Behind the Internship: The Homestay

After a second successful day of teaching at Chilinda Primary School, we ate an early supper around 4pm in a classroom. After dinner we gathered up everything we needed for the next ten hours: sleeping bags, water bottles, bug spray, camera, clothes, goods for our homestay families - and of course, toilet paper. We began our journey walking to the village and were surrounded by giddy children wondering what in the world the azungus (white people) were doing and where we were going.

Kayla, Karen, and I were greeted by one of the chiefs and directed towards the home we would be staying in. We introduced ourselves, using our very minimal Chichewa vocabulary, and met our host mom, Loveness. After a few minutes of laughter and confusion, we started to realize how interesting this was going to be with such a language barrier. Thankfully, I happened to have a Chichewa guide that had several key phrases. I pointed to the phrase "there is work to be done" and she smiled. Buckets were handed to us and we walked with a group of women to the water pump. Kayla and I took turns pumping the water and filled our buckets. The women smiled excitedly, knowing they were about to see a rare sight: azungus attempting to carry water on their heads. Let me just say that it was pretty hilarious and I now have the utmost respect and admiration for the village women.

We then gathered in a circle with all the children and women of the village and partook in a dancing/clapping/singing charade for an hour. They loved having us participate in their dances and were constantly urging us to move to the middle of the circle. I was amazed at how accepting and welcoming the people of the village were. People from all over gathered to meet us and were elated with joy. The chief took us to see the villages’ garden of tobacco and pumpkin leaves. We picked pumpkin leaves and prepared them for cooking. Loveness started a fire and Kayla got to cooking in the smoky mud house with her new friend Chisomo. Karen and I were bombarded by giggling children and villagers testing out their English skills.

We gathered inside the house on a mat and had nsmia (of course!) and pumpkin leaves as relish. Smiles and laughter were exchanged as this became our sole use of communication. After dinner, we were pulled outside again where we spent several hours in the moonlight celebrating life through song and dance. I remember being astounded at the fact that I had just met these people a few hours ago. At ten, Loveness recognized we were tired from an exhausting day and ordered us to come to bed. We laid out our sleeping bags on a mat and dozed off to the sounds of children singing, mosquitoes buzzing, and crickets chirping.

We woke as the sun rose, hearing the roosters crowing, and headed outside. A man that we met the night before came by with bundles of green corn. Loveness cooked them up for us and handed them over as we said our goodbyes. We thanked the villagers for their generosity and overwhelming hospitality. A little after 6am, we found ourselves eating the corn for breakfast, surrounded by happy children, and on the path to Chilinda Primary Schools thinking of all the cherished moments of homestay: dancing for hours, cooking nsima, the conversations, unique characters/personalities, sense of community, cultural differences, and the budding of friendships. What a wonderful slice of Malawian village life!

Submitted by: Lauren Seagraves

Behind the Internship: Hakuna matata

Following Nick's very thoughtful use of a quote at the start of his blog post, I decided to follow suit. Elton John once sang, "In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight. In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight. A weeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeee oh wee om omma way." Well maybe I improvised on that last part but Elton's words are very fitting for our past weekend's trip to ZAMBIA! World Camp does safari. Early Friday morning we piled into the mini bus and took off for a weekend full of fun, relaxation, and lots and lots of animals. The ride took about eight hours in total (including customs and pit stops), and the majority was spent crawling down a windy, unpaved road through Zambia until we reached our final destination, Wildlife Camp.
Our past two weeks with World Camp have been a whirlwind of activity. Our days are chock-full of teaching, dancing, singing, prep work for the week, cooking, journaling, reflecting and nightly evaluations. So when we got to Wildlife Camp, I think most of us were excited to get the chance to relax, see some animals, and soak in our beautiful surroundings. As Zambia is a neighboring country to Malawi, we were all astounded at how different the countries were, though just hours apart. Seemingly seconds after crossing the border and entering Zambia, someone commented at just how forested the country is. There are trees EVERYWHERE, something that Malawi definitely lacks. Deforestation is a huge problem not just in Malawi but all over the world, yet I got a feeling for just how big of a problem it is when seeing the stark differences between Malawi and Zambia. Not only that, but the lack of trees in Malawi has left the country virtually empty of the animals that roam the national parks of Zambia.

