Empowering Lives: A Transformative Volunteering Experience

I recently spent the whole September in Malawi with the aim to support HYCF to bring their vision for their projects in Karonga further into reality to not just making a difference in the lives of the people there, but to enhance their capacity building as well. I had the priviledge of working on different impactful projects especially dedicated to empowering girls, boys and women in the Mwenilondo area in Karonga. My overall experience was nothing short of inspiring and transformative and I was also able to learn a lot of new things and gain new skills.

In the beginning of my stay David and I visited the local community in Karonga and had different conversations with the locals like Grace from the mother group in the Mwenilondo area as well as Gertrude the head teacher of the primary school there. In that way I could understand the current situation and challenges that they were facing better and also what successes have already been achieved with previous projects of HYCF. I was so incredibly impressed by the enthusiasm and determination of those women, who want to lead their community into a better future that I decided to support them with different projects.

Since HYCF is a smaller non profit organization they also rely on support from donations to implement their more extensive projects. That’s why I first started with fundraising – an experience that was at that time completely new to me. I’ve never set up a Gofundme campaign before, but David helped me a lot with that and his previous experiences. It was very important to share the campaign with all the people I knew and on different media especially in the beginning of the campaign to gain more attention for the good cause and I also gave updates during the progress of the projects. In that way we could raise enough money to buy materials for new reusable pads to exchange the old reusbale pads that were given to the menstruating girls 3 years ago in a previous project of the volunteer Brinda. We could also organize a one week sewing machine workshop for the women of the mother group with our trainer Tekla, so that they could learn to produce more reusable pads in an easier way and shorter time and without pain in their hands. What was a very touching moment for me in Karonga was that we were also able to use the funds to help an elderly lady in the Karonga community who had nothing to eat for several days. You could really see how grateful she was that she finally had her basic needs met again. That experience humbled me a lot and showed me one more time how important it is in a community to also help those people in need who are not able to help themselves.

Another highlight of the projects that I worked on for HYCF was a very successful sexual education workshop with the theme „It’s my choice – I have the power“ that we organized for the more adolescent girls and boys starting from age 11 at the Mwenilondo Primary school. For that workshop I’ve been working closely together with Tawemi, the monitoring and evaluation officer of HYCF who was transporting the important messages in the Tumbuka language to the pupils. It was a very enriching collaboration with her and we were putting our knowledge for the structure and content of the workshop together. I was also able to learn more about the Malawian culture in that way, for which I am very grateful.

During my time I’ve been the only international volunteer at HYCF, but in that way I was also working very closely together with David on my different projects. I got to know him as a very dedicated and hardworking person who is very passionate about helping his community with all his heart and having a positive long lasting impact there. That’s also why he always makes sure to include people from the community who function as role model into various projects so that especially the pupils can learn from their experiences and be empowered to follow their own unique path in life. Whenever I had questions about something or needed his help I could always ask him and communicate openly to him. David helped a lot when it was about buying the materials for the reusable pads on the local markets, scheduling meetings with the head teacher and mother group as well as finding the sewing machine trainer and translating when people were just able to speak their local language. He was also showing me around in Karonga so that I could not just get to know local places like the beach lodge, the gym, the market and other places, but also local people and spending a great time with them together. I could also visit places like Nkhata Bay and Chitipa.

During my time in Malawi I stayed with David and his family and had my own room with a comfortable bed and his mother Ruth always took care that there are 3 delicious meals per day available. It was a wonderful stay with them and I’m so grateful for the interesting and wonderful conversations I had with his mother and father. David’s family made me feel welcomed from the first minute and more like being part of the family. I also felt always very safe since the house is extra secured and also David and his family told me what is safe to do and what to take care of. Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart for having me at your place and making my stay so wonderful!

All in all, my time with HYCF was a very meaningful and fulfilling experience for me. David’s and the organization’s dedication to empowering girls, boys and women is commendable, and I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to such a noble cause. To do projects together with HYCF is not just about making a difference; it’s about being part of a movement that strives for equality, empowerment, and a brighter future for all. I wholeheartedly recommend to volunteer with HYCF to anyone passionate about creating positive lasting change in the lives of the people of the community in Karonga and instilling confidence, nurturing dreams, and creating a foundation for a brighter future.