ICS blog

Team Malawi is made up of three placement groups: Ungweru (translated as ‘Light – Jesus’ Light Shining on the Community’), WESM (Wildlife and Environmental Society of Malawi) and COWLHA (Coalition of Women [and girls] Living with HIV and AIDS). However, for the sake of this blog – we are, collaboratively, Team Malawi!

Over the past week, as part of our in-country orientation, we have received a thought provoking cultural workshop covering topics ranging from etiquette for men and women within the home to gender roles at a funeral, birth, marriage and other cultural rituals. 

It is hard to start a piece of writing about international development volunteering in Africa without using a cliché or two, but so far the experience has been filled with events that belong in an archetypal textbook on the subject.  However, running water, cosy beds, not being trapped behind a toilet door for hours and surprisingly adequate food have left us feeling suitably comfortable, actually.

With a million stars in the sky to marvel at, both the national and the international volunteers felt at home the moment we stepped on the sands of the village called Bezha/Nyololo . As if that was not enough the moment we entered one of the huts in the homestead we knew that the cultural exchange had already begun.  Served with a dish of African food called ‘inkobe’ and a metal cup filled with warming tea ,we all knew that the cultural boundaries were slowly but surely being broken down.

Located in perhaps the most dramatic settings of Malawi, our Progressio ICS team have been diligently working our way through the inner and surrounding areas of Mulanje. The past eight weeks have, for many of us, been an extremely steep learning curve, each of us gaining and contributing in different ways. Mulanje Massif is at the heart of all our training and campaigning and being such a crucial source of natural resources, this majestic geological formation sustains the communities that surround it.

Complementary to our eco-latrine project, the large quantities of litter in El Pochote presented an exciting challenge for the British and Nicaraguan volunteers in El Medio Ambiente Group. Challenge is no understatement. How do you influence a community’s attitude to reflect an outcome that has a more positive impact on the environment? A community that for many of us speaks a different language, has a very different culture from ourselves and has most likely lived this way for years. 

In the year 1990, the UN finally began peace negotiations concluding a civil war that had claimed the lives of 70,000 Salvadoreans and had torn a nation in two. This proved to be a momentous moment for many exiled Salvadoreans as it resulted in repatriations back to their homeland.  500 families were involved in this movement from places such as San Antonio, Intibucá and Honduras, who all came together to discover the unknown province of Gualcho in the department of Usulután.

The Nyadombo family is headed by an 82year old widow, Mrs Nyadombo who has four daughters, of which three of them are married and stay away from their home except for Dorica. Aged 55, Dorica stays with her mother due to disability from birth. She cannot walk or eat alone. Since she was born, her mother has had to stay close to her. This has made it difficult for Mrs Nyadombo to participate in any village activities, work in the fields or even visit relatives. Furthermore, there has been noted neglect from the community as well her family members.

I find it hard to concentrate as I write this blog for the last time, as our journey in Nicaragua has almost come to an end. With one week left to spend in this remarkable and exotic country, all of the volunteers are planning a week away to relax and reflect on all the memories we have gained. I was not expecting time to pass so swiftly at all, but here we all are, preparing for the big finale in La Plaza de la Cultura in Masaya. Stress levels for some are running high as we want to make our last event a huge success and leave Masaya on a high.

HIV is prevalent in every country throughout the world. Here in Malawi HIV and AIDS affects over 11% of the population, with 95% of those infected living in rural communities. Although they do have access to medication they do not always have access to the support. Those who are HIV positive can sometimes face stigmatisation, low self – esteem and isolation of themselves from others, and often they have no one to turn to for support. In Mzuzu Ungweru have organised and help set up Aids Support Groups (ASG) in the rural communities.

After weeks of talking about the idea of doing a mural for the local community of La Asomada, we finally took the initiative and set about putting our design ideas into action. The village is very proud of their local radio station, and it is positioned on the main road leading into the community. We thought this would be the ideal location for the mural. Before the work could begin, we had to agree on our message for the community. The village is in a beautiful location, with lush green mountains scaling up and down the surrounding landscape.