Where??

WHERE in the world am I going...

Where is Malawi located?

I think for the entire time we were in Malawi in 2004-2005 some members of our family thought we were Maui, soaking up the sun and enjoying the picturesque beaches. Although Malawi is a beautiful country, it is very far away from the beaches of Maui. Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west. Malawi is among the smallest countries in Africa and contains a Lake Malawi which takes up about a third of Malawi's area. Lake Malawi is about the same size as Lake Erie and Malawi is almost as big as Pennsylvania. Traveling to Malawi takes about 24 hours of flying time from the United States, and depending on the time of year it is either ahead 6 or 7 hours.

Where is the school located?

The School I will be teaching at is located in a district (town) called Mulanje. Mulanje is a town in the southern region of Malawi, close to the border of Mozambique. The small town is the center of Malawi's tea growing industry, and the school is completely surrounded by tea fields in all directions. Mulanje is about an hour away from the second biggest city in Malawi, Blantyre. Blantyre is where I will be flying in and out of, as well as where I will go occasionally to buy supplies at the larger supermarket.

Where will I be living?

I am excited about where I will be living for the year. When the school was constructed, two houses were built on the property. One house is where the headmaster and his family lives, and the other house is a volunteer house, for people like me! This house was constructed with the hope that volunteers from around the world would be able to come and work and live at the school. The house is a 3 bedroom brick house, with a tin roof. It has indoor plumbing, and water, and a full kitchen for me to use. The house also comes with the most breathtaking views of Mount Mulanje jetting into the sky amongst all the tea fields. I look forward to waking up to that view every day.

What??

Last blog I answered WHO, in this blog I will answer WHAT? If you have any questions you would like to ask me, please feel free to comment below and I will be happy to answer them for you!

What will I be doing?

I am very excited about the work I will be doing in Malawi. I will have the opportunity to work at St. Andrew’s Mission Secondary School (SAMSS). This school is adjacent to St. Andrew's Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (CCAP), which Southminster has been in partnership with for over 20 years. Together the two churches built the Mission School. It is a secondary school (high school) located in Mulanje, Malawi which is about an hour and a half away from the major city of Blantyre. Mulanje sits at the base of Mt. Mulanje and is completely surrounded by tea fields as far as the eye can see. It is a beautiful location. I am a little nervous, since teaching was not my major, but I will be teaching science, which should be fine because of my medical knowledge. I look forward to passing on what I learned in all those biology and chemistry classes and labs! I also am looking forward to getting to know the students of the school, Not only in the classroom, but on the athletic fields and lunchroom, etc. I am also looking forward community building with them, and with the members of Southminster’s partner church members.

Fortunately, Mulanje area has two hospitals: Mulanje Mission Hospital and Mulanje District Hospital and I plan on volunteering at both of these hospitals when I am able.

What will I eat while I am there?

For the past 2 years I have eliminated gluten from my diet for health reasons. When I first thought about going to Malawi for a year I was concerned about what I would be able to eat. Luckily, the more I thought about it the more I realized that Malawi is a very gluten-free friendly country. The main food is called Nsima. Nsima is ground up corn that is then boiled and stirred into the consistency of grits. I will be able to eat this without a problem and I love it! This is paired with a “relish” of stewed vegetables such as cabbage, tomato, pumpkin leaves, or other in-season vegetables, that you dip the Nsima into and eat together. I will also be enjoying the huge variety of fruits and vegetables that will be grown by local farmers and sold at a market near where I will be living and working! Rice is also readily available, and chicken is abundant. Although I am sure I will miss the convenience of prepackaged foods that are quick and easy to make, I am looking forward to the challenge of learning to cook from scratch, with the help of my mom and sister's recipes, and using what I have available to me to create gluten-free creations.

What will the money I raise be used for?

This trip has been a dream of mine since the day we left Malawi in 2005. Unfortunately, behind every dream there is that a level of reality that must be met. Since I will be leaving my job, I will need funds for my flights over and back, for transportation while I am there, for electricity, water, food and internet (so that I can keep you all updated here on my blog!). I will also have to purchase special medical insurance since American plans don't work too well in Africa. The school will provide housing, but there will be other normal costs associated with homes, like paint and everyday repairs. I will probably have to purchase some supplies for my classroom and laboratory, to make it an effective learning environment. Thankfully with the help of all of you, the reality of this dream of mine is coming true!