will be passed on to their children.
No child should skip school during menstruation. No woman or girl should use the same pad for more than six hours. No woman or girl should experience Period Poverty.

Written By Corpsafrica/Malawi Volunteer Eliza Chanika
 
Coronavirus has hit the world with approximately millions of people infected, thousands dead and hundreds of new cases daily. People are living in fear with schools, markets and churches closed. Mobility is restricted unless you are in the category of those permitted, like health workers, fire fighters or the police. People are desperate, scared and afraid of the virus. Just few days ago, the President of Malawi issued a 21-day lockdown to try to control the spread and maybe it will not hit Malawi hard. Markets now are busy places with everyone running up and down trying to get enough food for his family in preparation for the lockdown coming in few days.

The virus has indeed disturbed our daily routines and soon it will shake our economy. My community is among the affected. Every now and then I see people running up and down, discussing the virus, sharing their fears, worries and concerns. One day, as I was seated under the mango tree, one of the students I was teaching at the local community day secondary school passed by. We had a conversation and it was like this:

"Will schools open again? Will we be able to play football again and engage in our club ?" 
"Yes soon, as long as we control the spread maybe the cure will be known soon."

He is not the first nor the last to ask questions about the virus and I believe his questions were from deep down.
"How can we keep our community safe? What can we do to reduce the spread?" A young  lady spoke up,commenting on the conversation we were having. "We can do something as a community, we can change things." She proposed that we meet. 

That was the beginning of the Girl's Club. We established the club to help our community to raise awareness on the information of the virus. We decided to take an initiative and do a door-to-door awareness campaign. Asking people to keep social distance and avoid crowded places, to always wash their hands with soap or ashes and always stay safe. Encouraging good sanitation and hygiene wherever they go. Now my community has adopted the new culture to fight against the  virus. The prevention guidelines are now songs in my community, day in and day out.
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In addition to that, as a club we also tackle issues that affect our daily lives as girls. How to achieve academic excellence, career guidance, entrepreneurship, sexual reproduction including HIV and AIDS, proper morals in relation to our culture,  and we also do special games to keep our bodies in good physical shape.

We are in our community and as a girls club we will continue to stand against the virus. I must say indeed one hand can pull ten but two hands can pull twenty. My community is being pulled out by the decisions made by a few and we will continue to fight against the virus till the end.

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer MARGARET MAGOMBO
 
Going through the villages now it’s no longer green in the fields, its brown, and it's harvest season. This is a period where the farmer is expected to smile after investing everything. 80 percent of Malawians live in rural areas and sorely depend on subsistence farming, which is largely dominated by food crops. Unfortunately, the food doesn’t  even last the whole year as expected due to several factors that include poor farming practices and inputs, post-harvest losses due to poor storage and handling of produce, and the worst part, selling of the very few harvest at exploitative prices. So I spared some time to interact with the farmers. I joined Naliyela a very hardworking lady, at her farm and helped with harvesting whilst sparking conversations.

Naliyela (not her real name) together with her daughters and her grandchildren work tirelessly to gather their harvest. Naliyela is 61 years old and has nine children and 39 grandchildren. She depends on agriculture for survival like the rest of 80 percent of Malawians. This year she planted maize, groundnuts and rice. As I offered to help her, the family was happy and curious of my generosity. One of Naliyela's daughters recognized me and welcomed me with a warm greeting. "Takulandilani alangizi," which means you are most welcome our advisor. She then introduced me to the rest of the family members before I could introduce myself. Finally, I was part of the family. Although this year Malawi has registered high yields, that’s not the case with Naliyera and her community. The area received a lot of rain, which flooded the farms and it affected the crops and yield not sparing Naliyera who solely depends on farming.

Through our conversation, it was clear that Naliyera's family was determined to achieve food security. She disclosed how harvest seasons makes her nervous and on edge as yields tend to foretell coming misery. She further added her fear of keeping safe the little yields harvested. The case of Naliyera's family is identical to many others in the area. Food security seems to be a battle that seems tough to be won. Despite natural conditions that affect food production, it was very clear in our conversations that members in the area are doing their best in order to achieve food security.

They do have a greater role to play to have food throughout the year. Crop diversification, irrigation farming and economical management of food resources are within their reach.What they need is support in expertise and simple farming technologies. From my observation, most families have enough food to last them to the next harvest season, only that poor management and economic constraints make it difficult for the harvest to last a year. Look at this scenario, Naliyera has four grandchildren whom she must pay school fees for. With agriculture being her only means of income, each year she is forced to sell her farm produce to raise money for the school fees. Because of the exploitative nature of the produce market, especially towards local farmers, she gets low prices for her produce and has to sell a lot of it to raise enough money. Naliyera is amongst the 1 million plus Malawians who end up staving or in need of food rations despite the outcome of the previous harvest. This is a terrible vicious circle that needs to be tamed if the country is to achieve social economic development. Through our conversation, I managed to bring some insight and brainstormed some ideas on how she can maintain enough food for her family whilst supporting her grandchildren’s education. 
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Some of the solutions stressed included agricultural diversification, animal husbandry especially goat farming, joining village servings groups and running a small-scale businesses amongst others, which would set as an alternative source of income to finance the education of her grandchildren whose futures depends on education if we are to entirely cut off this poverty circle in this country.

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Ms. Bertha Mukhuna

"The trouble with the world is not that people know too little; it's that they know so many things that just aren't so."       -- Mark Twain

This quote has been on my mind from the day that I conducted a Coronavirus Sensitization Meeting in my community on March 6th. I couldn't help but notice how misinformation and lack of information has had a very bad effect on people, especially in my community. The sensitization meeting had a session where I asked the people whether they have a good understanding of the facts, risks and guidance on COVID-19; where they were getting information; and how they were preparing themselves to prevent the virus. The people were then given an opportunity to ask questions about the pandemic. I was shocked by the myths and misconceptions about the virus that were outlined during the discussion. Some of them are even noticeable on social media platforms.

I would like to share with you some of the myths and misconceptions about COVID-19.  

1.    You can get coronavirus from traditional pets. FALSE. There have been rumors of coronavirus outbreak being linked to specific animals but there is no evidence to suggest that traditional pets like cats and dogs can be infected and spread COVID-19.

2.    COVID-19 only affects older people and black people are immune to the virus. FALSE. There have been cases of people from all races and all ages that have tested positive for the virus. Everyone should take steps to protect themselves from the virus by following good hand and respiratory hygiene.