We were all scheduled for two drives on Saturday, one morning drive and one night drive through South Luangwa National Park. For many of us, these would be our first safari experiences. Waking up around 5 am Saturday morning, we excitedly met our guide, Billy, packed into his Land Rover, and headed to the park. On the way, we brainstormed what animals we wanted to see: zebras, giraffes, monkeys, elephants, and of course, lions. Billy informed us that because it is the rainy season, it would be a bit difficult to spot some animals (as there is more vegetation), but he assured us that he would try his best, and we were not one bit disappointed. Entering the park, what struck me the most was the sheer beauty of the landscape. One thing I've found through being in Malawi and teaching in the villages is that pictures do not do this place one ounce of justice. The same went for South Luangwa National Park. As far as the eye could see were green grasses dotted with impala, baboons, elephants, and sprawling trees. Although it was cloudy and a bit rainy on our morning drive, the glum weather did not detract from the beautiful landscape that surrounded us. About halfway through the drive, Billy stopped at a spot near the water where we climbed out of the truck to enjoy some coffee with the nearby hippos lounging in the river. It gave us some time to chat with Billy, a fellow Malawian who has since moved to Zambia, and has been guiding safaris for ten years. Although we didn't see any lions in the morning, we were all very content with our drive and eager to return later that night.
We spent the rest of the day lounging around by the pool, watching baboons run through camp, and reading. Before we all knew it, it was time to load onto Billy's Land Rover and head back into the park. This time, Karen joined us! We were ready to spot some leopards and lions. I loved seeing the park near sunset. All of the colors became even more vivid, and the landscape, if possible, became even more idyllic. We all felt like we actually were in the Lion King, as corny as it may sound. My favorite moment of the night was when Billy drove us up to the top of a hill just as the sun was beginning to set.
We hopped out of the truck only to see a breathtaking view of the trees and land below, with the sun setting right over it all. All of us stood, took some pictures and watched the sun set as we enjoyed our sun-downers, supplied by Billy. Looking back, watching the sun set with everybody was one of the first times on this journey that I've really been able to take a step back and just soak everything in. Camp moves so quickly; it feels like day one turns into day four in a matter of seconds. Even on safari,

I was so concentrated on seeing that one lion or that one leopard (which we did eventually see!) that I probably missed out on some beautiful trees or baboons bathing in the sun. But standing up on that hill overlooking miles and miles of park below us, we all took a moment to see the big picture and appreciate how beautiful and serene things can be when you take the time to just step back and slow down. So for these next two weeks, which are sure to fly by, I plan on slowing down and soaking in every moment I can. After all, we only have about 13 sunsets left, and I plan to remember each and every one of them.
Submitted by: Caitlin Barrett

Behind the Internship: Stand By Me

In the words of the Late Great Ben E King .

When the night has come
And the land is dark
And the moon is the only light we'll see
No I won't be afraid, no I won't be afraid
Just as long as you stand, stand by me
And darlin', darlin', stand by me,
oh now now stand by me
Stand by me, stand by me

This song for me has always sent chills up my spine of what it means to be a human in a relationship with other people. What it means to be a friend. What it means to need friendship. I have always thought that if each individual in our world would approach life in such a way as this simple song describes then much of our hurt, pain and despair would vanish. Perhaps poverty and war would fade away into the clear night sky. I first heard this song in the movie by Steven Spielburg "Stand By Me" that starred the late River Pheonix. It is a movie about friendship and journey into the unknown. These boys find a bond that sticks with them forever. This movie has always come to mind when I think of what life could be like in a magical friendship and a world that held so much wonder but little answers.

