SERVICE

Malawi

In January of 2018 I travelled with a group from Elon University to Malawi, Africa with the intent of working with a primary school to teach English. In a country as poor as Malawi, many people's only hope for a better, more prosperous life is to learn English. Going to school in Malawi is a privilege; some families don't even have the money for the uniforms and books needed to send their children to school. Many children don't continue into grades 8 and 9, and only the smartest and most well off children are able to continue their education. The higher status jobs in Malawi require a certain level of English proficiency and some people's hope of leaving Malawi in search of higher paying jobs can only be accomplished by knowing a language which is taught elsewhere. Elon University and Namasimba Primary School set up an after school program for their top achieving students. These students were given the opportunity to converse with native English speakers and learn the language through conversation, reading, writing, and games.

While there, my class wanted to be sure that we were not supporting a white savior mentality by entering a third world country, providing something, and leaving, so we structured our program around what the people in country wanted to do and what we could teach the kids that would be meaningful after we left. Because of this loose structure I was able to learn much more from my students than I could have ever imagined. Some days we sat down and they taught me their native language, Chichewa. Others, I would learn from from seeing the way the students interacted with us and their peers. I was astonished with their mannerisms and their astute awareness to their surroundings. Everyday we brought a snack to our students which consisted of a bread roll or sometimes fruit, and a drink. Never once did my students complain about the size of their rolls, or the fact that they got bananas one day and not the next. They wouldn't complain when another member of the group asked for, and clearly needed part of their roll, even when it was clear they were hungry as well. It was equally as wonderful to see the determination and resilience that the students had for their learning. It was something I had never seen from American children and I will never forget their love for learning and their appreciation for the books we read together. Experiencing Malawi and forming connections with the people there taught me lots of things, but most of all it taught me never to take my access to education for granted. 

To sum up my experience, I shared some pictures that my classmates and I took while there below. However, I want to mention that I did not go on this trip to take photos, nor did I feel that taking photos was necessary at most times during this trip, so there is no way that these pictures capture even half of what I experienced. Nothing could truly capture the incredible beauty and energy of this country and all that it has to offer the world.