World Camp

Not the actual date I visited Malawi. I would say 2015, not an option. We all got sick (food thst we had to make for each other) like being back at school if you were not in the "in" crowd they would make life miserable. GOOD LUCK.

I travelled to Malawi during the summer of 2007 with World Camp shortly after graduating from University of South Carolina's master's program. I was about to start my "adult life" and I was looking for an unforgettable, international experience. Boy did I ever get it!

I participated in a 5 week volunteer summer session with World Camp. I travelled overseas alone but meet some of the greatest people while I was there. I had heard about WC through family friends and my sister had travelled with the organization a few years earlier.

During my time there, I participated in 3 day camps at the rural schools in the Lilongwe area. The camps were taught in the native language with translators. The curriculum was heavy in AIDS education but also spent time discussing gender equality and environmental issues being faced by Malawi. The interaction with the kids was one of the greatest experiences of my life and I still talk about it like it was yesterday.

The in-country program at the time was run by experienced twenty-somethings which allowed for the program to run smoothly but also keep the environment fun and young. It was a tiring but one of the most rewarding experience of my life. To this day, I still encourage young folks considering international volunteerism to research World Camp and what it has to offer.

I am always brainstorming about how I can help change the world. My time as a volunteer with World Camp was my first real chance to make a change. As soon as I was old enough I submitted my application for the 2009 summer program eager to begin my journey in Malawi. Before I knew it June came and I had graduated high school and was on a plane headed to Malawi. Little did I know my world would be forever altered during my trip.

The next 5 weeks I spent traveling throughout Malawi with some amazing volunteers teaching HIV/AIDS prevention, nutrition, gender equality, environmental awareness and human rights to school children. I explored a beautiful country, emerged myself within an unknown society, and quickly felt my heart grow very fond of the people in the small country tucked in the southeastern corner of Africa.

World Camp is unlike most non-profit organizations that do work in Africa. World Camp collaborates with local educators and citizens to facilitate education, outreach, and action planning. World Camp’s goal is not to foster a dependable relationship, but rather to create a sustainable future for Malawians.

As volunteers we were able to experience everyday local life by participating in a homestay, visiting babies at a local orphanage, and exploring Lilongwe in our downtime. Safari in Zambia, the trip to Lake Malawi, and the hike up Mt. Nkhoma were unforgettable adventures where my bonds with the Program Coordinators and fellow volunteers grew stronger.

World Camp volunteers travel the world to educate, inspire, and change the lives of others, and it happens right before your eyes. Upon my return home what I realized is that my time in Malawi and relationships with the people I met there educated, inspired, and changed me in ways I never imagined possible. Educate, Inspire, Change; these three words will forever be engrained in my heart because of my time as a volunteer in Malawi.

I volunteered with World Camp in January of 2010 and cannot imagine a better volunteer experience or organization. I participated in a 4-week program in Malawi which was perfect for me as a first time international volunteer. We spent 4 days at each rural primary schools teaching about HIV, environmental degradation, and gender empowerment. World Camp's detailed curriculum and thorough in-country orientation lets teachers and non-teachers thrive in the classroom.

World Camp takes a different approach than many similar organizations, and it's an approach I truly respect. World Camp focuses on education, fostering critical thinking, and building local capacity as opposed to infrastructure or handing out small loans. As a result, World Camp students emerge from camps with new information, a more critical worldview, and a wonderful support network at their school. It was an amazing feeling leaving after just four days at a school knowing my students were more empowered and had the tools to become a driving force for change in their own communities.

The volunteer experience is at the heart of World Camp's programming. We were led by two wonderful Program Coordinators whose passion for Malawi, global equality, and education was clear. The volunteer house is in a great location in the city, but we also did a homestay with the families of our students to learn more about rural Malawian life outside school. In addition to teaching, our leaders had great activities planned for us in the evenings and weekends including a beautiful hike up Mt. Nkhoma, opportunities to play with babies at the Crisis Nursery, relaxing afternoons are restaurants with live music, and the chance to shop in local markets.

Volunteer with World Camp - you definitely won't regret it!