World Camp: Service Learning in Malawi

I volunteered through World Camp, Inc. in 2011. I had heard about the organization through friends, but was most interested in volunteering with World Camp because of their deep commitment to HIV/AIDS education, which aligned well with my long term interests. On a really base level, I applied because I knew that an internship of this nature would be a great way to get an "on the ground perspective" for future jobs in the global health arena. However, upon arriving in Lilongwe in June of 2011, I quickly realized that World Camp was more than just a nice resume boost. My internship with World Camp was truly a moving experience that helped shape both my personal and professional perspective longterm. I walked away with a new understanding of poverty and the role HIV is currently playing in many developing countries, especially Malawi. Personally, I felt that in the two short months I was there, I grew so much as a person. Being exposed to such incredible poverty and disease is definitely challenging, but helped me not only appreciate all that I have, but solidified my desire to continue giving back in countries such as Malawi for the rest of my life. The people of Malawi have exceptional heart. I am forever touched by my experience with World Camp in Lilongwe, Malawi.

World Camp is unique, extraordinary program that offers an experience not found within large non-profits or NGOs, which is why, for me at least, it was extremely rewarding and eye opening. I volunteered with WC in the summer of 2009, where not only did I meet and work with truly inspiring individuals, I also learned important lessons about who I am and what I hope to accomplish. Education, especially HIV/AIDs, is vital to developing countries such as Malawi - and I feel that World Camp is one of the few organizations that works directly with the people they are trying to help in order to efficiently come up with hard solutions to tough questions. Now, four years later, I find myself in graduate school studying International Affairs, which I can largely thank WC for inspiring me to get here. I recommend this program to anyone who is looking not only for meaningful work but who is asking tough questions about the world, themselves, and will never settle for an easy solution, because that is not what World Camp is. World Camp is for the believers and for those who will stop at nothing to help.

I volunteered with World Camp in Malawi in 2009 and it totally changed my perspective on so many aspects of life. I had just come from two years of corporate life and felt very unfulfilled. World Camp was just what I needed. The organization did a fantastic job of giving us volunteers a chance to bond, make a real impact in Malawi, and be challenged.

It was inspiring to work along side passionate volunteers and program leaders who pushed me to give more of myself. Everyday I was pushed to my limits while at the same time, rewarded with amazing interactions with my Malawian students. I will never forget the daily joy of singing with our students every morning and afternoon. The memories are too numerous to list!

Overall, I left Malawi with a new mindset. Similar to other posts on here, I returned to the US more aware of the world and the problems that many people face. I gained a sense that I could really make a difference, and World Camp gave me the tools and awareness to continue to do so.

Highly recommended!!!

World Camp changed my life - literally. During the economic crisis of 2008 I lost my job due to a layoff. Confused on what my next step was, I decided to volunteer. I learned of World Camp and was on a plane two months later.

I can't really say what my favorite part was - Malawi, my fellow volunteers, or the leaders who guided us through this journey - all had a huge impact on me. When I finally returned to the U.S., I was a different person: more empathetic, more centered, and more in touch with what life is like for those not born in a First World Country.

World Camp is an organization that practices what it preaches: you don't need unlimited funds or big name sponsors to change the world - you just need heart and determination. World Camp embodies both of these.

I am confident that World Camp is one of the very best International Volunteer programs out there. I have volunteered with several non profits throughout the world, and World Camp was the most organized, professional, and cultivated programs I have come across. I volunteered with World Camp in 2009 and intended on volunteering for 5 weeks. At the end of my 5 weeks, I decided not to return home and participated in the second 5 week program WC offered that summer. My experience was fulfilling and I was developing a better understanding of the culture and focus topics. I had to stay and keep volunteering.

Prior to traveling to Malawi, WC offered pre-program support that was very informative and reassuring. Once in country, the Program Coordinators were extremely helpful when in came to settling in and preparing for the journey ahead. The goals and objectives of the curriculum are very apparent, and the lessons we teach are impactful. However, WC has an open-minded approach and encourages volunteers to give ideas and help to continuously develop a better curriculum. The 4 day camps are well refined and sustainable. As a volunteer, you are given great opportunities to immerse yourself in Malawian culture during camp and outside of camp. World Camp is genuinely concerned about volunteer's experiences, always offering a variety of adventures and team building activities.

I highly recommend World Camp to anyone considering volunteering abroad. It changed my life and will most certainly change yours!

I volunteered with World Camp in 2006 and on and off again from 2008 to 2010. My experience, like every one else I have come across, was amazing. World Camp is well established in Malawi and has relationships with the schools, teachers and kids they work with. This partnership goes a long way towards making their work effective. They're not just an organization that drops in to a community for a few days here and there, they have have relationships that go back, they listen to the needs of the specific communities and because of all that, they are well respected by the people with whom they work.

On the volunteer experience, World Camp keeps you busy. If you're looking for a five week vacation in Africa, this probably isn't the right program for you. You'll be challenged daily by the coordinators, the teachers, the kids, the translators and your fellow volunteers to think critically about the work you're doing and how you can be more effective. World Camp listens to its volunteers and if you have ideas about how to make the program better, there is amble opportunity during and after your volunteer session to make those ideas a reality.

It sounds cheesey to say this, but World Camp is a life-changing experience. Volunteering with World Camp affects every individual differently. But it's an experience that will change you and you'll never be able to forget about Malawi and the people you met there. You might even go back or make a living doing the work that World Camp started you on.

In 2005 I very nervously boarded a plane to volunteer with World Camp in Malawi. Not only did it end up being an incredible 5 weeks, but it quickly became one of the best decisions of my life. Within a few days, I knew why people call Malawi the "Warm Heart of Africa" and that my life was about to change for the better. My summer with World Camp gave me a perspective on the world and development work that no classroom or reading could have done.

Having researched and considered several other volunteer programs, I could not be happier of my choice to work with World Camp. I chose the organization in part because I felt so inspired by the story of how it began. But what really sets the organization apart, is World Camp's unwavering passion for working with people to find sustainable solutions. My undergraduate studies left me critical of the effectiveness of development work and what it really means to 'help' people. Lila Watson captures the distinction, "If you've come to help me, you're wasting your time. But if you've come because you believe your liberation is somehow bound up in mine, then stay, and let us work together." World Camp embodies this idea. And when I think of my time in Malawi, I remember how much the people I worked with and I had an effect on each other.

Five weeks changed my life. World Camp provided an amazing volunteer experience -- a comfortable house, great leadership, a variety of activities and new experiences, and most importantly, the chance to make a real difference. Besides there's nothing like playing games with a bunch of silly kids under the most beautiful African sky.

I first volunteered with World Camp in 2008, and instantly fell in love with the program. It provided me the opportunity to work alongside so many truly wonderful and inspiring people, both local Malawians and other volunteers from all over the world. Through World Camp I really got the opportunity to see and experience the best of what Malawi has to offer. Meeting and talking with the people, emersing myself in the culture, and getting out and experiencing the country was without a doubt the most life changing and significant thing I have done in my life. My time with World Camp provided me with the opportunity to unite with other passionate and driven young people to accomplish something simultaneously powerful, beautiful, necessary and fufilling. Being able to witness firsthand the benefit of what I was teaching to those Malawian communities, and seeing how appreciative and grateful the people were to have me there is something I will never forget. It was most certainly the best decision I have made in my life. Not only was I able to give so much to some of the nicest and most deserving people in the world, but I recieved as much or more in return. Volunteering with World Camp is a decision you will never regret. Doing so will provide you with lessons and memories you can carry with you for the rest of your life. I miss all the friendly smiles, the singing and dancing, and the breathtaking sunsets everyday.