From Luzi to Zambia to Mchezi, a week with World Camp Interns!

Time is flying here in Malawi. After gaining experience teaching during our first week in Luzi, we began work on Monday at the Chimutu Full Primary School school with newfound confidence in the classroom. Chimutu is a city school in Lilongwe and we were commuting there each day, which luckily provided us with all of the creature comforts of the World Camp house.

The kids in Luzi spoke and understood a very limited amount of English, so we were used to relying heavily on our translators and not worrying about the kids overhearing our conversations in English. This was a bit different in the city, as almost every kid spoke

English well enough to carry on a conversation. While it was convenient at times, it was also a bit difficult as it challenged us to organize our thoughts better because the kids could understand what we were saying. Rather than sometimes using our translators as a clarifying buffer between our English lessons and what was relayed to the students in Chichewa, we were forced to clearly and concisely convey our material when we spoke English to our translators.

The school was grossly overcrowded—a pattern we have been noticing with education here in Malawi. The rooms were like saunas and there was not one desk in the whole place. It is no surprise that Malawian teachers have a tough time teaching, as a typical classroom was 90+ degrees and had 50+ students sitting on the ground—very few of whom had access to adequate school supplies.

It was a fun, challenging week and I think that we learned as much from the students as they did from us. It is always bittersweet leaving a village or a school, as you are exhausted and happy to be able to rest, but all the while the kids are opening up and telling you how much they will miss you. We finished off Thursday afternoon with these mixed feelings, but they quickly subsided as the excitement for our upcoming safari began to take hold.

We left early Friday morning for South Luangwa National Park in Zambia. After a long bumpy cozy ride in our driver Eddy's SUV, we arrived our Croc Valley Camp, our home for the weekend. Just as we were pulling into the camp, an elephant came out on the road and blocked us for a moment. This was a sign of a wonderful time to come. We stayed in the beautiful camp that was located on the river for 3 nights. The river was teeming with hippos that could be heard quite well throughout the day and night. Our porches were regularly visited by monkeys and baboons. For these few days, we enjoyed nice weather (for the most part), delicious food, amazing game drives, and plenty of beautiful African skies.

The drives were incredible. From the animals to the talented and knowledgeable driver Freddy to the beautiful sunsets, we simply had a blast. At one point, we came across 18 lions lying in the road—10 cubs and 8 adults. We waited and watched in amazement that began to turn into fear as they surrounded our truck. We watched for a while and then went on our way, untouched by the beasts. We saw countless other animals, including zebras, impalas, warthogs, a leopard, giraffes, crocodiles and many more. It was an unforgettable weekend, ad everyone got lots of pictures.

As our safari trip comes to a close, we begin preparing for teaching and staying in the village of Mchezi, our next excursion.

Submitted by: Mark Nelson, January 2012 Intern.