3.    COVID-19 is a man-made virus, an act of terrorism. FALSE. I remember a certain lady during the meeting commented that "zopanga anthu a sayansi zimenezo angofuna atiphe"  (the virus has been created by scientists, they want to kill us). However, there is no evidence to support this notion.

Knowing how to spot misinformation is a very essential skill that everyone should have, especially in this time of crisis. Here are a few hints to help: 

• Always consider the source where you are getting information from, be it from people, internet or radio. 
• Check with at least two legitimate and trustworthy sources.Make sure they they have the same imfomatiom and remember to check the dates when the information was published. 
• For people who do not have access to the internet or the media, always consult your medical personnel about COVID-19 for up-to-date and correct information. 
  
  

Remember, misinformation is like a virus. Until next time, be safe. 

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Ms. Margaret Chavula (March 2020)

"If you have to put someone on a pedestal, put teachers. They are society's heroes."
                                                                                                                       -- Guy Kawasaki

To compliment my service as a CorpsAfrica Volunteer in my site, I volunteered to teach at a nearby primary school after I had noticed that the school had a shortage of teachers. The Head teacher gladly welcomed the offer because it was going to ease the burden that teachers had of switching classes to accommodate the class that did not have a teacher. I was assigned to teach in standard 2 since that was the class that did not have a teacher. I was excited that I will be exploring a new experience, as a teacher. I kept telling myself that teaching shouldn't be as hard, especially teaching little kids. I was in for a surprise.

My first day at the school was very easy, I was told to observe and learn from other teachers as they taught. From what I had seen, I was convinced teaching was very simple and believed I would manage the class perfectly. On the second day at the school, I was left to teach. My first day as a teacher was not as exciting or easy as I had imagined, this day can be recorded as one of the longest days I have experienced. I got tired during the first period, explaining things to kids who seemed not to understand what I was saying to them, was tough work. Controlling the noise and ensuring everyone was paying attention was tiring. Marking a class of over a hundred pupils was overwhelming. I couldn't wait for the pupils to knock off. As the days went by, with similar experiences, I remembered how I underrated the work of primary school teachers and teachers in general. I never understood what they went through to get one to grasp the concepts in class, or to attend to each and everyone's work and challenges. But with the little experience I have had as a teacher, I regret ever thinking teaching is simple. Teachers are special, they have shaped all the professions building our societies. But, not everyone can be a teacher.

With time, I convinced myself to stop concentrating on the challenges I faced as an inexperienced teacher, but rather find ways that would simplify my work and make it enjoyable. I began to involve the pupils more during the lessons, this made the pupils believe that their opinions and thoughts were just as important. They enjoy participating in classroom activities. I also discussed with the pupils to come up with rules and regulations that everyone was to follow to ensure that there's order in class and that the class is kept tidy, which they gladly did. I now look forward to the next class, the lessons are quieter and more interesting.

I know I am making an impact in these kids' lives, most of them can now read and write. They now have a changed attitude towards school,  because they enjoy our lessons. However,  one thing that will always be true is that "teachers are society's heroes."

By CorpsAfrica/Rwanda Volunteer Mr. Justin NKUNZIMANA 

“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honourable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” Those words from Ralph Waldo Emerson kept revolving into my head since the COVID-19 pandemic first case registered in my country. It is a very serious issue the whole world is suffering from nowadays. To avoid it from coming into our rural area, community members have started adhering to guidelines that would help them such as avoiding handshaking, but some of them didn’t clearly understand the need to follow the guidelines by MOH and WHO. They thought it was rude to pass by your friend and not shake his or her hand. But as time goes, and after many meetings facilitated by the local leader and myself, the community has come to understand the seriousness of COVID-19 pandemic. From the many awareness meeting I conducted, the community is now adhering to frequent hands washings.

Now the most difficult hurdle was making them see reasons as to why they should find ways to wash their hands as often as possible even while many of them spend time in the main centers where they had no access to water. Many had agreed to wash their hands but only when they reach their homes late in the evenings. I had to think fast, I saw the danger my community was in. I had to take action. I and my colleagues, reported this to the country office and a day after, we were grateful because CorpsAfrica furnished each one of us with washing stations called Tippy-taps, locally known as Kandagira-Ukarabe.  The community was so happy because they didn’t think that we would provide them a day after we promised them. In many community members’ words: “CorpsAfrica people are very caring and thoughtful. They are like a mother taking care of her family.”…

The other thing that shocked them was that CorpsAfrica Volunteers were still in sites while Peace Corps volunteers have left and went back to their families since the outbreak. They have realized that our staying with them is helping them and has a big impact in their lives. They say we are their friends even in the hard times. This hardship has created an unbreakable bond between us and our communities. And this would not have been possible without CorpsAfrica CEO’s clear vision, without CorpsAfrica/Rwanda's leadership, and without the funds from OCP. We are very grateful for making it possible for us to serve and to give our contribution to our society.

Let me be specific and detailed about the day, I delivered the washing machine in the community. It was on Thursday around 2 PM and the community members were waiting to receive washing stations, Tippy-taps, as they were promised. When they finally were installed, I do not know how to explain the emotions I saw on their face. They all lined up to wash hands properly but they were so many on queues. Being a poor community, they were not capable of buying one. 
The community was so impressed with such heartfelt activity and they pledged to wash hands frequently and to help spread that message to the neighbor who didn’t manage to be present.
 
Today, in our community, everything changed. Everybody knows about coronavirus, the symptoms, what to do in case one has the symptoms, what to do to prevent it or to protect others. But sometimes the community shows worries about the pandemic. Despite the fear, they make sure to only get info about the virus from me or the local leaders to avoid rumors or wrong info. I like that about my community.   

Written by CorpsAfrica/Rwanda Volunteer Ms. Cecile Niyimenya
Western Province, Ngororero District

At the beginning of coronavirus, the community was not ready to follow the government instructions generally due to the lack of information about the pandemic magnitude, but from the time CorpsAfrica Volunteers started working hand-in-hand with the local leaders, things changed for the good. We mobilized all the community members and shared government guidelines that should be followed in order to protect themselves about the virus. They started to follow some of the guidelines little by little, and kept their ears next to radios for announcements and news about corona. The community now knows and understands that things are serious. I feel proud to have been part of this.

