Not every
safari to Malawi
leads to natural features or historical sites because you can still have fun when it comes to volunteering in this south western African country. There are so many
places in Malawi
where one can volunteer from especially tourists.
Volunteering in Malawi
goes way back from the time the government started encouraging tourists who come into the country to get more involved in the different sectors in that help with development of the country.
There are several projects that you can join when you visit Malawi and all these will give you a more clear perspective about the country and the beauty about volunteering in the country is that you can visit the different tourist destinations in the country while on the volunteering expeditions in the country. And before you head out to Malawi for volunteering, there are few vaccinations that you need to have so that you are allowed to enter into the country and these are typhoid, Malaria, chicken pox, Hepatitis A and B, polio, Tetanus and Diphtheria.
Volunteering in Malawi is an experience that you will not forget because you will be bombarded with a lot of things at the same time and the experience vary depending on where you want to go volunteering and since it is all not about fun but also experience, some of the things that you will feel when you get to the feel will be real life lessons that will get you traveling to Malawi at any chance you get and some of these lessons are worth it.
Many people believe that getting around Malawi is hard especially if you are planning on volunteering in different parts but it is quite easy due to the good transportation system that is within the country and when you get to some of the organizations that offer volunteer opportunities, it is extremely okay for one to have mixed feelings but as long as you help, it is always worth it.
There are also many places that you can volunteer from but it all depends on the cause that you believe in that is an orphanage, conservation volunteer programs, wild life volunteer programs, helping the needy, visiting the local communities so that you get to help the sick and elderly and many more others. I have however listed down a few places where you can start your volunteer program from so that you have an idea about where you begin from when you land in Malawi.
Become a conservative volunteer for trees
Malawi as a country was known for commonly known for her unique vegetation that was located in the different parts of the country but due to the increased deforestation in the country, many of the tree species can no longer be seen in the country and that is how the government came up with the idea of reserving the forests around the country and they also encourage tourists who come into the country to also support their initiative because without the forests, there will be less animals to see and birds to view. And it also provides information to the different schools by teaching them more about the beauty about conserving the environment. That is why when you visit Malawi you should volunteer with the tree programs to save the forests and wild life as well as the environment.
Join the animal rescue mission volunteer mission
Poaching has been a big problem in Malawi in the different National Parks which has greatly affected the number of animals in the country and that is why the Lilongwe National Centre started the rescue mission so that the animals can be saved. The volunteer mission helps in making sure that the animals that are located in the different parts of the country are well catered for and are not affected by poaching anymore.
There are time when the animals need to be attended to by vets and this is where the volunteers come in and it is also a perfect way to get to know more about the wild life in Malawi as you learn to care for them. It is a good way to spend your trip by getting a closer look at the animals and protecting the wild nature of Malawi.
Volunteer at the elderly Centres
Just like in many other African countries, many elderly people are not well taken care of and that is why many organizations have come up in Malawi so that most of the old people get the necessary care that you need. The organizations that take care of the elderly also make sure that they fight for their rights and also give shelter to those that do not have.
There is an umbrella organization that joins all the elderly organizations known as the MANEPO that is Malawi network of the older person’s organization and it is located in Lilongwe. Feel free to connect with the numerous organizations so that you get to help the elderly in Malawi and fight for their rights as most of them are considered to be witches and become outcasts in their own homes.
Volunteer at the Nacholi youth organization
The Nacholi youth organization is located in Blantyre was set up in order to help all the Malawi youth that have HIV, have abused both drugs and alcohol so that they get back on the right path. The organization helps the different youth who cannot access HIV drugs and also helps them undergo the needed counseling. They offer classes for all those who are on drugs and also help them fight the vice and from the time that the organization was set up, there has been a reduction in the number of HIV cases in the country especially among the street children and orphans and it is the perfect place for all those who have experience in counselling.
Volunteer with the steak family
The STEKA family is an NGO that was put in place so that it could lend a helping hand to the different street children in Malawi. It was formed by a former street child known as Maseko and its main role is to pick street children, provide shelter and education to them. The NGO has about forty children that they are taking care of and Maseko and his wife have resorted to funding the NGO with their businesses and all that volunteers have to offer.
Volunteers usually help out so that in fundraising for the children are well taken care of and that is why you should make it a point to volunteer in order to help raise someone’s dream about getting an education. A volunteer program here will also help you understand more about the societies in Malawi as a country.
Volunteer at the Kungoni Centre of culture
The Kungoni Centre of culture was constructed in 1976 by a priest named Claude Boucher and it is one of the best places for tourists to learn more about the culture that is being practiced in Malawi. The cultural Centre gives volunteers a chance to get to know more about the culture by visiting the museum that actually tells you the story about Malawians and their numerous traditions that they carry out that really makes them unique and the story is told the paintings on the walls of the museum and the tour guides. When you visit the Museum, you will also be treated to numerous traditional dances from the different tribes in Malawi for example traditional dances from the Ngoni, the Gule Wamkulu and the Tumbuka tribe. Volunteers can help the cultural Centre by donating anything that they ca so that it keeps on running and also get to volunteer with the locals.
Volunteer at the FEDOMA
The FEDOMA is an organization that helps the disabled in Malawi and it is a society that joins several organizations that help people with disabilities and it was formed in the year 1999. Many of the disabled people in Malawi end up living on the streets because there are very few things that have been put in place to help them with their disabilities and that is why volunteers are encouraged to help out so that most of the disabled come out from the streets.
FEDOMA helps out to raise concerns about the rights of the disabled people in the country and also to make sure that they get most of the necessities that they need like wheel chairs, food and an education and even though they are doing a great job, they still need volunteers to help out at the disabled organizations both physically and financially.
Volunteer at the local communities
There are many local communities in the different parts of Malawi and you can join either one of them so as to help with the sick, the elderly, the orphans and many more other activities especially education. This is one of the million ways that you can help when it comes to uplifting the various communities.
