A Passion for World Camp

Wonder what it's like to be on-the-ground in Malawi seeing our life-changing programs in action? To get an in-the-field perspective, we chatted with our Country Manager, Solomon Chipingo-Phiri (Chipingo). He filled us in on his love for World Camp's work, what makes Malawi great and some of his passions.

What inspired you to join the team at World Camp as Malawi Country Manager?
I am inspired by the opportunity to contribute to the improvement of underprivileged people World Camp serves and the empowerment philosophy we adopt in our work.

Why are you passionate about World Camp’s mission?
It makes people proactive and strategic actors in the development of their lives and their surrounding communities rather than being passive recipients of development. World Camp has a bottom up approach which is dignifying to the people it works in partnership with.

Why is World Camp’s work so important in Malawi?
The government ministries have good plans, but they are limited by financial resources. World Camp works to complement the government initiatives contributing to the specific development of heath and education. World Camp has a distinction in its work in that it aims at empowering the locals to identify their problems and devise solutions for those problems, while working with them as a partner. This assures the sustainability of our projects.

What’s a favorite memory from Camp Hope?
A favorite memory of Camp is during the Memory Tree activity. This is where campers share what they have gained and are able to recount the treasures they have amassed from camp. I like the true stories because they are honest and come from their hearts rather than from their heads. It makes me cherish the hours that I invest in camp.

What is the most rewarding thing about your job?
To see hopeless lives being transformed and impacted with my contributions.

What do you love the most about your home country Malawi?
It is a land of peace and the people are so lovely. It has a rich culture that believes in family and a supportive structure morally and socially.

What do you do when you are not working at World Camp?
Reading, watching my favorite channels on TV, creative beauty arts and composing songs which I 

Rethink HIV: World AIDS Day 2015

By World Camp Intern Rachael Thorn

World AIDS Day is held each year on December 1st to continue support for the fight against HIV and to commemorate those who have died because of an HIV or AIDS related illness. It began in 1988, making this the 27th year of this international health day. While there have been great strides in the past three decades in understanding HIV and developing treatment, World AIDS Day reminds us that this struggle is not yet over. 

Here are some stats of what happened in 2014 alone (AVERT):
Estimated 36.9 million people living with HIV
2.6 million children living with HIV
54% of all people living with HIV know they have the virus
2 million new HIV infections
220,000 new HIV infections in children

This health pandemic still affects a huge number of the population. Although HIV is manageable with proper regimented treatment, there continues to be misconceptions, stigmatization, fear of getting treatment and lack of access to treatment that pose as obstacles. World AIDS Day is a time we can all come together and show solidarity in the fight against AIDS. Support our HIV health and education programs by visiting our donation page. You can also order your red ribbon.

Your gift provides services and awareness to Malawian communities. By taking this day to reflect on the evolution of this pandemic and rethink HIV, it gives us the opportunity to create new ways of providing support and infrastructure that can benefit those, especially youth, living with HIV in Malawi. Thank you!

Access to Health Care: How Governance Plays a Role

By Intern Rachael Thorn

World Camp’s work focuses on helping the people of Malawi access health care. There are many challenges to health access in Malawi and issues surrounding governance are a starting point to help us understand lasting and sustainable solutions for communities. 

Malawi’s government decreases its capacity to provide fundamental services to its citizens through poor governance that would ultimately only strengthen Malawi as a whole. The 2014 report of the Corruption Perception Report ranks Malawi as 110 out of 174 (with number 1 being the country with the least amount of corruption). Its score is 33 on a scale of 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (not at all corrupt) (Transparency International).

Corruption Perceptions Index 2014
The perceived levels of public sector corruption in 175 countries/territories around the World:

What does this have to do with access to health care? Let’s take a look at Malawi’s government. Malawi appears to have a patronage system, which means the government rewards contacts in the private sector for their support or in exchange for furthering their political advantage. Between a patronage system and the large income disparity present in Malawi, we begin to see a vicious cycle of poverty and stagnation for lower classes. As there is less room for reward in sectors like education and health, for government officials and companies, less money is put into these underfunded sectors. Largely, a system has been put in place that is beneficial for some, but not for those who depend on the state to provide fundamental public services.

