Social Impact Entrepreneurship Experience in Malawi

My experience was very unique. I learnt a lot about myself personally and was able to work on my weaknesses by turning them into strengths. Working with a team where everyone was so different from each other proved not to be a challenge but a chance to adapt to an environment that you don’t usually experience back at home. I loved working on my project as I got to experience professionalism in the work place by having confidence in myself and my team to work hard together. Overall I loved the experience and would highly recommend it

My month with Project Everest in Malawi has been one of the most formative experiences of my life. I was placed on a project working in the nutrition space. I was afforded the chance to build my pitching skills, business knowledge, time management, crisis management, cultural intelligence and team leadership skills. I was then able to put this into practice by running meetings and building relationships with huge international NGOs working within the space. The people you share this experience with make it all the more special. Shortly into the project you will feel like you're surrounded by family that want nothing more for you than to grow and succeed.
Don't get me wrong, I found it very challenging at points. But PEV has a way of creating an environment in which you can't help but grow as a person.

Make this investment in yourself. You will be thankful you did.

I decided on a whim to travel to Malawi for a full month, with a bunch of students I didn’t know, to work on a social enterprise project (I have no experience in business). I don’t know what exactly I expected, but what I can say is that the month exceeded every single expectation I could have had. It was one of the best months of my life. Not only did I learn so much about starting a business, but I lived with a household of legendary people and learnt about teamwork, a beautiful culture, about how to challenge myself to be the best version of myself I can be.

As we are the 3rd month of project, there was already several relationships built with parts of the Blantyre community. We built on our report with our existing customers and developed stronger relationships with schools and universities. Universities had been a previously unexplored partner who saw an immense amount of value in our project with the menstrual cups. We developed a business model for importing, marketing and selling the product, attempting to improve the supply chain. We gave the company a name - ufulu- and developed marketing material to spread education, awareness and brand recognition.
PEV facilitated personal and professional growth through workshops, group pitches and leadership opportunities.
The team bonded together while in the same house, but also bonded with all of those in the other teams as well. It was an amazing experience, especially for those who had not lived in a share house before,

Doing an internship with PEV was the best decision of my life. I have met people here that I never would have otherwise. I have gained so much professional and personal development. I am astounded how much I have grown in just one month.
The projects really target the needs of the Malawian people. All the research that goes into the projects is so amazing. You will never be able to work on a project like this anywhere else. The social enterprise model is unlike anything I have ever heard of before. I can't wait to see how the projects go in the future.

This experience could not have been a better start to my year. Working and living with a small team, with all our efforts directed towards making a real social impact, and using social enterprise to do so.
In a country where blackouts and water shortages are a common occurance, and something you’ll deal with in country, it’s amazing how little these things matter to you when you’re passionate about what you’re working towards.
The team I worked with throughout the month have become a family, and I sincerely hope that we keep in contact for long after this experience.

Autonomy is a given for interns, as is cultural immersion. An interesting insight into how business works arises through the weeks. You will most probably find yourself amongst different and yet similar people; different backgrounds but with common traits of motivation, enthusiasm and gregarious natures. As an engineer, no strictly engineering pursuits wil be entertained but equally valuable business operations will cater for your needing to be familiar with jow companies who employ you work. The price is worth it especially if you have never been overseas without parents.

I would like future participants to know that each and every trekker has a unique experience in country, and the value you get out of it is dependent on your willingness to adapt and approach situations full force. I personally didn’t know what my project was until I arrived in country and found out that it was being changed to a new project. This ended up being very exciting and tested different aspects of my personality in a way that allowed me to grow. I have been privileged to form relationships with others that I would otherwise never have met without this opportunity.