Seeing community members mobilized and abiding by the guidelines brings so much satisfaction that money cannot bring. Very grateful to CorpsAfrica for providing us with washing tools that are now being used by our communities. They wash their hands frequently with soap, they are now doing social distancing and avoid handshakes, just to name a few. I and my colleagues have positively impacted the community members by calling and reminding them to follow the guidelines if they want to see this pandemic end in our country. I feel proud and useful. Thank you OCP. Thank you CorpsAfrica. We are on the road to beating this up and together, we shall.

The "Tippy-tap" washing tools being used to wash hands without touching the water tap were placed at the entrance of the market where a lot of people pass. There is an official near the entrance reminding people to first clean their hands before entering the market. The population where I serve is so happy to see that CorpsAfrica didn’t leave the sites during the trying times. Being young, they thought we would run away to be with our families. We told them, that they are our family for this year of service and that nothing will take us away from them. Us staying with them made them love and trust us even more. It has also nurtured a good collaboration with local leaders as they very much appreciated our helping hands.

There is no doubt our vision and mission is a noble cause. Our little acts of selflessness play a major role in saving thousands of people. This is something I will definitely continue to do my entire life. The respect and love we receive in return is unmeasurable. The recognition we get from the local is also another big motivation. It drives me and my colleagues to do even more actions of kindness.  Because the impact is great. We see it. Our people see it.  I am always ready to give my all so that my community stay safe and healthy. That a picture of us at the entrance of the Birembo market, close to the washing tool donated by CorpsAfrica.

Written by CorpsAfrica/Rwanda Volunteer Mr. ISAAC NDENGEJEHO
in Eastern-Kayonza District

Martin Luther King Junior once said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, what are you doing for others?” This famous quote has been occupying my thoughts during this period in which a declared pandemic of COVID19 is strongly hitting the whole world, including Rwanda.

Looking back to the situation before the outbreak of COVID19, as volunteers across the country, we used to plan for and carry out different activities on a weekly basis. Among others especially in my community, we used to build kitchen gardens. Calling them kitchen gardens in Rwandan context, it is not because they are gardens into which we grow different flowers as other common gardens we see everywhere, but small garden designed to produce vegetables for families. We have been also building latrines for some families that did not have proper ones or none at all.

Even though we are not currently working together as community organization on weekly activities due to COVID19, there is still hope that the situation will be better and we will keep answering life’s  most persistent and urgent question. 

However being most persistent and urgent question, even in times of troubles like this of COVID19, the question is still there and will always be here and everywhere in the world. 

Serving, as a volunteer has been my best way of answering part of this question. No matter how far I still have to go; during this period of COVID19 I managed to inform people in my community about the coronavirus, how it spreads, and all possible measures that should be taken to prevent its spread. This has been discussed about just few days if not hours before our country confirms the first case of COVID19 on its territory. 

I have realized that, whenever the country has not yet confirmed first case(s) of a declared to be pandemic disease, people still cannot believe what is happening in other countries. For example in my rural community, two days before the confirmation of first case on Rwandan territory, people in this remote area thought that the disease has specific countries it goes to. Their minds started to change after fruitful discussions I had with them about the disease and by then they are aware of what is happening and they are following instructions given by Rwandan healthy officials including washing hands frequently, despite difficulties they are facing in finding necessary facilities like enough clean water, soaps and other materials like clean buckets. 

At this point after identifying difficulties in washing hands frequently, CorpsAfrica donated a hand washing material for each site to help community members adhere to the prevention mechanisms advised by the government. But the few washing stations provided are still too few. However, this is not still the main challenge in my community; the country is now locked down i.e. people are asked to stay in house except they go to buy food stuff or emergency reason.  

As the DALAI LAMA said, “Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humans cannot survive.” This is the time to show love to people who are mostly affected, I am not ignoring the fact that COVID19 is a very world pandemic disease and everybody around the globe is in dilemma. However, let us think about what we can do for others, no matter how small, cheap or expensive, local or international, wherever everybody is and whatever he is able to do for others; this is the right time for him to reach out to these people around the world with empty hands and do something for their survival. I am happy to live in a country that has the people's lives at heart. From yesterday, the government started giving out food to the most vulnerable people in the country who otherwise get food from their daily work. I am happy many Rwandans are organizing in communities a food bank to support the government initiative. 

Due to COVID19 hope is almost gone. Fear is entering every heart. Moreover, it is becoming a big issue for activists and all of us humanitarians to restore hope in this time. We are doing all we can, despite our own fears, to create a climate of hope within our communities. 

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Ms. Mieke MMeya
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"We are our brother's keeper. It's going to be up to all of us." -- Paula Deen

Dear Reader,

A lot has happened since my last blog but one thing that has eclipsed all the other is the outbreak of the coronavirus. Although there have been no confirmed cases in Malawi, the government has put in place measures to control an outbreak in the country, including closing of all schools and banning public gatherings of more than 100 people. All over the world people are being encouraged to practice social distancing, self-isolation and to quarantine themselves in order to avoid catching or spreading the virus.

In the weeks before the President of Malawi declared that the country was in a state of national disaster, people in my community talked about the disease and joked about how the restrictions on human contact were going to be difficult because, for them, handshakes are the best way to greet and show love to others. The idea of isolating yourself when you or someone close to you is infected sounded strange because one unwritten rule of being in a community demands that we should be there for someone especially when they are sick, to nurture them back to health. 

Through the joint effort of government, media houses, health personnel and myself, people in my community are being sensitized every day of the threat of the virus and on ways they can follow to protect themselves. Everyone who receives this message is charged with the responsibility to take the message to others who have not yet received or understood the importance of the message.

People are slowly adapting to the new habits of hygiene and interaction. Every day I meet people who start to greet me with a handshake but they stop their hands in mid-air, then apologize, and remind me that they cannot shake my hand due to the threat of coronavirus. They do not only do this with me but also with others and we laugh about it. We laugh not because we are not taking the issue seriously but because laughter is making adjusting easier. In the face of such a great threat, we use laughter to communicate our fears and express our hopes. We laugh to remind each other that we are in this together. 

Before I close, my beloved reader, I would like to remind you to wash your hands with soap frequently, to practice good hygiene, to cook your meat thoroughly, to avoid unnecessary human contact, and to make sure you get information about the virus from reliable sources. Above all, rush to the hospital when you start experiencing cold and flu like symptoms. Remember that It is not coronavirus unless diagnosed by qualified medical personnel. 

