The SWOT Team

Lesson 1: Teamwork.

The majority of the class consisted of team building exercises to encourage trust and communication. We led our students in a variety of different games including Trust Fall, Island Game, Human Pretzel, Willow in the Wind, and Get-in-Order-of-Your-Birthday-Month-Without-Speaking Game (which failed horribly). Although these games might sound clichè or elementary to those of you back home, it was all new to our students - complete with an overwhelming amount of laughter. After the fun we spent some time discussing ways in which we could make their team meetings more effective in the future.

After class, Darren spent a few hours getting his butt spanked in soccer with about 40 kids until it was too dark to see. Molly documented.

Lesson 2: 'Real business skills' - concentration: Marketing

We used a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) to determine if MCBOs current and future IGAs (Income Generating Activities) are attractive for incumbent entrants. We were pleased to discover that Lilian Mama had already heard of SWOT and knew the meaning of the acronym. To the rest of the class it was very new territory. So new that it put our one student Austin to sleep.

The real highlight of our day was after class. While Darren played soccer and Molly read her book, a melodious sound echoed throughout our neighborhood. We were curious where it was coming, and minutes later William was introducing us to the local church choir. We got a private rendition from both the junior and female choruses. We were pleased to be invited back next Tuesday to witness an entire practice. Videos to come.

On the way home William pointed out the boundaries of the Mchezi district. We were promised a tour in the near future.

We have been invited to his home next week to meet his wife and mother (who is 107 years old and a great, great, great, great grandmother)!

P.S. It took us an unusually long amount of time to write this post; we had to keep stopping to listen to the young girls singing outside of Molly’s window. It’d be nice to know what they were saying… We better work on our Chichewa.

Tionana mawa. See you tomorrow.