A chance meeting with John from Germany in early 2018 gave us the first opportunity to host a volunteer at TWESA. Fortunately, this initial contact with the volunteering community provided us with a larger scope of expertise, affording us with the ability to effectively plan and implement activities at TWESA, which had previously lacked such experience. This cultural exchange program was initially intended between the staff at TWESA and the volunteers; however, after time we came to realize that this exchange of knowledge and experiences affected the entire Karonga community. With the help of Mario from Germany, we created a WorkAway profile (Workaway) which allows us to host volunteers from around the world, having already hosted 22 thus far.
As volunteers ourselves, we strive to improve a variety of aspects surrounding the Karonga district, and it is important for us to acknowledge that we cannot excel in every field, as it requires a much larger base of knowledge which can only be found externally. Therefore, the volunteering program provides us with the ability to utilize the volunteer’s skills and experiences to better TWESA as an organization.
As TWESA covers different thematic areas, we are interested in volunteers from various backgrounds. We can agree on a customized volunteer program for volunteers. Volunteers can engage themselves directly with us in our thematic fields, or we can set them up with other institutions that we are working with, such as local schools, health centers, local sports or musical clubs. Working with us in our environmental activities can consist in going into the local communities for the construction of cooking stoves, participating in tree planting, training of farming techniques, awareness raising campaigns and cleaning activities. Also very welcome are volunteers that have a background in the administration of NGOs and can help us to improve our internal structures.
However, volunteers are not expected to work long and strenuous hours, instead it’s expected they immerse themselves in the local culture while working alongside TWESA for a more enjoyable and wholesome experience. Fundamentally, this cultural immersion is exemplified in the process of a TWESA staff member and their family hosting the volunteer (alternatively the rental of a small apartment is also possible), allowing them to truly absorb the local experience with a firsthand experience of local cuisine and culture. The volunteers can engage themselves in cooking, food shopping at the market but also spending their free time playing with kids from the neighbourhood or spending afternoons at Lake Malawi or visiting other places in Karonga like the museum or the Music Center.
The volunteer’s stay with the hosts can vary from as little as a week to many months, providing the volunteers with a flexible time frame to accommodate for their travel plans. However, it is important to understand the friendships that emerge from a volunteers stay with TWESA last far beyond their initial home stay, as we pride ourselves on our ability to create long-lasting relationships which span for years into the future. These relationships have played a crucial role in the development of TWESA thus far, as each volunteer provides a new perspective on current and future projects. We would like to thank the following volunteers for being exemplary examples of this notion, which has immensely helped in the progression of TWESA: Illies, Mario, Kristina, Ona and Lluis, Billy, Sara, Freu, Jeske, Cedric and his family.
If you’re interested in volunteering with us, you’re most welcome! Check out our workaway profil or just contact us via Whatsapp, Email or Facebook. We’re looking forward.
TWESA in Community Development 