The 1998 Local Government Act was an attempt to introduce a framework that diminished instances of corruption. This was implemented “to further the constitutional order based on democratic principles, accountability, transparency and participation of the people in decision making and development processes” (Commonwealth Local Government Forum). However, Malawi’s rule of law lacked the ability to enforce this accountability that would come from the democratic process, because it was proposed without outlining methods to constrain the patronage system already in place. Thus, the pedestal of democracy did not have the legs to stand on and the tradition of patronage continued to dictate the priorities of the public sector.

We must remember that it is difficult to talk about the corruption in any country because it is only the perception of corruption that it is verifiable. Thus, to quantify it, such as the Corruption Perception Report does, only tells us part of the story. It is more important to understand that the citizens perceive this corruption based on the quality of life in their daily experiences and accessibility to public services. World Bank’s “survey results suggest that users (households and businesses) regard public institutions as delivering generally inferior quality services or alternatively that none of the public institutions listed are performing exemplary public service in Malawi. The performance and the perceived honesty/integrity of institutions are highly correlated” (eldis). It may be difficult to view public institutions as reliable for many citizens after the 2013 Cashgate scandal in which over 70 people were arrested in regards to illegitimate payments from the government that were being paid to civil servants who had previously supported political players.

Why is understanding corruption in state governance important? Where do we go from here? One major form of change comes through social mobilization that comes out of education, awareness and empowerment. World Camp is working towards all of these things. We face the systemic problems everyday and have to continue to believe that they are not unchangeable. The first step in mobilization is understanding where the foundation is cracked and how that crack trickles down to affect almost every aspect of society. The first of the World Bank suggestions for moving towards progress says: 

“In fighting corruption not only must the approach be holistic, but it must also be carried and supported by all stakeholders in the society” (Governance and Corruption Diagnostic Survey in Malawi). 

Continuing support of our work to include all citizens of Malawi in having an empowered voice can lead to improved access to health care and education. Our holistic programs reflect the suggestion of the World Bank and looking towards the future, the hope instilled in our partner communities can become empowerment—and empowerment can become change. 

Staying Connected with Our Kids

By World Camp Intern Zoey Ponder

With the end of Camp Hope comes the beginning of a new year of Camp Hope Follow-Up sessions. Follow-Up sessions are daylong events specifically for the campers that World Camp recruited to attend Camp Hope. These events focus on reinforcing the lessons learned at Camp in a smaller setting that allow campers to grow closer to one another and get one-on-one attention and counseling from World Camp’s dedicated mentors. The first session was all about encouraging campers to dedicate themselves to setting future goals and coming up with ways to achieve those goals. Managing Director, Emily Stallings and I were lucky enough to get to participate in this year’s first Follow-Up. 

The first session, held on September 19th, had two activities to teach our campers how to focus on their goals. One of these activities was a game led by Makhumbo Bwanali, former World Camp staff member and long-time Camp Hope Mentor, intended to help the campers see the importance of focus in achieving their goals. Makhumbo led the campers through a card game to teach them the benefits of focusing on their goals and how to help their fellow campers stay focused. 

For the other activity, I taught the kids how to make an American craft, dream catchers. Dream catchers were an excellent activity to illustrate goal setting and focus because of the significance of dream catchers. The legend of the dream catcher says that bad dreams get caught in the web while good dreams flow through the hole in the middle of the web and down the feathers onto dreamers. The dream catchers serve as a perfect symbol for resilience – allowing the dream catcher to filter out all the negative thoughts while letting positive thoughts filter through. We decided to have the beads of the dream catcher symbolize goals and the feathers symbolize methods of achieving your goals. One feather was made of paper on which the Mentors helped campers write their goals for the future and strategies for achieving them. One girl wanted to be a nurse and a Camp Hope Mentor and asked me how, other than school, she could achieve her goals. Together, we decided she should practice caring for the people she already knows and helping others. She was so excited by this new idea she flashed a huge smile as she wrote it down lightning fast on her methods feather. It was wonderful to see what all the kids want to be when they grow up; many have dreams of helping others by being police officers, nurses, or mentors. 

