Malawi: Full Hearts (and Guest House)

06.04.2014

March was an extremely busy month here at help2kidsMalawi as we had 12 volunteers staying at the Friendly Gecko and working at the projects. It was great having so many volunteers at the projects and having a full guest house! This is a tribute to our volunteers. We hope your time here was filled with learning, laughter, and fun. We hope the friendships you made with other volunteers bonding over inside jokes, shared frustrations and joys of teaching, and experiencing new cultures, foods, and adventures are lasting. We hope you are able to look back at your time here with fond memories and a full heart. A big thanks to you all for your hard work and dedication to the kids here in Malawi. Thank you for the extra effort you put into preparing lessons, grading exams, and doing extra washing and cleaning at the pre-school. Thank you for your thoughtfulness around the guest house and wonderful family dinners. Thank you for the passion and care you brought during your time with us. From the extra love and attention at the pre-school to the bountiful number of volunteers at Kids Corner in the afternoons, the kids loved having more people to play with and learn from.

Our volunteers were busy with the students at Kazembe Primary School this term, assisting the teachers in Standards 5 through 8 in the mornings and providing extra tutoring for interested students in the afternoons. Some of our volunteers even had the opportunity to teach Standard 6 on their own this term as the teacher left the school for a new job. While they had help from the other teachers with subjects such as Chichewa and Agriculture, our volunteers were totally responsible for teaching English and Mathematics. They even helped write and grade the final exams for these subjects! The students and some of the volunteers were able to celebrate their accomplishments this past week at the second term closing ceremony.

We enjoy seeing the volunteers bond with the children at our projects. Nothing brings a smile to the face of a volunteer faster than when they are walking to the projects or to the market and a child they don’t even know calls out their name. It is the relationships volunteers build with the kids at the afternoon projects that are the most meaningful. From one on one tutoring at Afternoon Club, to a game of football at Kids Corner, to a swim in the Lake at the end of the day, our volunteers get to know the kids on a special basis. During this time our volunteers are privileged to learn about the hopes and dreams of many of the children who attend our programs. From becoming pilots to soldiers to doctors, our students have ambitions and the extra time our volunteers spend with them helps to foster a belief in themselves that they can accomplish these goals with hard work and determination.

While saying goodbye is hard for both the kids and the volunteers, most volunteers head home with fond memories and full hearts and our kids eagerly await the fresh faces of new volunteers. Upon seeing an unknown face, they immediately ask “what is your name?” and “where are you from?” They are always excited to build new relationships. Would you like to be the next new face the kids are asking about? Find out more about our volunteer program here.