It’s the end of the first week and it’s gone by soooo quickly! Our first camp was at Balangombe; it came as a surprise that I ended up leading the teacher workshop, as it is holiday for students in Malawi and there weren’t enough kids for four classes. But, we’re in Africa and things do not always run smoothly here! At first I was nervous because I wasn't prepared. However, I ended up really enjoying the workshop.
Initially I thought that, since HIV/AIDS is such a big problem in Malawi, schools mustn’t be educating children much about it. Turns out, I couldn’t have been more wrong about that. The teachers were so caring and so enthusiastic about learning from our curriculum. Originally this worried me a little because I didn’t want them to feel as though I was telling them how to do their job. It took some of the teachers a few days to open up, the women mainly, but we did have some characters! We took the teachers to observe other interns teaching classes and then discussed what they thought of our information and methods. The teachers were really happy with the activities and games we play with the kids; they said they were fun and kept the kids interested, yet were still thought-provoking and demonstrated that they had learned something. The teachers then spoke about how they could incorporate these activities into their own curriculum or include them in their after school clubs. It was fantastic to see this!
Although I couldn’t have hoped for better staff, it’s sad to think of the limitations and lack of resources these teachers face. Our studies in England include activities such as going on trips, watching videos and downloading podcasts. We have access to all these effective methods but don’t even realize how lucky we are. In fact, a lot of us complain about school. The teachers, however, addressed this issue throughout the workshop. During their community presentation on day four of camp, the teachers played World Camp's "Population Impact Game" using their own resources. This was so great because it shows that the workshop was a success.
I'm really looking forward to working as a teacher facilitator for our third camp as well. Though I guess it could be a similar experience or something completely different. For now, however, I’m excited to work with kids next week.
I love traveling, so getting to see Africa is a big part of this experience for me. My first impressions has been great. When the plane landed the sun coming up looked so pretty from through the window. Once I'd gone through customs, Karen, a World Camp Coordinator met me; we then set off for the house in a Landrover. It was a lot like how I’d imagined it would be: dusty, a mass of flat grasslands, the bright warm sun, despite the fact that it’s actually winter here right now. Women and children were wrapped in patterned cloths, carrying water on their heads, trekking into the distance, probably with miles left to go.
One image stuck in my head is this traffic queue when the rover came to a halt. A boy, probably about 14 years old, led a blind man up and down the queue, begging along the vehicles. I felt really uneasy, as I realized that, although I was in this beautiful country, I would still see or hear things are would be upsetting. I have explored the town and the markets near our house since then, as well as the villages where we run the camps. But there’s still a lot left to see. Later today we’re climbing a mountain that I’ve been told has an amazing view. One of those views you can see for miles from the top of. So in a nutshell, the bad and the good often come together. In general, I’ve had a great time so far and am really looking forward to the next month.
Submitted by: Katie Wilkinson, Malawi SS2 Intern
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