Until next time.

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Ms. Dorothy Mapira

Just like any other person who is commissioned to do some work, "So help me God," becomes their most favourable phrase. Thinking of the work ahead, one would really say these words as we did on that beautiful night when we took the oath to serve the people in rural communities. The training and all the lessons we learnt will now yield into something tangible and productive. I embarked on an individual journey to my site. Early on 8 February 2020, I left home to a journey of change, learning and of a new experience in life. It was a journey of leaving my comfort zone to something new that I believe would give me a sense of accomplishment in life. Having travelled for almost five hours from Lilongwe, I arrived at my site.

Mzimba South, down in the north region is where I am based. An area surrounded by rivers at both ends, they popularly call it an island. You can hardly see vehicles and if you are lucky, you can see one once in a month when there is an under five clinic. Darkness at night is undeniable as there is no electricity, and for those who can afford, solar power is an alternative. There is no running water; boreholes are the source of clean water. Having grown up in town where I am not used to carry water on my head, people laugh at how I carry a bucket of water, probably they know the reason why, but I find pleasure in doing so. Since they are of Ngoni culture, rearing animals such as cattle, goats, pigs and chicken is their identity. 
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I love my community, the people are friendly, and there is a lot to be desired and a lot to work on. One cannot certainly work in all the villages at once, but one village at a time. I believe everyone has a responsibility to change something, and so do I. The change you can bring in the rural desolate area cannot be underrated. I believe that my stay here will serve the intended purpose and bring about the change that is required. My first month in the community was meant for my integration, and learning more from and about the community. I have made friends, both young and old. Looking forward to sharing more experiences as I continue with this journey to influence change in my community.

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Mr. Chifundo Chibaka

A week after arriving at my site I started preparing my own meals. The most prominent economic activity here is agriculture and almost all the community members are involved in both crop production and rearing livestock. This makes it easy for people to have access to cheap foodstuffs.
Days after I started cooking, I began noticing something unusual in my house. After cooking, food and leftovers would disappear without a trace. This happened three nights in a row and I was getting very concerned. I could not find an explanation to it. I tried not to think about it and a couple of times I tried to convince myself that I had eaten all of the food even though deep down I knew this was not so.

I remember one particular night when leftover pieces of meat disappeared from a plate right next to my bed. I woke up the morning of the next day just to realize that the meat was gone. I tried not to pay attention to it and I kept off any thoughts of the possibility of a ghost. I do not believe in ghosts and ghosts do not eat, do they? I went about my day, made tremendous strides in making new friends and connections within my site. 

After the day’s work, I returned home and as usual, I proceeded to make my dinner. After visiting some reliable online news sources for the latest political and social headlines, I retired to bed. About midnight I heard a loud bang coming from the kitchen. I rushed to the scene only to find a pot lid lying on the floor with nothing else in site. I was puzzled. I did not know what to make of this and I started getting really scared. I was convinced something sinister was happening and I was ready to report this to my host father and to my supervisor first thing in the morning. I decided to go back to sleep and I placed a heavy pot on top of the metal lid covering the pot containing the food. Sleep eluded me that night. My mind was racing, trying to comprehend the unexplainable things I was experiencing.

Few hours after the first bang, another banging sound came from the kitchen again. This time it was louder than the first. I dashed towards the kitchen but before I got there, I saw my host father’s black cat sneaking out of my house through the window.
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Low and behold the mystery was solved and I peacefully went back to sleep.

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Mr. Chiukepo Mwenechanya

For a start, I should admit I had a lot on my mind to share, but I could not miss the story of my first days of service with CorpsAfrica. After an intensive one month training, I started my service as a CorpsAfrica Volunteer in Mzimba, Malawi on the 8th of February 2020. I am not even a month old here but I have already fallen in love with this place. I cannot deny it, before I came to my site, I was filled with fears and worries on what to expect. New place, new people, what if they will be mean to me or what if they won’t accept me? These were some of the many questions which almost stopped my heartbeat before I came to my site. Only if I knew how humble and warm hearted my community is, I would not have troubled myself with such worries.

As strange as I looked in my first days, it felt like home.  My community’s native language is Tumbuka, my birth language and the culture is a bit similar to that of my home village. My community follows patrilineal system of marriage where men are considered superiors and heads of households. The people are predominately farmers with maize as their main food crop witnessed by the presence of vast fields of maize, which seems to stretch like forever. They also grow cassava, beans, groundnuts, Irish potato, onions and currently the community is investing a lot of time and resources in pine and cassia production for business. Most economic activities take place at the nearest trading centre where you can find almost all grocery items and foodstuffs. This similarity to my culture has made my integration so easy and smooth to the point  where community members even try to relate me to some of the Mwenechanya’s who lived in the community in the past.

My site has also a landscape of spectacular beauty that always makes me feel like I am in an evergreen natural park, offering me a natural relaxation spot with a calm and comfortable atmosphere. On its northside, the area is surrounded by a range of evergreen mountains and one of the largest forest reserves in Malawi called Perekezi, which also extends to the east side. I love every minute I spend in the forest as it always gives me space to think and plan for my activities. While in the forest, you can smell the wonderful aroma of flowers, and hear the bird’s beautiful songs that can relax you and almost put you to sleep.

The area also gives me a touch of community feel. I have spent almost all my youthful time in Malawi’s commercial city of Blantyre and I don’t even know all my neighbours but with the little time I have spent in here, I feel like I know everyone. Community members are always warm and welcoming; opening their homes to me. I should also admit that I have never been a fan of having food at peoples' or strangers’ houses but according to the culture and norm here, a visitor is never allowed to leave on an empty stomach, which I think is great and I love every moment of it. 

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Ms. Margret Balekire Chavula

"Sometimes it takes only one act of kindness and caring to change a person's life." -- Jackie Chan.
 
The idea of leaving my parents' house and getting settled in a new community as a CorpsAfrica Volunteer seemed exciting from afar. Finally! I will be setting up my own home away from home, I would often say. After months of anxiously waiting, I got the email saying I had been given the opportunity to be part of the long awaited adventure. I had been located to Balaka.

I was filled with excitement the very first days, as the idea of moving out and living on my own away from family seemed quite exciting (adulthood at last, I would say). However, as the days drew nearer, I realized that I was becoming more scared, since it was now beginning to sink in that I will actually be moving out in a few days time to a new community I have absolutely no idea of. I started asking myself many questions that had no answers. How will I survive in a community with people I barely know? How will I even get to the community I have never been to? Where do I start from as the only stranger in a community where everyone already knows each other? How will I blend in? Will I be accepted? 