At the end of the activity the kids proudly showed off their dream catchers and we took pictures of each camper in front of all the dream catchers made by the group. It was beautiful to see all the bright beads and feathers symbolizing all our campers will one day achieve. 

After activities we had lunch prepared by our nutritionist Thandie, who single handedly prepared food for upwards of fifteen people - she was quite the impressive cook! After lunch, she sat with all the kids to talk about the nutritional value of what they ate. I was impressed by how eager all the kids were to talk about their goals and share their knowledge about food groups and healthy eating. 

Last, we had time to hangout and play. Several of the girls were very fascinated with my hair as I had just cut it very short. They ran their hands through it about ten times before they believed it was my natural hair. 

At the end of the day, with healthy snacks and dream catchers in tow, the kids headed home. One girl held my hand and thanked me “for all I had done for her”. She thanked everyone in this manner, the most sincere thank you I’ve seen anyone of any age give in a long time. All the kids were so open and wonderful, always reaching for a hand to be held or jumping at the chance to answer a question. 

The World Camp Rover left the driveway full of waving, singing campers excited about their day and looking forward to the October Follow-Up session!

Reflections on Camp Hope

By Intern Zoey Ponder

As this summer’s sessions of Camp Hope wind to an end and World Camp begins to prepare for our year-round programming, we all take the time to pause and reflect on our time spent at Camp. I was lucky enough to spend four days at two different camp sessions this year and will forever remember how touching this opportunity has been. 

Camp Hope is held in a beautiful setting, sort of off the beaten path about an hour outside of Lilongwe. The campsite lies against the backdrop of amazing rocky peaks and surrounded by quiet villages and farmland. The last fifteen minutes of the drive in is filled with kids yelling “azungu” (a friendly nickname for someone with light skin) and waving at the car as we bounce up and down on the dirt road. The campsite itself has large boys’ and girls’ dorm rooms as well as a huge dining hall in the center. Off to the right of the dorms and dining hall is a soccer field and the main hall and classrooms are over on the far side of that. 

Meal times are some of the silliest times. Kids have three meals and three snacks each day to help teach the value of nutritious eating and to provide valuable nutrition they may not receive at home. It was at Camp Hope that I tried Malawian food for the first time. Everyone is encouraged to eat as much as they want, as it was explained to me by an enthusiastic camper, “This is Africa, EAT EVERYTHING!” Meal times are also utilized to teach campers important food groups, staying hydrated and to celebrate the “Super Campers”. Super Campers are campers who are celebrated for their accomplishments at Camp during “Camp Kawawa” - which is essentially a big party of singing and dancing and giving out awards for any number of accomplishments that can earn one the “Super Camper” certificate. 

Outside of mealtimes the day is filled with loads of activities, special classes on all sorts of topics from the stigma attached to HIV to arts, crafts and campfires. I was very impressed to see the kids memorizing their ART (antiretroviral therapy) treatments and pill names so they can advocate for themselves and understand their treatment. Kids at Camp Hope get the chance to learn a lot about HIV and how they can help keep themselves healthy, like the importance of taking your treatment each day and the value of nutritious food. 

One of my favorite activities was the creation of a goals book. Campers got a picture of themselves taken in front of the Camp Hope sign, which many of them were very excited to share with me—and let me tell you these kids know how to strike a pose! Inside their books, they are encouraged to write what they want to achieve with their lives. Many of them wrote professions like a nurse or an accountant. They then wrote how to achieve these goals, what might stand in their way and how to overcome those obstacles. It was amazing to see kids who very seriously wanted to figure out how to achieve their goals. They were even asking me how to reach their goals and wanting me to share my goal book to them. It was an honor to have them want to share their books with me. 