Well let me tell you, Malawi expresses the message of the song “Stand By Me” in ways that were hard to imagine before arriving to this country. The moment I stepped onto Malawi soil I felt this very strange feeling of being Home. I instantly felt in good hands as I got off the plane and I met Jaren and Karen. I felt I was in the place I was destined to be. A place were purpose would find you simply by waking up each morning.

A little over two weeks has passed and what an adventure Malawi has turned out to be. A safe journey, but with the feeling of living on the edge. Maybe it’s the dreamland landscape, or the poverty found in Lilongwe, the villages or the refugee camp but each day seems to be amazing and radical, but at the same moment very casual and simple.

You are first welcomed by Africa. Africa has an emotion that does not exist in Canada or the USA. They are great countries, but Africa has an odd magic to it. Then you are welcomed by the people who are so kind. Friendship is made with a wave, smile and if walking a hand shake. Poverty has a very sad unspeakable side, but the people of Malawi truly are the Warm Heart of Africa. The time at the schools is so rewarding. Singing, dancing, making friends that will remain in the heart. The kids make such an impact. One minute you are on the outside looking upon a very poor village or school, and the next you are on a first name basis with someone you will never forget.

Africa is known to move at a different pace than North America or Europe but the pace you will really notice is how fast great friendship sprouts out from the ground of life, love and laughter. Name’s like John, Leonard , Sarah and George are part of whom I am now. I hope to be part of who they are.

I sit in the morning under the heat of the African sun. I read, listen to music, or write in my journal. It took me many years to get to Africa, in fact two years ago I had never heard of Malawi. But now I wonder how everyone isn't moved to take the steps to come to this land. It feels as though you have not lived until you have been in Africa. This may not be understood, but if you find your way to this mystical, magical place you will understand fully.

I praise God for bringing me to Malawi and I thank Christ for dying for the rich and the poor. I am not sure however whom is richer or poorer…us in all our glory of possession or those in the glory of life. I encourage you to volunteer with World Camp in Malawi, or at least come to Africa. If you can't do this maybe just take time to sit and have tea with your friend when they return from the Warm Heart and still have the dirt of soulful African soil on their feet.

Submitted by: Nick Felgate

Behind the Internship: Chamwala FPS & Dzaleka Refugee Camp

We just finished our first full week of teaching in Malawi. Not only did we teach in the Chamwala Full Primary School, we also ran a short program educating the Dzaleka Refugee camp about HIV and AIDS. The Chamwala Full Primary School was wonderful to work in, the teachers and students were all very eager and excited for us to be there educating them. In fact, our first day of work happened to fall on a public holiday that we were not aware of. The Headmaster, Alfred, was so excited for us to be there that he had all the teachers and students who were participating in the program come into school that day. After introducing World Camp to the students and explaining that we were here to educate them about HIV and AIDS, as well as the environment, we began with a few morning songs as a sort of ice breaker between ourselves and the students. One song that we did, called "Go Bananas" became sort of the theme for the week, as almost all the students tried to apply the lyrics and rhyme scheme to many different subjects. Everyday when walking around the school you could hear anyone from the youngest students to those in the older grades that we were teaching singing the song. Watching the students get so involved in something and enjoying something so much and participating side by side with all the World Camp volunteers was really exciting.

Although teaching the curriculum in itself was quite the experience, a moment that will always stay with me is when we were leaving on the third day of camp. As we drove out of the village, on this bumpy, rugged, dirt road that the teachers said no one drives on, we passed so many of the students walking home to their villages. Although the school is in a village, many of th

e surrounding villages send their children to the Chamwala school, so it acts as more of a regional school than a school for just one individual village. As we were driving we passed a group of the children who were in our groups that we have been teaching. As we passed them, all holding the pinwheels we had built together to show them how the wind could be used for energy, they all began to chase the van. One girl in particular, named Zione, who was one of my students, continued to chase the van. She ran with us for about five minutes singing and dancing along next to the van "Peel Bananas, Peel Peel, Bananas. Eat Bananas, Eat, Eat, Bananas. Go Bananas, Go, Go, Bananas!" Watching her chase after the van singing along the song we had taught the children to get them to trust us and open up to us was really exciting. We had all the windows open singing along with her as she ran next to us. Seeing that she was so excited to be able to sing us the song we had taught them made me really feel as though we could actually make a difference.