One would expect that someone planning and anticipating a long journey should prepare well in advance. This was not the case with me, I dreaded each day that got closer. Nothing was packed yet and nothing was bought in readiness for my transfer to this new community. Then I remembered during pre-service training we were taught to "embrace uncertainty" and learn from experiences. That on its own gave me so much courage and motivation to go and face the new environment and community as it comes, and learn from whatever experiences I was going to find and create.

When I got to my site, however, I was surprised at how warm and welcoming my host family was. They have welcomed me warm-heartedly and have been treating me as their own. They have made sure I am comfortable and that I settle well in my new family, home and community. This is going to be my home away from home. I keep telling myself my fears and anxiety were for nothing because some people are naturally just kind. This has taught me to always be kind to people trying to settle in an environment I am already familiar with, one can never know the battles of fear and anxiety the new individual is dealing with. There is a popular saying that I like that says, "Kindness is free, sprinkle that stuff everywhere." An act of kindness can surely simplify someone’s life. I am confident that my stay and service as a CorpsAfrica Volunteer here in Balaka will be exciting, a great learning process and a journey to cherish because I have been surrounded by people that are loving and supportive. I am now very eager and excited to see how the rest of the journey unfolds.

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Ms. Angella Chizimba

Malawi is well known as the "Warm Heart of Africa" because of its inclusive and welcoming culture. Thanks to my host Mother, I learnt this Malawian spirit through greetings in Chitonga (a native language spoken in NkhataBay) the moment I arrived at my site. Greetings are an expression of people's kindness and every encounter here involves a warm welcome and an inquiry of one's wellbeing. Although I thought that I understood this concept before coming here, I was most definitely wrong. Nothing could have prepared me for the overwhelming warmth I have experienced here.

After arriving at my site, I was excited and terrified at the same time. For the first time I was going to be on my own at a new place. However, this move marked the first real time that I was going to live independently. In the Midst of my anxiety, I was lucky to meet my host mother, who made me feel at home. From the day I got to my site, she told me, "Don't worry about language, you will learn." I was not too sure then because I had no idea of how I would learn a new language and ease my communication with people, but hearing her say those words encouraged me to try my best.

My first day in the community, I took a walk in the beautiful streets of the community with my host mother. The people we met greeted us with "Mweuli Ama" or "Timuoneni Ama" (meaning ‘how are you?’ in chitonga). Since my host mother had already introduced me to the greeting etiquette, I was able to scramble myself into the beautiful "Yeo Mweuli" / or "teumampha Kwali imwe".... (meaning "I am good and how are you?") almost everyone I met screamed oh! niwachewa kodi?(meaning "Is she a Chewa?") We laughed it out. My accent said it all; I was not of their tribe. 

It is very rare to walk 10 feet without being greeted by someone here. Greetings are a representation of respect and recognition. After a week in the community, people were eager to know if I have mastered the greeting and they listened with keen interest. The smiles on people's faces as I respond to their greetings are priceless. It tells me a lot of what it means to learn someone’s language or at least just a greeting. 

I have learnt that the most important part about greetings is to do them anyway, errors can be forgiven, but it is always discourteous not to recognise the people you meet. It is an act of rudeness. Greetings set a positive tone, create a good first impression and build a good relationship with people. Language should not be a barrier, try whatever possible to learn a new language.

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Mr. Chifundo Chibaka

After a long wait, the interview results were finally out. I had made it into the 4th cohort of CorpsAfrica/Malawi trainees. This was my second attempt to join CorpsAfrica and I was overjoyed to join CorpsAfrica in this cohort.

I remember for the first time meeting my fellow trainees and discussing at length our expectations, fears and past experiences of former volunteers. These discussions helped me realize the great courage we were undertaking by leaving the comfort and the luxuries of city life and settling in high poverty communities. I was also excited by the new arrangement of us being hosted by the community instead of being within the training premises.

Later I was deployed to my host families together with two other trainees. The monthlong stay in the community helped me further lower my expectations of what I will face in my community. I was taken on a learning journey of how life in rural areas is and how the people have grown to adapt and live.

During the stay most of my time was spent in training sessions and I retired back to my new home in the evening. The sessions were designed to equip trainees with skills and knowledge on how we can effectively integrate into the community and work together with the local people. The sessions were also designed to reflect and share expectations, experiences and realities of life as a CorpsAfrica Volunteer. We also had a panel of former CorpsAfrica Volunteers who shared their experiences. They helped paint a clear picture of what I should expect and the nature of work I am venturing into. They also shared tips on how to make a transition from a city life to a village life and how best we can deal with the challenges we were likely to face during our service.

The Development Partners also came and made their presentations on the nature of the work they are doing in various districts. We had representatives from  Save the Children, Zathu, The Hunger Projects, Advancing Girls Education (AGEAfrica), Opportunity International and many others. They took time and explained their projects and how CorpsAfrica Volunteers can collaborate with them.

The Malawi Red Cross Society and Never Ending Food also trained us in First Aid administration and Permaculture respectively. I really loved the skill sets I acquired because they will be very useful even when I have completed my service.

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Ms. Mieke Mmeye
 
Dear Reader, 

Have you ever heard people say that life in rural communities is easy? Or that people in rural communities are lazy? I have heard this countless times. 

I am doing my volunteer service in a community in Dedza district (Malawi). Here you really get to witness how agriculture is the driving force of the economy as people sustain their livelihoods through it. I came into my community at a time when the country was experiencing serious food shortage and honestly, I was worried about my host family being able to feed an extra mouth, and if I could be able to afford food once I become independent. To the contrary, the situation I met here was however different. A majority of the households I have visited are not on the verge of starvation. Here is why. Aside from rain-fed farming, many people practice irrigation farming. During the dry season, people cultivate a range of crops including Irish potatoes, maize, soya bean, tomatoes and beans in their gardens under irrigation. Produce from the irrigation farming sustains them during the period of food shortage and as they wait to harvest their rain-fed crops. They also sell part of the produce in order to improve their livelihoods. The beautiful thing about all of this is that those who do not have irrigation land are not at as big a disadvantage because they are also able to sustain themselves from other people's produce through piecework. It is however, not as easy as it sounds. Every year there are things that threaten their crop production, including crop diseases, pests and unpredictable weather conditions. Last year, for example, uneven rainfall ruined the field crops. However, despite the challenges they persist and labour to be food secure and to improve their livelihoods.  
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So, dear reader, next time someone tells you that life in the rural community is easy and that people in rural communities are lazy,  tell him or her that you have heard that people in rural communities work hard and tirelessly throughout the year to put food on their tables. Tell him or her that you have heard that people in rural communities are big time entrepreneurs, employers and risk takers.

