Blog: 2010
Hey there! We have had a great week so far, completing two days of after-school programs with the children. Their energy and excitement to be back after their trimester holiday was encouraging and they were ready for the activities we had planned. I attempted to teach them ultimate frisbee for recreation time, which was a little confusing and chaotic at first, but they seemed to get the hang of it! The kids are quite shy speaking English so far, so I'm hoping they warm up more and I'm able to get to know them on a deeper level. They are so well behaved, respectful, and hardworking -sitting quietly while eating lunch, helping carry buckets of food and water to/from camp (perhaps they can teach me their head balancing skills by the end of the summer!), and following the leaders' instructions. I think they could teach American kids a thing or two!
I was also able to volunteer at the Madisi Mission Hospital two days this week. I did a lot of observing since my Chichewa language skills are not quite good enough to be interviewing patients nor are my clinical medical skills very advanced yet. I'm trying to keep my eyes open for exactly how I can be helpful there over the coming weeks. There are very limited resources and many challenges there, but I'm not sure how I can fit into the picture. The most exciting thing was that I got to see a baby get born in the operating room via c-section! While I felt a little light-headed at moments and had to sit down, it was a special moment to witness!
I'm sorry to keep this short and picture-less this week, but I hope to do a better job next time. Tinashe is taking me up to the Northern region of Malawi this weekend to meet her parents and see her home village. I'm quite excited to stay with her family and see another part of the country! Have a nice weekend! ~Janelle
Greetings! I am continuing to enjoy the slower, simpler
lifestyle here in rural Malawi, it has been a welcome change from the
flustered month of May I had in the US and the usually hectic American
way of life. I love strolling home with Tinashe through the Madisi
market and creating a meal from local produce such as tomatoes, sweet
potatoes, and bananas. Listening to the radio, shelling peanuts from
the recent harvest, or playing cards with whichever visitors decide to
stop by has been a refreshing way to spend our evenings. I’m even
perfecting my bucket shower and laundry techniques!
However, things moving slower has manifested in two ways this
week that have been making me think a lot. The first is the slower
pace of business getting done. This is frustrating not only for me,
but also the local people who are trying to make a difference in the
community. My approval as a hospital volunteer, Rise’s effort to
register with the Malawi NGO office, and two interns’ visa
applications are all currently victims to this difficulty. Even Za’s
simple trip yesterday to the bank took over two hours inside! We’ve
been having conversations about the causes and possible solutions to
this and cultural, bureaucratic, technological, and political aspects
all seem to contribute. There was a consensus among the leaders that
this inefficiency majorly hinders efforts of development and growth in
the country. While the complexity and size of the problem can be
enough to paralyze those trying to navigate the system, I'm trying to
pray that creative and innovative solutions can be found to move
things forward for our own issues and for the future of Malawi.
The second slow thing that has come to my attention is the pace
at which many in the community are able to move through school and
establish themselves in a career. A hallmark of UrbanPromise
programs, the CampLeader program at Rise Ministries employs high
school students to work as counselors for the younger children. I
have spent most of the week with the Rise team of Jen, Linda, Annette,
Chikondi, and Mpatso evaluating the past term and preparing lessons
and activities for the next term, starting Monday. (I can’t wait -we
have lots of fun things planned and I’m realizing how much I miss
formally working with kids!) I assumed they were mostly in their
teens due to their level in school, but I was astonished several days
into meetings to discover that I was the second youngest person in the
room at age 25! Education has been delayed for different reasons for
each of them, but many times the poor quality or availability of
teachers and schools meant that they must repeat grade levels multiple
times before passing the exams and moving on. Other delays have
occurred because of family or health issues that prevented the
students from attending for months at a time. When these factors are
unfortunately coupled with a lack of expectations and encouragement,
many will never finish or reach their full potential. This is
discouraging to see in the community, but it is promising to see the
CampLeaders eagerly working towards passing their national exams and
moving into professional schools or colleges. Rise requires them to
be pursuing advanced education and provides the support necessary to
get there, such as tutoring, help with fees, and an encouraging staff
to bring optimism in the midst of a difficult journey. My goal is to
add my voice and inspire others to join that chorus of hope here this
summer and in the years ahead. Even though I sometimes get frustrated
to still be in a 'training' stage of life and not free to do medical
work yet, how humbling to be reminded of the many opportunities I have
to be thankful for that have fit into my first quarter-century of
life!