Camp Hope really is a wonderful place for these kids. I saw so many of them laughing, holding hands, dancing together and sharing stories of struggle and hopes of a very bright future. These kids face a lot every day, but they are brave. Together, I saw them standing tall, whether it be dancing on the stage at Stage Night or in the lunch room receiving their “Super Camper” award. I am very proud of everyone who took part in this year’s Camp Hope and I can only hope that Camp Hope will continue to reach more kids each and every year.

A Hopeful Future

HIV was first reported in Malawi in 1985. Since then, the spread of HIV has reached 10.8% of the adult population. “Malawi has a generalized HIV epidemic. HIV prevalence among persons aged 15 to 49 years has been declining steadily from 16.4% in 1999 to 11.8% in 2004 and then 10.6% in 2010.” Not only does the disease affect the adult population, but about 170,000 children also live with HIV (Malawi AIDS Response Progress Report 2015).

Photo: AVERT
An HIV prevention poster in Mzimba, Malawi.

Counsellor explaining about HIV testing and treatment on World AIDS Day, Malawi - See more at: http://www.avert.org/hiv-aids-malawi.htm#sthash.qndVapSH.dpuf

Counsellor explaining about HIV testing and treatment on World AIDS Day, Malawi - See more at: http://www.avert.org/hiv-aids-malawi.htm#sthash.qndVapSH.dpuf

Counsellor explaining about HIV testing and treatment on World AIDS Day, Malawi - See more at: http://www.avert.org/hiv-aids-malawi.htm#sthash.qndVapSH.dpuf

Increased prevention work and education over the past decade attributed to the decline in new cases. Although, Malawi’s infrastructure and economic standing make it difficult to truly erase it from epidemic status. Recent years indicate positive steps in the right direction, but prior decades of poor governance and constrictive bureaucracy left behind a lot of work to be done.

HIV prevention and access to antiretroviral drugs are the focuses to curbing the spread of the disease. Initiatives currently implemented include: expanding voluntary HIV testing and counseling (HCT/ VCT), prevention of mother-to-child transmission services, condom promotion and distribution, voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC), blood safety measures, mass media campaigns, and life skills education (LSE) for young people (AVERT).

Many non-governmental organizations (NGOs) collect high volumes of data in their hands-on work to identify the most common causes of transmission and the most affected demographics. Organizations such as the World Bank, the Global Fund, the World Health Organization, the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) have all taken an active role in funding and planning to decrease incidence and increase awareness in Malawi (AVERT).

Photo: AVERT
Counselor explaining HIV testing and treatment on World AIDS Day, Malawi.

UNAIDS, specifically, leads the way in analyzing target goals to catalyze initiative to eliminate HIV/AIDS. Their plan for 2015 has been very successful. The target goal for 2015, as set out in the Millennium Development Goal 6 of 2000, has been surpassed. This year, UNAIDS “celebrates the milestone achievement of 15 million people on antiretroviral treatment—an accomplishment deemed impossible when the MDGs were established 15 years ago… [Worldwide,] new HIV infections have fallen by 35% and AIDS-related deaths by 41%” (UNAIDS).

Malawi’s steadily improving situation reflects the larger global picture, but meeting goals requires working within localized communities. Greater awareness and education will lead to a better perspective on HIV prevention in Malawi. For example, many adults do not get tested, but simply assume they are living with HIV because of its prevalence. Unsafe sex is justified by choosing partners based on their societal status or perceived cleanliness. Even if precautions are taken, condom use and safe sex practices are rarely being implemented on a consistent basis. Education, access to testing sites, and decreased stigmatization of testing will be key factors in the next five years in continuing to improve the state of Malawi’s HIV epidemic.

Looking to the future, UNAIDS’s highlights its target goals for 2020, “90% of people living with HIV will know their HIV status, 90% of all people with diagnosed HIV infection will receive sustained antiretroviral therapy, and 90% of all people receiving antiretroviral therapy will have viral suppression” (UNAIDS 90-90-90).

By World Camp Intern Rachael Thorn

Greetings from Camp Hope!

