Alumni: Where are they now?

This week, World Camp is highlighting an alumni who's passion has kept her working with World Camp long after her trip to Malawi. Check out Jenny Reiner and how she is helping the World Camp family:

Hi, my name is Jenny Reiner and I am serving as the Boston Area Representative for the summer. Since volunteering with World Camp in 2010, I have realized how strongly I feel about promoting awareness of health inequities and developing ways in which communities can strengthen and implement change.  I learned about WC through Karen Clark (the best coordinator!), who was a fellow classmate at Colby College. As a recent graduate of Colby, I am looking to gain more experiences within the public health field, especially in nonprofit organizations.
I think what has inspired and motivated me to stay involved with World Camp is how passionate I feel towards World Camp’s mission. When I was in Malawi, I was struck by how WC used education as a vehicle for change within Malawian communities.  My favorite part of the curriculum was when all of the classes performed a presentation for the village community on what they had learned.  It was such a unique experience to be part of a community assembly that openly discussed taboo subjects, such as how to care for someone with HIV/AIDS.  Involving the community made me realize how our discussions transcended the walls of the classroom and made a difference in the community.
As an area representative, I am helping to maintain alumni relations and increase the volunteer base. Currently, I am reaching out to colleges and universities in the Boston area to increase awareness of the internship opportunities through WC.  It’s been fun to share my past experiences in Malawi with prospective interns and to help get more people involved with WC.  I’m very pleased with the direction in which WC is moving.  Since I volunteered in 2010, they have made many curriculum changes and have formed vital partnerships with the field assistants.  I think that collaborating with Malawian field assistants will enable WC to better understand the realities of Malawian communities and will foster a curriculum that will have a long-lasting impact.
Besides my work at World Camp, I worked with elementary students in Maine to learn about their perceptions of nutrition, along with the role that schools play in fostering a healthy environment.  This project exposed me to the challenges that children from low-income families face in leading healthy lives.  At Colby, I was also a member of the Women’s Swimming and Diving team and served as mentor in the program, Colby Cares About Kids.
I can’t wait to get more updates from the WC staff currently in Malawi and I dream of going back to Lilongwe some day! (maybe for some of John’s delicious chocolate cake…or the infamous WC no bake cookies!). If there are any WC Alumni in the Boston area that would like to stay in touch or know of anyone who may be interested in being involved with World Camp, please let me know! I’m available by email at reiner.jen@gmail.com.  Thanks!

flag day: out with the new - in with the old

In honor of today’s holiday, Flag Day, World Camp is highlighting the beautiful flag of Malawi.

Mutharika’s flag on left; Original flag on right

The original flag, adopted in 1964 when Malawi reached independence, featured three horizontal stripes of green, red, and black, with a red rising sun on the top black stripe.  The black represents African heritage; red, the blood of martyrs struggling for independence; and green, the land of Malawi.  The rising sun represents the dawn of hope and freedom for all of Africa.

In 2010, past president Bingu Wa Mutharika altered the Malawian flag despite much public protest.  The Mutharika administration changed the flag to feature a full white sun placed in the center of the flag, which represents the economic progress Malawi has made since independence.  The order of the colored stripes were also changed to closer resemble the Pan-African layout.

Changing the Malawian flag came at a massive cost to the country.  The Mutharika administration spent nearly 3 billion kwacha, roughly US$565,000, changing the layout of the flag.  Official stationery, new flags, stickers, and other official items distributed to embassies, offices, and the private sector had to be changed, forcing Malawi to spend unnecessary amounts of money.

One of President Joyce Banda’s first orders of business, once inaugurated, was to present a bill to Parliament requesting the Malawi flag be restored to its original post-independence design.  President Banda said “the decision to revert to the old flag was arrived upon observing that the process to change the present flag did not involve adequate national consultation and participation by Malawians.”  Parliament, agreeing with Banda, passed the bill in late May.  Now, to the joy of many Malawians, the flag is restored to its original splendor and to many, better represents the history and identity of Malawi.


