A Volunteer's Story: Fight for every Malawian child that risks losing their happiness and hope.

Children have no idea how beautiful they are, or how hopeful. You do not see poverty living through their eyes, nor the struggle – all you can see is happiness. These children have no reason to be happy; they are malnourished, dehydrated, uneducated, and living in a country swarmed with disease and poverty. Everyday they live a struggle that few of us can even imagine, or dream to even bare ourselves. And yet, these children, they don’t ever give up. They walk miles to school, they help their parents on the farm, and they take care of their brothers and sisters. They don’t have playgrounds, real schools, or places for them to hangout and relax. They usually sleep in one room on the floor in their house with everyone else in their family, sometimes even the chickens. They sing, they dance, and radiate joy off of themselves. This is something that has always haunted me, how are the children of the 'third world' so happy, so cheerful – when children in the 'first world' struggle to deal with the simplest of things. Why can’t we always sing and dance and be happy?

Photography by Amie Garrett (copyright)

Can you Imagine a life where all you have is the hope of everyday happiness? Constantly facing the realities of living in New York City, working, and going to school, I feel like happiness is a far off dream located somewhere in the smiles that I left behind on my journey in Malawi, and that I am searching for everyday within the cold walls of the city. Some days I almost see it or feel it, but I am always searching for it. I am searching for it within my own purpose because I know one day I will return to these children, and I want to offer them more then I did last time. More education, more empowerment, and most important; more reasons to be happy. When I landed in Malawi last year I was forced to see past their happiness and exposed to the depths of their struggles. By experiencing first hand their hardships I saw the possibility for change, for the future, and for the hope that these children invoke within all of us. I know that change is going to come for them because it has to.

At the first school I visited in Malawi a young girl, no older then 16, named Monica asked me a question. She asked me what should she do if her teacher wants to have sex with her. I don’t remember how I answered Monica, but I remember feeling like I never wanted to have to answer that question ever again. But I did have to, many many times. Change has to come for Monica, and for every Malawian child that risks losing their happiness and hope."

Written by: Amie Garrett, Malawi volunteer Summer 2009

**Part IV in a series of reflections on how we internalize what we learn abroad into who we are back home. Email submissions to info@worldcampforkids.org or katy@worldcampforkids.org. Articles, thoughts, poems, quotes, pictures, etc. are welcome!*