Looking Forward to the Next 10 Years.... Malawi Development Project

For those of you who don't know, 2010 marks World Camp's 10th birthday!!  Hard to believe, but we've been programming in Malawi for a decade now. And not to brag or anything, but we have plenty of reason to celebrate. In that time we've worked at almost 250 primary schools, with over 30,000 kids, and have expanded to a 4-day camp that incorporates teacher workshops, male and female empowerment, environmental issues, and community presentations. There have certainly been setbacks and as with any work, challenges are thrown at us daily. But what began as a small group of friends hoping to change the world has grown into a story touching thousands, spanning three countries, and a vision that seems to dream a little deeper with each year.

My story with World Camp began in 2005 when I volunteered after my sophmore year of college. As I'm sure you know, it's impossible to put my experience in Malawi that summer into a few words, let alone anything coherent on a blog. If you're a former volunteer, family member, or friend you have an idea what I'm talking about. The rest of you will have to swallow the whole World Camp story, but in the mean time rest assured that despite living in a world that sometimes seems to endlessly breed problems, there's something here, something about the volunteers that are drawn to work with us, something about the communities we work in, something about the approach we take that continues to inspire me and to believe in what that small group believed in ten years ago.

So what now? And maybe you've been wondering where all these posts are coming from and what the heck we're doing in Malawi when session ended in January and the next one doesn't start until May! Three words for you: Malawi Development Project. That's right, this new initiative launched in March and we're using it to take on the next 10 years with full force.

With the Malawi Development Project we're going for effectiveness, outreach, and sustainability. How are we doing this? By focusing our two-fold initative on both our Outreach Through Education(OTE-i.e. camp sessions that most of you have volunteered for) and Localized Action for Better Solutions (LABS-new; will be opening up for internships in Malawi soon!) programs.

Through OTE and LABS, we're strengthening our current projects and working on some new ones. Expanding our 4-day curriculum with wind energy and HIV/AIDS misconceptions and discrimination sections. Meeting with local organizations to partner with and help provide better support with the communities we work in. Working with the Ministry of Education to develop teacher training days. Developing community outreach projects that encourage HIV testing and awareness campaigns.

Stay tuned to hear some of the specifics! Until then, celebrate 10 years with World Camp by posting a favorite moment, experience, or how your story became part of ours on the comments link below.

Thanks for your continued support, we look forward to another decade of adventure.