Two hundred years ago, a man was born who would leave an indelible mark upon Malawi. This Scottish missionary did much to improve both the physical and spiritual health of the country. His name was, of course, Dr David Livingstone.

As the bicentennial celebration of his birth nears, Dr Livingstone continues to arouse plenty of discussion in Malawi. His efforts and influence can still be appreciated, long after his departure.

Whilst I don't want to make any arrogant presumptions or draw any lazy comparisons, I do believe that our efforts as a team can similarly (albeit on a much smaller scale) bless the Malawian people long after we have returned to the UK.

It's all about the ripple effect. Take a simple example. Install a water tank in a remote rural village. The girls in the village (for it is invariably they who are tasked with collecting water) no longer have to trek for miles each day to fetch water (which may or may not be clean). They now have time to attend school with their male counterparts and, empowered by the opportunities that education provides, break through the cycle of poverty. They can now, potentially, pursue a career, maybe become a teacher or doctor and so further help their village.

Seem fanciful? This is a true story, taken from the experience of a Tearfund team in Uganda.

I hope that we can start some ripples too...

'Don't think there are no crocodiles just because the water's calm.' (Malawian proverb) 

There I was thinking that everything was going swimmingly; more recently, however, I seem to have encountered a lot of crocodiles. Preparations continue to gather pace and the arrival of 2013 has given a new impetus to my efforts. But never before had I realised just how much there is left to do and how little time there is in which to do it! 

Flights have been booked and funds continue to be raised. My current job may not be the most glamorous, but at least working as a punchbag in customer services for a couple of months has helped with financing this trip. 

I'm also feeling physically (in additionally to mentally) jaded, having completed the cocktail of vaccinations required for travel, to guard against a myriad of diseases including yellow fever, hepatitis and typhoid. Some were live vaccines, so although I can smugly say that I didn't catch flu this winter, the side-effects have been nearly as bad.  

Health-wise, my diabetes continues to throw up hurdles. Hopefully I won't set off every security scanner in the airport when I pass through Heathrow with over 1000 needles. I also hope that the dreaded malaria medication doesn't give me a permanently upset stomach. 

Anyway, that's enough of sounding like a hypochondriac. I currently have a huge list of things to do/buy before heading out, which covers learning a bit of Malawi's common languages (other than English, it's Chichewa and Chiyao). I'm sure there are several other crocodiles lurking out there for me too...