After spending the four days at the primary school, we taught a shorter program at the Dzaleka Refugee camp, which we drove past every day on the way to the primary school. Driving into the camp it was so clear the poverty and struggles that these people are facing every day. We worked with about 30 or so men and women, some who were HIV positive. We talked about the proper ways that they could prevent the spread of the disease and answered any questions that they had. The first day we also toured the camp. Seeing a refugee camp for the first time in my life really struck a chord within me. It was emotionally draining to walk around and see all these people with permanent residences (read: shacks), with no hope of going anywhere else, no hope of going home. We saw their lack of resources, lack of jobs, visited their primary school and also the Clinic that was in the camp. One of the camp's three doctors came out to talk to us about the clinic and the resources that they have available to them, which although limited, had more than I expected. However, the next day of discussion that we had with our group at the camp told us otherwise. Hearing these men and women tell us that the medical care they receive is sub par, that no one wants to get tested for HIV because they'd rather live with it and not know or have anyone else know was incredibly disheartening. They told us that they do not have the proper nutrition in order to take the Anti-Retrovirals (ARVs) which prolong the life of someone living with HIV, so instead many choose to go without because their quality of life was better without them. Hearing that a medicine that is actually supposed to make one's life better is in fact making someone's life worse is a very hard thing to hear and come to terms with. Life has been so difficult for these people and I hope that our presence in the camp and the information that we gave them and discussions that we facilitated can help them to improve the lives of others. Visiting the camp is an experience and place I will never be able to, nor would want to, remove from my memory.

Submitted by: Marissa Hurwitz

Behind the Internship: A New Year In Malawi

We want to wish you all a Happy New Year and a special thanks to everyone that supported our projects with your contributions during our Holiday Fund Drive! We are pleased to announce we met our goal and couldn’t have done it without your donations. We did some mild celebrating in Asheville after a long afternoon of planning. We’re working on a new website as we launch into 2011 to announce some wonderful partnerships and new projects that the entire team can’t wait to share.
Our first group of Service Interns left for Malawi last week and finally arrived in Lilongwe on December 31 to bring in the New Year with our field team. We have a small group of 6 interns this month that will kick off what will be an exciting year. They will be sending updates as often as they can so you can reminisce or simply stay up on what we are doing on the ground in Malawi.
This week we wanted to feature some early insights of Catherine Mannon a World Camp intern from Centre College in Kentucky.

“After a long stressful journey to Africa, we finally arrived in Lilongwe, Malawi on Dec. 31. My first impressions of Malawi, B-E-A-UTIFUL. The weather is comparable to Florida in the summers, and the rains seem more infrequent than I expected. So far it only rains about once during the middle of each day. We have been busy from the moment we arrived, reviewing curricula and songs everyday as we make final preparations for the first day of camp. My excitement is almost uncontainable as I anticipate working with the kids! We have met the World Camp Field Staff we'll work alongside for the next month and shared our first traditional meal together, nsima. For those that might not be familiar with nsima, this is a maize (corn) flour mixture that you eat with your hands and is accompanied by a traditional relish. They showed us the proper way to shape out a small spoon pocket from a handful of nsima and scoop up the relish to form the perfect bite; I’m definitely not a pro yet! We have already visited the Ministry of Hope Crisis Center, a care center for babies ranging from newborns to 2 years old. They provide great care and nourishment for babies that can be dropped off by mothers unable to care for them. Mothers return to pick up their children at the age of two when hopefully they will be better able to care for them. Unfortunately, sometimes parents do not come back. It was a great experience to share some love with these infants. It is amazing how despite cultural differences and geographical distances babies are all the same! They all need and want to be well fed, clothed, protected, and have human interactions. All babies cry, smile, can be happy or sad, want to play, explore, and experience!”

We’ll be sharing more field reports all month so stay tuned!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!