From Stranger to Sister: My 7-Week Journey of Belonging as a CorpsAfrica Volunteer
Seven weeks ago, I arrived in my host community full of excitement, curiosity, and a touch of nervousness. I didn’t know the routines, and every face was new. But today, as I walk along the community paths to the nursery school, children call me madam, women wave from their stalls, and youth stop me to […]
Finding Family Under the Tharaka Sky
25th September 2025 marked the beginning of a beautiful journey; a new life in Tharaka-Nithi, located many kilometers from the capital city. This not only marked a new environment but also signified a need to transform my lifestyle, mindset, and life objectives. Among the many changes I have experienced since moving to volunteer here, the […]
Rural Youth, Real Potential: Reflections on African Youth Month.
Every November Africa celebrates its most dynamic resource, its young people. But as we mark African Youth Month, I can’t help but reflect on what it truly means to be young in rural Africa, especially my community in Mwanza, Malawi. As a CorpsAfrica Volunteer serving in Mwanza District, I have had the privilege of working […]
Discovering the Extraordinary in Everyday Moments
When I arrived in Korrop, I didn’t realize that the smallest moments would teach me the biggest lessons about belonging. children chasing a goat along a dusty path, women sharing a basket of grains, women pounding flour over a wooden mortar with laughter, these simple, everyday moments carried a magic I had never experienced before. […]
How Simple Gutters Can Transform Water Security in Our Communities
Water is life, but in many rural communities, it is also a daily struggle. As climate change alters rainfall patterns and seasons become less predictable, every drop counts more than ever. Yet one of the most powerful tools for water conservation is also one of the simplest: gutters. As a CorpsAfrica Volunteer serving in Kakamega […]
Finding Purpose in Service
In the past, I often felt frustrated when I saw people living in poverty and saying that their struggles came simply because they had no money. I used to wonder how they could not see the opportunities around them, the raw materials and resources they already had that could help them improve their lives. Growing […]
Village life is a gentle clock, ticking with heartbeats rather than hours
As I reflect on my integration phase, I can’t help but feel overjoyed and warm-hearted by the way the community has embraced me. The opportunity to learn, connect, and share in the simple joys of life has been one of the greatest gifts since I began volunteering with CorpsAfrica. My first week was filled with […]
AMBIVALENCE: A NEW BEGINNING IN YERRO BAWOL
Ever since I was dropped off in my host community, Yerro Bawol in The Upper River Region and the deployment team drove away, I felt something I had never experienced before. As I stood there watching them wave goodbye, a strange mix of emotions washed over me. I smiled on the outside, but deep in […]
More Than a Training: A Lesson That Prepared Me to Serve in the Rural Community
When I first heard that I would be working with a rural community in Machinga, Malawi my heart danced with excitement. I pictured warm smiles, shared meals, and people living in harmony, a place where even a stranger could ask for accommodation and be welcomed like family. I imagined a community where everyone worked together […]
FROM TEARS TO TEA BREAKS: FINDING PURPOSE IN MBALLO TEGA
Mballo Tega, a small village in the North Bank Region of the Sabach Sanjal District predominantly wollof and fana fana became the place I am fortunate to serve and unknowingly, the place that would gently reshape me. My arrival was far from graceful. I shed tears the moment I reached my community, I was filled […]