After years of writing about Camp Hope and working to make it possible each summer, I had my first chance to visit yesterday. The experience was as moving and fun as I could have ever imagined. The campers, like all groups of Malawian children I’ve gotten to hang out with, were sweet, excited to meet a new person, and super energetic. I was invited to eat at a different table for every meal, but I barely sat down before the kids were eagerly asking, “What’s your name?”

Camp Hope is a camp that serves specifically youth living with HIV. These children, so considerate and adorable, are all facing a tremendous life-long challenge. Camp offers our newly-disclosed to youth a chance to come to terms with their diagnosis, learn more about their disease, and bond with other children facing similar difficulties. It’s jam-packed with fun activities, but also designed to provide campers with knowledge and skills they will need to care for themselves throughout their lives.
One of the absolute highlights of my visit was meal time. Campers are clustered into Color Groups that sit together at meals and participate in activities together. During meals campers chant songs, break out into dance and celebrate each other’s achievements from the day. Two campers from each Color Group are recognized at every meal, sung to the front by the whole Camp – enthusiastic hands pounding out a rhythm on the tables. Mentors (think Camp Counselors) recognize the success of these campers: Describing their positive contribution, Labeling the attributes this speaks to, and Praising the camper for this behavior.

I was so happy to find that my visit fell on Day 5 of Camp which features Stage Night in the evening. Stage Night is a talent show that really lays clear what a supportive, nurturing environment Camp is. Each Color Group spent much of the day preparing a presentation to share with the rest of Camp. The presentations showcased the campers’ talents while also emphasizing the importance of Camp Hope to our youth. My favorite moments were when campers recited poems they had written about Camp, or the importance of adhering to your HIV drug regimen.

Both World Camp Intern, Zoey Ponder, and I will be visiting Camp again next week. We can’t wait. We’ll be back with more updates for sure!

The Camp Hope Experience

With Camp Hope just around the corner (the first session on August 2nd and the last on August 18th) we at World Camp are quite excited. Camp Hope is a summer program that happens each summer for kids in Malawi living with HIV. With a HIV prevalence of 10.6% HIV is unfortunately common amongst Malawian youths. Camp Hope gives these kids a space to meet other youths living with HIV and engage in educational programs to help them cope.

Some of the main focuses of Camp Hope are to: increase understanding of anti-retroviral therapy (ART), promote nutritious eating and healthy living, as well as to improve self-confidence and decision making skills. Youths living with HIV and their guardians face a plethora of issues ranging from social stigma around HIV/ AIDS to remembering the names of treatments and how to take them. Camp Hopes both guardians and youths to handle these issues by developing programs which help kids handle all aspects of their health as much as they can while enabling guardians to provide the best support.

This year Managing Director Emily Stallings and myself are traveling to Malawi in the beginning of August to assist with this year’s Camp Hope. This will be my first year helping out in Malawi after interning in the Asheville offices for a year and I could not be more excited. Camp Hope will be my first opportunity to try doing what I want to do for the rest of my life; teaching health education abroad, particularly sexual health education. While there’s room for improvement in the American sexual education system, I feel that teaching sexual health in the developing world truly change the world. Especially in countries like Malawi, where 46.9% of the population is under the age of 14, empowering youths with knowledge of sexual health could prevent so many negative health outcomes.

Camp Hope is particularly interesting for me because of the holistic approach they take. Sexual health and ART understanding are taught right alongside healthy cooking and eating classes as well as classic camp activities like crafts and games. Even after the completion of Camp Hope there are Camp Hope Follow-Up sessions and Guardian sessions to reinforce and expand upon the themes at camp. I’m so looking forward to seeing the effect that Camp Hope has on these kids and their families as well as on myself and the staff and take that knowledge with me into my career.  Here’s to another great session of Camp Hope for all the kiddos and the adults, we all have a lot to learn!

A Return Journey to Malawi

A Return Journey to Malawi

When I arrived in Malawi this January it was 8 years to the day since I had first set foot there. I had always hoped to return to Malawi but never fully expected it to happen. How could I be so lucky as to set off on such an adventure more than once in a life? 