Written by CorpsAfrica/Rwanda Volunteers MIGAMBI Jean and RURANGWA Alexander
 
Cyungo, Mukaka and Kariha villages are remote areas in Ngororero district where their populations’ daily activity is subsistence agriculture and to a small extent rearing of domestic animals like cows, pigs, goats, etc.  This community lives below the poverty line and also they don’t have enough food supply as a result of infertile soils caused by the terrain of their area. The topography of this district is mountainous and there is a lot of soil erosion during the rainy season. 
As CorpsAfrica Volunteers based in Ngororero District Kageyo Sector, Kageshi Cell, Cyungo, Mukaka, Kariha sites, we have reached there at the end of November after one month of training in KIGALI where we have learnt many things regarding how to help communities using CorpsAfrica approaches, which are ABCD and HCD and other basic knowledge such as how we could live in the villages. 
 
After reaching the sites we went to live with our host family where we spent two weeks helping them in daily activities such cooking, going to fetch water, cultivating, attending parties like weddings and other daily activities.
 
When we were at our host family, we attended Community Meetings (Inteko y'Abaturage) led by different local leaders like Executive Sector, Executive Cell and local leaders of our sites. We made our presentation to tell the community what we came to do and most of them were happy to see us.

At our host family we visited different sites, looking at different areas, meeting different people and chatting with them, helping them in their activities. We have attended also the dowry wedding of our host family and we shared food, drinks with the community we met at the event.

We met also with learners and other young people who don't study and we conversed on school drop-out. We gave them advice to make efforts in their studies, also those who are not at school try to return to school. We also played with kids in the street in the center where many people were happy to see us enjoying with those young people. We also tried to look for a house for rent as it was hard to get it. Finally we got it and we made it clean so that we can live in a good house.
After getting our own house, we have started visiting our communities and helping them to do different activities such as cultivating, cooking, harvesting different crops like Irish potatoes, tea.
 
We visited different families trying to make our presentation to those who don’t attend meetings and trying to converse about their daily life in order to know exactly their problems and try to give them different advice on how to overcome those issues if we work together. 
 
We also set a day where every week we meet the community in a weekly meeting in order to conduct different activities and share different ideas in what we are going to do together.
In meeting the community, we have done mapping in order to know exactly their assets, what they want, their problems and what are their priorities.
 
                   SOME ACTIVITIES WE HAVE DONE IN THE COMMUNITIES

• We have helped the community to build ten Kitchen Gardens and we are still building others.
• We have helped the community to build toilets and we are still doing it
• We have attended many community works such as helping the community to build the houses.
• We have attended a football competition called “UMURENGE KAGAME CUP” and we have played
• We have created savings groups in our community and they have started
• We have elected leaders of our community according to CorpsAfrica Project
• We have helped our communities in their daily activities such as harvesting crops

 
SOME PHOTOS OF THE ACTIVITIES DONE:

Written by CorpsAfrica/Rwanda Volunteer Mr. Isaac NDENGEJEHO
 
William Green once said, “I feel like I have a new life and I am going to take full advantage of it.” Even though it is William Green who said the above statement, it reflects how I felt the first day in my community. Prior to joining CorpsAfrica pre-service training, I though that nothing would be different in my country as long as we speak the same language, despite the fact that I studied geography at university and high school. 

My journey with CorpsAfrica has been amazing since day one up to date. Not because I am getting too much money from it, not because I am living in a skyscraper, not because any other thing else apart from how I feel when I am interacting with people in my community and how committed they are becoming in all activities undertaken towards their own well-being. 

Looking back to the beginning of the journey, none of my colleagues has ever believed that I will do another thing beyond teaching as it was my profession at university and they knew how much I was good at it. Nevertheless, I have come to realize that what people praised me to be good at was not only what would make me feel energized, satisfied and proud at all. Serving people in remote area of eastern province of my country is making me feel like I should have studied volunteerism as an option in school.  Just because it is an interesting journey that I wish every young African would undertake.

About new life, it was on 30 NOVEMBER 2019 when we concluded our pre-service training and departed to our sites that kept secret until the last day of training but mine ended up being a GIHINGA cell located in KAYONZA district eastern province of Rwanda. 

Spending four weeks in training equipped us with much theoretical and some practical packages about life in the community but after joining my particular community there was some special and different features that are not commonly found elsewhere.

Written by CorpsAfrica/Rwanda Volunteer Ms. Anny Benilde UWONKUNDA

There is no better exercise for your heart, than reaching down and helping to lift someone up.     
                                                                                                                         -- Bernard Meltzer

It was really a good day but a bit challenging as I was thinking about the site that I would be deployed. Despite the moments of learning and enjoying everything within PST (Pre-Service Training) where I had learnt different new important things, acquired new skills, meeting new friends and new experience as well. I really love the life we spent in PST with my colleagues through sharing ideas, life; I felt like we could keep staying together all the time although we had to prepare for being deployed to our respective sites. Sincerely speaking, "saying bye" was not easy to separate from my follow Volunteers and heading to my site at Bugesera District-Nyakayenzi Site due to the bond of friendship that have been built.

Since day one reaching my community it was a new experience and new lessons to learn, with significant help and skills acquired from PST. Staying with a host family was much safer and easier due to love, the way host parents welcomed me. I wished and felt like I could have that experience before; without being worried of where I should start to engage in domestic and integration activities. I find myself feeling at home in doing everything as part of the family however, host mother kept avoiding me from doing domestic activities and I was like no mom I have to but as days went on I fully get engaged.
 
After two weeks within host family I moved out and get installed in my  house within my community  as I  started integrating different activities together with my community.  It was a good experience and what I love most is how people feel for me. Most of them were asking how possible one can came in the remote areas live the same life, engaging with them daily; this is something that really touched my heart too much and made me realize that "love and kindness are never wasted, they always make a difference, they bless the one who receives them and they bless you as the giver.”