Thanks for reading, keep us in your prayers and I hope to share
again soon about the new term of after-school program! ~Janelle
Picture outside Rise office after a planning session (from L-R:Tinashe
and Campleaders Annette, Jen, & Linda)
It has been a great first 4 days in Malawi! With only a few luggage and stomach adjustment glitches, things are going well. I have been welcomed so warmly into the Madisi community by Tinashe, Za, and the other leaders of Rise Malawi Ministries. I have spent most of my time at Tinashe’s home and the multipurpose Rise office/Za’s home, where many children and friends continuously drop by to greet me and hang out with the leaders. This is so neat to see a safe and positive place where youth can come to be encouraged, inspired, and just to be themselves--reminds me of the UrbanPromise student center in Camden. I can already tell how much the kids and teens look up to the leaders, even though we haven’t begun the next session of after-school program yet! I have also been able to go on a walking tour of the community, which includes a moderate size trading center as well as a few schools and a hospital, in which I hope to volunteer. One of the most exciting parts of the tour was seeing the plot of land Rise has purchased and to hear of the vision the leaders have for a future community center there.
I appreciate the slower, simpler lifestyle here so far. It is a welcome opportunity to refocus and understand how millions of people live around the world. While things may not be as convenient, such as the lack of a sink, refrigerator, or internet at our home, we have more than most in the community. I hope that I can continue to grow in my contentment not only in my time here, but also in whatever setting I find myself in the future. We are visiting the capital city this weekend, about a two hour minibus ride from Madisi, where I have the privilege to stay with some of Tinashe’s family tonight and visit her college alma mater tomorrow. We hope to make it back to the internet café next week to share more updates!
Pictures: Me receiving such a warm welcome to Malawi & Tinashe and her nephew Chikondi outside her home
Janelle Billig, former UrbanPromise Intern is now in Malawi beginning 2 months of volunteering with Rise Malawi. These are her reflections as she prepared for her trip...
Friends reunite at a prayer commissioning before 5 of our leaders headed back to Malawi. Janelle is second from the right.
It is truly amazing to reflect on how much can happen in 3 years. In June, 2007 I began a one-year internship with UrbanPromise Ministries in Camden, New Jersey expecting to be challenged and grow in my involvement with urban youth. Little did I know that I would also have the opportunity to live alongside peers from the country of Malawi! It was an amazing year that opened my eyes to the perspectives of diverse people around the world. Getting to know the UrbanPromise International Fellows, Tinashe, Gibozi, and Sullivan, also profoundly touched our whole intern class. One of the most joyful parts of this spring has been having our Malawian friends return to visit. Ive had the pleasure of seeing our intern teams reunite to reminisce about the past, celebrate the present, and show our support for the future of their ministry endeavors. It is encouraging to see how our own individual journeys have unfolded in the time since we interned together. The Malawi crew certainly continues to inspire us with their passion, dedication, and boldness in taking steps to impact the lives of children in their home communities.
If you had asked me 3 years ago, I also never would have guessed that in 2010 I would have the chance to spend the summer in the Warm Heart of Africa! I have a passion for eliminating health disparities in our world and lifting the disease burden that prevents individuals and communities from achieving their God-given potential in life. During my summer break from medical school, I have been provided with an opportunity to serve alongside my former roommate Tinashe in her home country for the next 9 weeks! I am looking forward to living and volunteering with RiseMalawi Ministries and various health clinics to learn about the gifts and challenges that are present there. I hope to share with you what I learn through this blog regularly, so stay tuned and keep us in your prayers!
~Janelle
Early yesterday morning, 5 of our Malawi leaders started their 24hour trek home after a month of training and generating support for their work. Joining them is a friend named Janelle Billig. Janelle will be volunteering with Rise Malawi for two months. During her time, you can follow our blog to hear about her journey!
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