Community Outreach: Malawi Development Project Spends Day in Kasiya

A big thank you to all who joined Curriculum Development Groups. Your eagerness is inspiring and  work deeply appreciated! Our curriculum's looking strong, and it's a good thing because we're amping up our programs this summer. 

We're also excited to announce our first community outreach initiative with partner organization, Mucobo!

Above: 14 Mucobo staff members with WC Coordinator, Katy Lackey.

Photo by: WC Translator/Driver, Cyrus Jenda.  

Mucobo is a local grassroots organization conducting HIV interventions that target specific high risk groups. Director, Tonnex Chiphwanyah (left of Katy in above picture), first approached World Camp seeking assistance with staff training. In late May we'll be conducting an HIV/AIDS Workshop with 25 Mucobo staff and 35 chiefs and community members from surrounding villages.  

Following several meetings in Lilongwe, World Camp spent last Thursday with Mucobo out in Kasiya District, near the Zambian border, where we were invited to visit the site and begin planning for joint outreach projects. After seeing  the community and spending some time with villagers, we're really excited about this outreach opportunity! Quite far off the paved road and a bit tricky to get to, the community isn't exactly a stop on most organization's project itineraries. There's been a complete lack of HIV outreach and NGO programming in the area. World Camp will be the first. In fact, the primary school in the area, Dzama FPS, will also participate in our one of our OTE 4-Day Camps. 

We met with 14 Mucobo staff members, the village chief, and a teacher from Dzama, who were all itching to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to jump in and get their hands working on their projects. We discussed HIV awareness and prevalence rates in the community, and which issues they need help learning about. Though the organization doesn't have a full office building yet, one of the chiefs generously donated a large piece of land to Mucobo. 

Above: World Camp meeting with staff at Mucobo site

Photo by: Katy Lackey

When staff members aren't working, they gather dung and maize husks together to sell as fuel, raising money they'll eventually use to build a community outreach center. 

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As previously mentioned, our Malawi Development Project is in full swing here, working to increase the effectiveness of our Outreach Through Education (OTE) volunteer sessions and lay the groundwork for some exciting new initiatives, including community outreach projects and long term volunteer intern placements. Keep checking back for more stories of our adventures!   

Below: Driving in Kasiya  District. 

Photo by: Katy Lackey