Another thing that took my attention most of community members were really in need of someone to talk to and listen to them. It made me realize door-to-door visiting has made significant impact to community psychology. I always engage in every activity that is organized within community. This helps strengthen trust and enables the community to be a conducive environment to work in. We always visited each other, which improves my level of confidence, empathy, my public speaking as way of communication, teamwork and I learn a lot from them.

I have even made new friends from my community and really helped so much at the time of being bored. These kids visited me like every day as we play together and life goes on, which really makes me happier, feel inclusive and alive.

So far life is good with my community and I am really thankful for the progress that is being made through finding solutions from grassroots and letting the community design the kind of development that is better for it by engaging in different activities together intended to help our fellow members. This is the joyful moment because everything we do keeps us together and leads to purpose.

As the saying goes, “Volunteers do not necessarily have time, they just have the heart; you make a living by what you get and you make a life by what you give.”

The most powerful thing that I observed within remote areas is that people have different gifts and talents even are really committed. It is a great opportunity for me to learn new things and meet people with different behaviors, expanding my perspective and becoming a part of a whole new community, that’s why I am still learning!!
 
“A person’s most useful asset is not a head full of knowledge, but a heart full of love, an ear ready to listen, and a hand willing to help others.”

By Sarah Kazira, Program Coordinator in Malawi

From December 2-5, Russia hosted the 5th Annual International Volunteer Forum in Sochi, Russia. I was fortunate enough to be one of five delegates from Malawi who joined 6,500 participants from all around the world. The aim of the forum was to celebrate the national and international volunteer work taking place in Russia and across the world and to foster international cooperation in the field of volunteering and development. We were hosted at the wonderful Sochi Park Hotel, while the sessions happened at Sochi Main Media Centre, just ten minutes drive from the hotel.

The highlight of the Forum was the closing ceremony on 05 December, which doubled as a celebration of International Volunteer Day and the ceremony was officiated by the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, alongside his Prime Ministers. This was followed by a concert with wonderful traditional performances as well as an award ceremony rewarding the best volunteer initiatives across Russia. It was fascinating to see volunteerism get this much national and international attention. 

Key Highlights from the Forum
The forum had numerous interactive sessions happening around the Media Centre and I got a chance to listen to experts from all fields of life, like governance, education and technology, share their stories. From the many things that were shared, three things really resonated with me and my experience with CorpsAfrica (both as a Volunteer and staff member):

a) How Volunteers can be utilized to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and national projects. It was interesting to hear how Volunteer projects were working towards achieving the SDGs, as this is a mission that CorpsAfrica can identify with. CorpsAfrica Volunteers have over the years implemented numerous projects that directly contribute to the SDGs with SDG 4 (Quality Education) being the most - 31% of projects implemented by CorpsAfrica Volunteers in 2019 were directly contributing towards quality education. It was rewarding to see this role that Volunteers have silently been playing being recognized at an international scale. An interesting example of how Volunteers contribute to national projects came from Russia, which had over 20,000 people who volunteered during the 2014 Olympics held in the country. 

b) Volunteering is not only important for gaining experience, but for building confidence as well. This was discussed on a session of how volunteerism can be used as a tool for youth empowerment. One of the experts stressed the point of how volunteering builds confidence in young people. This especially resonated with me, having experienced this during my service as a CorpsAfrica Volunteer, and now getting to witness how the program molds the Volunteers into confident youth. 

c) You can volunteer with whatever skill you have; every skill is needed somewhere. I believe this is an encouragement that many youth need to hear as many doubt if the skills they have are relevant and needed somewhere. I was amazed to hear from people from diverse backgrounds who are volunteers in the most unlikely places. There was one individual who started out as a volunteer coach for local football (soccer) matches in their small neighborhood and is now an executive at FIFA. There were people who started out as volunteers from all sectors like education, technology and even ballet, and they all agreed on the same point: that they would not be where they are now if it was not for volunteering. 
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This 3-day event was a learning opportunity for me. It  was my first time travelling to Russia and meeting different people. Experiencing the Russian culture through this forum was the perfect way to end the year. 

By CorpsAfrica/Senegal Volunteer Mr. Issa Fall 

Of all the experiences a person can have, there is not one that is more rewarding than volunteering. That's the art for free: heart, gesture and time; a school that promises all the degrees in the world.

To all of you who have the luck and the courage to taste this wonder, you deserve respect.
To all of you who have left goods and families to make the need of others your main priority,

You deserve a hundred times to have halos because you are noble.
Praise about you, I would write pages.
With these few lines, I pay tribute to you.

To you my dear fellow volunteers,

We left family, studies and all comforts to be at the service of our dear country, without expecting anything in return. It is because we are concerned about the future of Mother Africa.

None of us are volunteering because he did not want to be unemployed or had no other choice; No. Even less we did not choose it because we want to travel. Not at all! We all wondered “how could I have an opportunity to serve my country?" and through CorpsAfrica, this common dream has come true.

We were, we are and we will be committed.

From the application to our service, we have always shown that we all want to serve. Despite others judgment that volunteering is a waste of time, we’ve remained firm on the idea that volunteerism is the richest experiences. We believed and lived it.

The distance, the barrier, and the new realities did not shake us from our commitment.

The heat at Netoubou did not make Bamba Diop flee to regain his native Pikine next to his wife and his son. Rather, it is a commitment that we read on his facial features, and like all of us, his primary challenge is to positively impact on his site.

Indeed, impacting, beyond being a mission, has become a personal challenge for each of us.

Already four (4) months that we swore before the authorities to worthily serve our country. Four (4) months as we stepped out of our comfort zones to bustle, meet and learn with our new families. Stress, fear, etc. were natural feelings we experienced at some point before joining our sites. It was guessed and discussed in our regular exchanges. But as soon as the feeling of commitment resurfaces, all these other feelings fade.

I remember the sadness on Adji Anta Diop Gaye’s face when she realized that she got to leave her comfort of Dakaroise to blend in the warmth of Matam and, now 4 months that her actions, her interventions will always be gratified by the Agnamois and Wolrd Food Program (WFP). Her henhouse, her philosophical courses amply testify.

Despite the hesitations, the site change and marital status, sanitary napkins crafted by Helena Adjia AW commonly called Badiane by the Cohort, will remain forever engraved in the hearts and minds of people of Orkadieré. Just to say that our level of commitment has overcome and will overcome any obstacles.

