Malawi Volunteer Blog: January 6-13

January 6, 2012

Malawi Day 1!

This January I am interning with F2F in Malawi! I will be getting to know the Chadika community that Colby College’s LuziCare club funds, and I will be working with their youth group in particular. I just got here today, and I am already in love with the place! It is so beautiful and green (partly due to the rainy season), and everyone is very friendly. Lilongwe seems to be an interesting place; hopefully I’ll get my bearings and be able to navigate on my own soon; though I’m still a bit nervous being out by myself! However, the project leaders down here Arichie and Mike have been helping me out a bunch, they are awesome! I am really excited for this experience, I am going to meet so many wonderful people and get to know a culture completely different from my own. Well, more to follow, time to get my feet wet!

January 10, 2012

Entry 2: First Visit to Chadika

Yesterday, January 8th was my first visit to the Chadika Community Based Organization; the Chadika LuziCare has been raising money for at Colby College…it was so surreal to finally be there and meet the village!! I couldn’t believe it, and I’m pretty sure I didn’t take a smile off my face the whole time I was there. The people were so happy; and after a short tour, when we made our way to the CBO office, we were welcomed with women dancing and singing, and tons of adorable little kids trailing behind us, congregating excitedly. Of course they posed as soon as I took out my camera!

Even though it was my first visit, it was very evident how strong of a CBO Chadika is. With the left over money from their maize crop harvest (from the garden LuziCare helped raise money for), they created their own self-help project and are building a Youth Center, where they will teach lessons to children and then feed them porridge, donated by the Feed Project. The Chadika CBO itself is also growing rapidly; 51 villages already make up the CBO, but even more around the area are all applying to join. Chadika shares its supplies though with other CBOs as well, especially the ambulance bicycle because it’s the only one in the area. The Youth Group, weather permitted, teaches about HIV/AIDS through dramas to the community and also conducts volunteer work, and helps out with the elderly. Despite the poverty, illness and lack of education that this community faces on a day-to-day basis, they are doing what they can to develop their community in a sustainable and healthy way; and they are doing it successfully, too. I can’t wait to get to know this group more as my time here continues. They are truly incredible, and I’m so happy that LuziCare has been able to play a part in making these projects possible.

January 13, 2012

Entry 3: First week in Malawi

I can’t believe I have already been here for a week! Where does the time go?! Anyways, this week has been so wonderful. I’ve been to Chadika 3 times; I went yesterday and the day before to begin conducting interviews with the members of the Youth Group. The point of the interviews is so we can create a profile of each member, as well as to get feedback on what they want to see happen in the Youth Group, and to see how helpful it is both to the members and to the community. The Chadika Youth Group meets twice a week, and their meetings are focused around HIV/AIDS, which are taught through comedies, drama and music. They also perform to the community. Every two weeks they do service work; they volunteer to help the elderly, the poor and the orphans, which involve building houses, outhouses, washing clothes, and working in the fields. It is so extraordinary for the youth to be taking the initiative to do service work in their own community; and they have told me they want to volunteer more, they just need the materials. So far, it seems that more HIV/AIDS training is desired, as well as learning life and business skills, and getting more equipment both for their volunteer efforts as well as for sports, or costumes for their performances. I can’t get over how open the youth has been; they are so optimistic and grateful for Face-to-Face’s presence, and they couldn’t say enough how much we are changing their lives; keeping them out of danger, empowering them, and teaching them to be strong, confident individuals. This is a very special group and I look forward to continue our work organizing the program! Now I am off to Liwonde National Park, hope to see some elephants!