Before the London 2012 Olympics, one of the key buzzwords was ‘legacy’. Once the fleeting moments of sporting spectacle had passed, what would be left to show for it all? What would be the long term impact on the surrounding community?

In a similar vein, I’ve been thinking about the ‘legacy’ of our trip out here in Malawi. Maybe legacy is too grandiose a term, but I think it aptly conveys the sentiments that I’m seeking to express. We’ve only one month left in this country, so what will we leave behind? What will be the lasting effects of our time spent here?

Obviously, as brilliant as our collective talents are, we’re not expecting to witness some sort of national transformation in the wake of our stay. Nevertheless, the impact that we’ve had can still be observed, measured and continued.

Much of our work has entailed passing on skills and knowledge to communities, whether in schools, villages or churches. It may be (inter alia) how to manage a business, how to obtain better crop yields, or how to ensure basic personal hygiene. These things, although intangible, will benefit not only the immediate recipients, but also can be passed on to fresh audiences: the ripple effect (cf. earlier blog). It empowers people to help themselves, rather than rely on others for help.

Accordingly, we can start to undermine the insidious dependency culture that has arisen in Malawi (and indeed in much of Africa). We may not have a freshly painted classroom or a gleaming new block of toilets to show for our own efforts, but the success of our trip is not to be measured in bricks and mortar. Our focus has been on people; on equipping and empowering them to break out of the cycle of poverty that has entrapped them.

We hope that our work echoes the ethos of The Big Issue magazine back in the UK, whose slogan is ‘a hand up, not a hand out’. Many Malawians simply need a helping hand to get them on to the first rung of the ladder, the ladder by which they can climb out of their impoverished circumstances and improve their lives. Imparting skills and knowledge is one means of achieving this. Another means, equally sustainable but requiring initial capital outlay, is setting up microfinance schemes.

These projects all concern what has already happened on this trip – our immediate legacy. I hope soon to share information about a new project that will start once this trip has finished, which will, I trust, be a blessing to Malawi too.