Welcome to 'the warm heart of Africa'! Malawi may be a relatively unknown country, nestled deep in the interior of southern Africa, but its amazingly friendly locals and stunning natural beauty are famed throughout the continent.
Malawi (formerly a British colony, Nyasaland) is dominated by the lake that bears it name. This huge inland sea is also known as the 'Calendar Lake', since it is approximately 365 miles long and 52 miles wide. We will be spending around 2 months on its shores, based in Salima near Chipoka. There we will be helping with locally-run projects, helping communities to help themselves by becoming self-sufficient. Despite the bountiful resources of Lake Malawi, the country has suffered from famine in recent years and many families currently face food shortages. Many also lack access to safe water facilities, making diarrhoea, dysentry and typhoid very prevalent.
Similar problems will be encountered when we work in and around the Malawian capital, Lilongwe. This is where our trip will actually start. The city will act as our base as we travel to rural areas, aiming to improve water access and food security, whilst simultaneously organising initiatives to raise HIV/AIDS awareness. Nearly 1 million Malawians have HIV and education is vitally important, since many myths about prevention and cure still persist.
Some of our team will also be travelling north across the country to Ekwendeni, near Mzuzu. They will be continuing to promote HIV/AIDS awareness there and working with local partners on the ground.
That, in a nutshell, is what we'll be up to. For further updates, watch this space!