I believe in all of you, your courage, because I know it's not a shooting in Malem Hodar who will make Christine Kine SARR flee. Despite family pressures, she decided to stay and develop compassion with her community.

Neither, bush fire in Darou Dimbelane will be able to shake Leon GOMIS. Refusing to shut himself in his room, this volunteer who considered himself a full-fledged resident of the village merged to save his village.

Ndawa THIOUNE, claiming yourself Ndomboloise, you knew how to put your experiences in scouting in the service of your community. You mobilized young people who were scattered, organized formerly disorganized women through groups and associations. With all this human capital, you showed them that only unity is strength.

"Reviving children" by finding them birth certificates long neglected by their parent made you Khady MBAYE, the Baroness of Nemanding and, you've become one of them. I was there when "your women" (as you like to call them) danced and sang in your honor.

Maka Mbaye- Clean Earth. This is the concept that you have developed in each of the inhabitants of this village Mansour, an imperial work that you are doing there Mansour. Your commitment is flawless and can give hope to an entire continent.

The population of Gueum Yallah really thanked volunteer Anna Sene FAYE. As an Eyewitness of the facts, I saw that these ladies were delighted by the interventions and training of Anna, including soap and bleach.

The bravery and flawless commitment of refugees from Kedougou have surprised some.

Even arousing the pity of others, Abdoulaye DIALLO and Bademba Mame Samba SOW you have shown us that volunteering have no taste or choice if not commitment. You always sing "Volunteers never tired."

Magatte TOP despite the reluctance, internal conflicts and especially certain religious requirements including the dress wear, you have adapted to all these situations to highlight your desire to fulfill your service. You have mobilized and organized people of different convergences around a common ideal.

Amy DIOP, you have forever marked the spirits of the children of Keur Ousmane by having them take part in the national parade of April 4th. You've shown these young people and the inhabitants that nothing equals the love we have for our country.

Aliou SENE, the inhabitants of Birkama cannot thank you enough for your contribution to their children's education. It is with the wisdom that we know you that you nicely put yourself at the service of your community. You're Imam.

Francis BIDIAR, the friend of Selety’s women. These have accepted you as a son of the village because you showed them local and sustainable development, and they saw it in you. Young people will also thank you for the matches you have participated in. Your Christian confession did not prevent you from participating in the restoration activities of the village mosque. Only a volunteer has that gift.

Abdou COLY, the man of Passy Ngueyenne. Abdou Coly in the fields work, Abdou Coly in search of wood, Abdou Coly in schools, you're everywhere Brother. You knew to mark your territory and your project's prospects already testify to it.

Gass NDIAYE, the lady of Ndiayenne Khaly. You too, your marital status and certain conditions did not make you back in your desire to serve. A rich background that you put at the disposal of your community.

Justine SAMBOU, the lady of Nguick Fall. You accepted to be called Awa to just facilitate your integration in this Muslim community. Difficult for Diola to separate from his "etodjieh" but you did by agreeing to eat "mothiaat (lol)". Just to show how much we are committed to serving.

Actually, you all inspired me, dear volunteers. And each of you I see the development, I see the commitment and especially Africa of tomorrow. You are all exceptional and I know that after this service, we will all come together at the top to draw pictures in the development of the country.

To all the alumni, our predecessors I say,
"Merit belongs to the one who begins even if the next one does better."

Success awaits us all.
The respect you deserve.
​
Issa FALL CorpsAfrica/Senegal Volunteer, Group 3
Site: Kounkane (Kolda Region)

September 16, 2018: I can hardly believe that I am going to Rwanda. For many young Africans, particularly for those who aim to be leaders in Africa, Rwanda has become a model for development and leadership. When I arrived at the airport around 1:30 am and after getting my luggage, I noted that a police officer was looking at me very strangely. Without understanding why, I just took my bags and started moving toward the exit door.
 
At that time, he walked toward me and with the smile he gave me a scissor. The scene looked strange for me but in a minute, I understood the scissor is to cut the plastic that surrounded my bag as a protection. Yes, here, said the police officer, we are not allowed to touch the plastic. Before coming, I had read that Rwanda government has banned the use of plastic over the entire territory. But I did not realize until that moment that it was not a joke.
 
In the car going to the hotel, where I would spend a month during the PST, I discovered Rwanda for the very first time. At night there was almost nobody in the streets, except some guards here and there. My first impression: these streets are really very clean—I was wondering if people even live here! Yes indeed, I would understand later that I was actually in the cleanest city in Africa, and probably one of the most organized, too. Over the next month, I discovered very quickly that even if I was still in Africa, Rwanda is very different from Senegal. The streets are very clean, the air is pure, and people are respectful of the environment and established rules of life.
 
Two weeks after my arrival, on September 29, I discovered a name that would stay with me throughout all my stay: "umuganda.” Held on the last Saturday of each month, the umuganda is the day that is devoted to general interest works. Ministers, deputies, even the president is not exempt. All able-bodied people living in Rwanda must participate in this day of cleaning, maintenance of any kind for the benefit of public buildings or public places. It is a beautiful way to promote equality, the sense of duty and active citizenship.
 
After this time of learning and acquaintance with my colleagues and friends, after discovering the beautiful Rwandan landscapes like the Akagira Parc, the Kiuvu Lake or the Museum of Liberation, I would finally discover my village, where I would serve. On the road going to my site, the face of Rwanda transformed right in front of my amazed eyes. The greenery is striking and the trees majestic; sometimes at the bend of a road it seems that the mountains coexist and kiss with clouds. It feels like entering in the sky; that is how high we were.
 
Arriving in my new home was not easy; sometimes I had to go through mountain paths in the Ngororero District, Bwira Sector. However, I had hardly put down my luggage when I went out to check the view. It is here that I understood why Rwanda is called the land of one thousand hills.
 
There is not a centimeter where you can look without seeing an infinite mountain alignment. The mountains give the impression of jostling one another, each wanting to give a spectacle of raw beauty of the wilderness. After a week, a month, months, I always looked with such enthusiasm and astonishment at this panoramic vision of mountains that touch clouds, mixed with natural greenery such as in an art painting.
 
Everybody knows Rwanda as the country of one thousand hills, but for me it is also the country of one thousand possibilities, the country of one thousand dreams. It is the country where you can learn that the past is not a fatality, where patriotism and citizenship are not just words on paper, the country where I really came to believe that Africa is the future.