Sources:
http://www.nyasatimes.com/malawi/2012/05/28/malawi-parliament-approves-to-revert-to-original-flag/
http://www.nyasatimes.com/malawi/2012/05/30/dpp-govt-blew-k3bn-on-flag-change/

from the office: Summer interns!

They’re a big force behind World Camp's success and we think you should know a bit about them - meet our Summer interns!

Lisa:

Where's your hometown?

I was born and raised in Charlotte, NC.

How did you end up at World Camp?

Michelle and I heard about World Camp through two of our sorority sisters: Nicole Bradley, who traveled with World Camp to Malawi last summer, and Morgan Nirenstein, who worked as an intern in World Camp’s office in Asheville last summer.  They both sang praises for World Camp, so I had to check it out.

Michelle on the left, Lisa on the right

What do you do when you're not busy at World Camp?

I love spending time with my friends.  A lot of times, we rent movies and lounge around.  I am into any genre of movie, as long as it is watched with great friends!  Also, I’m in the process of looking for a new place to live, so I’ve been house hunting throughout Asheville.  It feels like a part-time job!

What aspect of World Camp are you most passionate about?

I am most inspired by World Camp’s Camp Hope.  I think it is so important that HIV positive youth have an optimistic outlook on life.  Not only are the children offered education on HIV treatment, but they are also provided with strong support networks and positive role models.  Offering support to these children is so motivating to me.

What's your favorite thing to do in Asheville?

Eat!  Asheville has the most delicious food!  They take southern food to a whole different level, giving traditional foods an Asheville twist.   Some of my favorite places are Tupelo Honey, Early Girl Eatery, and Circle in the Square Pizza.

What has been your favorite thing to work on at World Camp so far?

One of my first tasks at World Camp was to organize information sent from Malawi via photographs into a massive spreadsheet.  The photos featured large posters filled with information about the schools connected with World Camp in the Malikha Zone of Malawi.  I was able to learn a lot about these specific schools, including student demographics, infrastructure, and the needs of each school.  This may not sound like a fun task, but I am obsessed with organizing things, so this was perfect!

What your hopes for the future of World Camp?

I would love to see World Camp expand to other countries in need.  I know that World Camp previously had service learning internships in India and Honduras.  To see these programs resume, and also begin in other countries, would be incredible.

Michelle:

Where's your hometown:

Born in Maryland, but raised in Raleigh, North Carolina

How did you end up at World Camp:

Lisa and I have a sorority sister that went to Malawi with World Camp and she absolutely loved it, and another one of our sisters interned here before. I guess we're following in the Alpha Xi Delta tradition of working with World Camp! 

What do you do when you're not busy at World Camp:

I like to spend time with my friends. We've gotten really into grilling out this summer. I'm also training for a half marathon again so I’m trying to get back in the swing of things.

What aspect of World Camp are you most passionate about:

I think World Camp and I share a passion of development through education. I think it’s the most sustainable way to make substantial changes. The idea of empowering people through education is golden. That’s why I am so thrilled to be working here! 

What's your favorite thing to do in Asheville:

Well this is my first summer in Asheville, so I’ve been trying to immerse myself in the summer culture! Whether it’s hanging out by the pool, Downtown After Five, the drum circle, or grilling at the Bywater, I’m open to suggestions! I’m excited to see all the festivals Asheville has in store this summer as well.

What has been your favorite thing to work on at World Camp so far:

I enjoyed working on a project about Home-Based Care in Malawi for someone in the field. I didn’t know much about the topic, so it was interesting learning more about the culture and traditions of Malawi.

What your hopes for the future of World Camp?

I just hope that World Camp can continue to grow and expand over the years to serve as many as possible and continues to bring about positive change in the world. It’s just a great cause so I hope more and more people get involved and “the word” about World Camp continues to spread. Also, Lisa and I also hope to get 1,500 likes on Facebook by the end of the summer!