After a quick change of clothes (it was balmy in Lilongwe unlike DC in January), and Customs, I met my partner in crime, and guide to all things Malawi, Michael Kumwenda, our Country Manager. I was admittedly exhausted after the trip from DC but I was exhilarated on the drive from the airport to our house in Area 3. I had absolutely forgotten just how beautiful Malawi is – particularly in the rainy season. As before, the side of the highway was as congested as the roadway itself, filled with men transporting goods on the back of bicycles; whole families piled onto a single bike; small groups of school children walking in single-file lines; vendors selling all manner of things, from bricks, to tire scraps to puppies.

January is typically a time of great activity for World Camp. This particular January we were hosting a study abroad trip for a group of students from Appalachian State University. They, however, had departed for safari in Zambia the morning I arrived. It had been a long time since I had seen our house or any of our staff there, but it all came back so easily: the big, open space of the living room; the enormous kitchen (with its crazy cabinetry); and wonderful John and Angoni. 

The majority of my time in-country was spent working hand-in-hand with Michael to learn more about our day-to-day operations in Malawi. I attended many of our World Camp Club meetings, stakeholders’ meetings, and met with the community based organizations with which we work. Because the ASU group was there for the first half of my trip I was also able to do an overnight homestay in Mchezi and enjoy some of the fun trips our volunteer groups take.

My time in Malawi was half a chance to learn, half an exercise in remembering. I was reminded of the deep generosity and kindness of every Malawian I have met, the joy of driving down a dirt road and waving to everyone you pass. Being in Malawi feels like being in the biggest small town despite its rapidly growing population. Getting to spend a second month in Malawi, I was able to learn so much more about the country, its people, and customs. I was also reminded just how good Garlic Nali really is.

My time in Malawi has been and will be instrumental in the expansion of World Camp’s programming. I was able to learn vast amounts about Camp Hope (which is quickly approaching!), see first-hand how our World Camp Clubs are progressing, get to know our staff, and collaborate with them on many tasks and programs. I am excited to see what all will come of my trip. We have already refined processes, re-assessed program roll-out, and developed concrete measurement tools as a result of my time in Malawi.

I am grateful to have had the chance to return to Malawi and excited by the prospect of returning this summer. I know that the more amazing trips to Malawi I am able to take, the more I will grow, and the more World Camp will benefit.

 

Current Events in Malawi

Malawi to Launch New Nutrition, HIV and AIDS Project

 

The principal secretary of the Malawian Department of Nutrition and HIV/AIDS, Edith Mkawa, announced during a conference Monday, February 25, 2013 that Malawi is set to launch a new five-year Nutrition and HIV/AIDS program February 28, 2013. President Joyce Banda will preside over the function at Bingu International Conference Center.

The new program will focus largely on the reduction of childhood stunting, childhood and maternal anemia, and the prevention of HIV. Mkawa stated that while Malawi has made significant improvements on reducing HIV transmission rates, its prevalence rate still remains among the highest in the world, making prevention a priority. Some of the most recent statistics show about 900,000 to 1,000,000 people of all ages living with HIV in Malawi. (UNICEF)

Child stunting is an issue that is caused by under-nutrition that poses a large threat in Malawi. Those who suffer from it live with poor physical health throughout their lives and damaged cognitive abilities that limit their capacity to learn and earn a decent income. (CNN)

“Malawi has made significant gains in child survival and maternal health, but no significant improvements have been made so far on child survival and stunting. Stunting also has long term effects on cognitive development, school achievement, and maternal reproductive outcomes,” Mkawa explained.  

It is hoped that the implementation of this project will reduce levels of HIV transmission in both children and adults in addition to reducing stunting levels. Changing these statistics would greatly improve the overall welfare of the country. 

World Bank Lending to Malawi By Volume (in USD Millions)

Funding for this program is being provided by the World Bank, with the US providing about 80 million dollars in funding. About 50 million will go towards HIV and AIDS programming while 30 million will assist in the child nutrition portion of the program. Other money will come from Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). About 60% of this money is a grant, while 40% is a loan. 

Story link:

http://www.nyasatimes.com/2013/02/25/malawi-to-launch-nutrition-hiv-and-aids-project/