January 15, 2012 Travel Time

Being on a plane for approximately 25 hours gives you ample time to think. So to burn time, I wrote down some things that I had truly learned from the trip to Malawi. Learning to be grateful for the small things in life is essential for maintaining happiness. Once you have seen the poorest of poorest with your own eyes, you see the world in another light. One thing I found amazing, is Americans are so materialistic and wealthy compared to Malawi but  post Americans are unhappy. Malawians have hardly anything but maintain smiles on their face everyday. They value all the small things in life such as family and friends. We can learn from their culture that happiness is not obtained through money or materials. It is simply found through those around you. If you help others more than you help yourself you will gain more happiness in your heart. A quote that I now live by "It's not what the world can do for you, its simply what you can do for the world". Helping others is more important than helping yourself! I'm grateful for the opportunity to have traveled with the most amazing group of people in the World.

January 14, 2012 Traveling back to the States

Today we were packed and ready to start our travels back to North Carolina. Observing the group everyone  was eager to go back to see family and friends. Eager to do the same, I knew, I was going to miss Malawi with all my heart. There is a reason why Malawi is named the heart of Africa because it is the most amazing place ever. Malawi had exposed our best qualities in each person and we all grew very close to each other. I considered the group as my extended family and still do today. Malawi filled a void in my sole and has led me to be a better person.

January 13, 2012 Water Activities on Lake Malawi

After a good nights rest, we started the morning with breakfast and motor boating. The boat took the group to the island we had past on the sail boat the day before. The island looked similar to the Virgin Islands. The rocks soared out of the water to great heights but looking into the water you could see the rocks emerge from the earth. To take advantage of the situation we did some cliff jumping and snorkeling around the Island.  The picture above was taken of a friend and I helping local fishermen with their throw net the night before. Due to the risk of damaging cameras I didn't take one to the island.  After a half day on the lake, we drove back to Lilongwe to pack and do some last minute souvenir shopping. At this point I felt that Malawi was my home. It didn't sink in until later that night that we were flying back to the states the next day.

January 12, 2012 Departure for Lake Malawi

After a long week, we were rewarded with a trip to lake Malawi for some water activities. The camp we stayed at is involved in helping the surrounding villagers. Once we got settled in, we took the sail boat out on the lake for a tour around the island. Spending the afternoon sailing, swimming, and helping local fisherman catch small fish was a chance to enjoy the beauty of lake Malawi. The lake gifted us with some gorgeous weather. Experiencing this underdeveloped lake side makes you feel like you are in another world.

January 11, 2012 Mchezi Village Departure

The next morning, I woke up at 4:30am to the the sound of locals working outside. The family greeted me by my bedroom door to notify me breakfast had been served. The breakfast consisted of toast, boiled eggs, and popcorn.  After breakfast, I met back up with group and listened to everyone's diverse experiences. Thereafter, we started working on the maize mill project to finalize a few things. The CBO was assigned a few goals to help the process of writing a business plan. After the meeting, we loaded up in the van and as we drove away kids chased the van with cheers of joy. Our experience in the village made us all grateful for all those amenities we are accustomed to in America. Living in a hut with no electricity, bathroom, running water, air conditioning, or comfortable beds will make you appreciate everything you have in America. The ride back to World Camp was spent discussing our feelings and thought about the maize mill. Once we were back at World Camp, we were allowed some down time to sleep and rest. It was an awesome opportunity go shop or just daydream.

January 10, 2012 Mchezi Homestay

Today we drove to a small village for a home stay. Mchezi is more developed than most villages in Malawi, only because they have progressively worked to improve their community. The community established a "Community Based Organization" that educates people about HIV, they offer home based care for those infected with HIV, they maintain a pig/chicken farm, and teach early childhood development programs. The CBO is truly making a difference within the community.After spending numerous hours working with CBO members, we decided to help them create a plan for a maize mill. Meanwhile, we played with the kids and interacted with the community. Once it was time for business we sat down with the CBO and created a rough draft  pro forma income statement. The research revealed it was feasible to build and maintain a maize mill within the community. Within the group we all decided to establish an action plan to fund the operation. The CBO plans to use the profits from the maize mill to fund their community based programs. After we adjourned, we split ways and headed to our homes to experience Malawian living.

January 9, 2012 Studying around Lilongwe

After gaining a good nights rest, we were ready to venture out in Lilongwe to see the newly built city. Traveling to see President Banda's statue allowed us to learn about the Malawi government. The statue stood in front of a huge clock tower.A tour guide explained the quotes that were engraved into the statues foundation. After the short presentation, the guide led us to the top of the clock tower, which revealed some spectacular views. In a rush for time we headed back to World Camp to meet with a representative from The Jewish Heart for Africa. which is a non-profit organization that installs solar panels for villages to pump water from a bore hole. Malawians on a normal day walk several miles and pump for hours to retrieve a pale of water. Jewish Heart for Africa installs storage tanks to the bore hole to maintain a certain capacity of water. The system they offer helps locals access water quicker and more efficiently.