Foiled Plans

          Today we were supposed to go and visit the tobacco auction floor in the morning, but it had to be arranged once the floor opened for the day.  The people at the auction floor who were going to get everything set up for us were in a meeting when our leaders tried to figure everything out with them, so we were unable to get permission from anyone to go and visit.  That meant that we got the chance to go back to the fabric market that we went to last week to get more fabric if we wanted it.  After we got back from getting fabric last time, I realized that it would be really cool to have a tie made out of the fabric that we were buying.  However, I didn’t buy any fabric that would look good when made into a tie.  So this time, I connected with someone else who wanted to have a tie made and we bought some fabric together so that we didn’t waste a lot of fabric. 

            The funny part about us going to the fabric market is that we were supposed to only have an hour, but it took almost 45 minutes for us to get there.  It has seemed that no matter what we do to plan for delays throughout the day, we still get very backed up with our schedule.  This has been really good for me to work on my patience and dealing with things that are different than I would want them to be.  I am typically very uptight about being on time and making sure that all my appointments last only the amount of time that I have allotted for them.  So being here has really worked to stretch me as a person and help me to let go of being perfectly on time all the time and worrying about whether we will have enough time for each thing that we have planned. 

            Coming back from the market, we were scheduled to have a quick lesson on the culture of Malawi in preparation for our home stay tomorrow.  The lesson of culture was really great, because it gave us the opportunity to hear from the World Camp staff as well as preparing us for the situations that we are going to encounter when in the village.  They taught us about things such as the music, dress, gender roles, and greetings.  I definitely feel like this time of learning will help me a lot when it comes to acting in the correct way while in the village. 

            We then went to lunch and I met a guy who is here for a year to produce a documentary about the non-profit that his friend has and a lodge that he owns as well.  It was cool to here his passion for video and the power that video can have. 

            After getting back from lunch, a guy named Alex came to talk to us about the non-profit that he is a part of called Innovation Africa.  They focus on providing systems of solar energy to clinics and schools to provide lights, which will help with live births and test scores.  It was really awesome to hear him talk about the strategy that they use when they go to the villages and begin working on providing a new solar system for a clinic or school.  They focus on making sure that when they donate a new solar system, the community will be able to sustain the system with bulbs and batteries.  I really enjoyed the insight that he was able to provide into how a non-profit should go into a community and interact with them in order to figure out what it is that they need and how they can help them get that.  I also appreciated that he has not even graduated from university, but yet he is already having an incredible impact himself. 

Alex from Innovation Africa.
Photo by Marie Freeman

            What is something positive that you bring to the group here in Malawi?

I bring an easy going personality to the group that manifests itself through patience, initiating with everyone in the group and helping out when needed. 

In your own behaviors and attitudes and such, what is something that you personally can change in the time that is left for this trip?

I have found that ever since I realized that I don’t necessarily want to do social entrepreneurship once I graduate, I have had a very lethargic attitude towards the work that we are doing here.  Therefore, as I look to the rest of the week, I would like to change that attitude and be more intentional with the things that we are working and learning.