Angela and her experience in Africa

Angela from Germany is now the DI teacher in Nakkebølle, training new teams of Development Instructors - read her experience here

When I started the DI program in November 2006 I wasn’t sure at all that I will ever be able to go to Africa. In 6 months preparation I struggled a lot, had a great time in my school with the students and the other DIs and took the possibility to develop myself and grow a lot.

In May 2007 I was on my way to the warm heart of Africa, Malawi. I got the great opportunity to go to a new project called Farmers Club. Farmers Club is a rural based project which is working in 4 districts of Malawi with Farmers and their fight to survive and develop. I think it’s an awesome project which gives DIs a lot of opportunities to work in different areas. Farmers Club includes all ideas and baselines of the other Humana Projects.

Some examples of my work in Farmers’ Club was:

Pre Schools

I was working with 74 pre schools to build up a good working structure between the pre schools and the project. I made sure that the project is keeping care of the pre schools and try to find ways to make changes and develop ways of sustainability. Therefore I met regularly with the villages, clubs and parents to explain why children should be sent to pre schools and which benefit they would get out of it.

We organized some events in the villages together with the communities to get their interest in the project and to get them to know. We also used this opportunity to promote income generating activities to support the pre schools.

Working with the Farmers

My work with the Farmers was a lot of compressive monitoring work to report to the project how it is going in the field and the issues which need to be solved.

I gave courses and  lessons about Agriculture, Conversation Farming, Health issues, Hygiene issues and Child Aid to improve the situation of them. At least once a week the Extension worker and I installed rope pumps to build up a water security for the farmers. In 6 month the farmer increased their harvest so far that they had enough for themselves and even more to sell it, so I went to different places to connect them to markets where they could sell it.

Women

I established and run three women clubs, two with farmer women and one with another DI to support prostitutes where we gave a lot of courses and lessons about HIV/AIDS, Family planning, women rights, emancipation, diseases, child aid and also motivated them to start up IGAs for themselves and to support pre schools.

Support groups

I was working with another DI from HOPE together in support groups, where we educated locals about HIV/AIDS, positive living and daily life situations. We made home based care in that time, where we supported AIDS infected people in the last stadium where they are already really sick. I only did it 6 weeks, because it was too hard for me, but it taught me a lot about the society and the situation of a positive living person.

Meetings

We as DIs had a leading role for the weekly meetings for the staff of Farmers Club whenever the Project leader was not there. In this meeting I always tried to motivate them to talk open and also take discussion and criticize. But the Malawian tradition made that very difficult, and it needed a lot of time to see the first changes in the Extension workers behavior.

We organized Extension Worker trainings for 4 Farmers’ Club where we conducted 4 days workshop and trainings for them. I also took a leading part in the organization in the quarterly meeting, which is every three months for 500 farmers. Some examples of my task where to organize a place, invite people, to organize cooking or to hold a speech to appreciate their participation in our project.

Guest s and Partnership

I needed to present the project to different partners during securing market for farmers and finding new donors for our projects.

I got in contact with other nongovernmental organization to work in a partnership to support each other. Some of my successes was to work with UNICEF together in the Pre Schools or to get in contact with one Canadian organization during a concert to work together for water security and hygiene facilities.

These are the main areas where I was working in. When I arrived I expected that I will be there to give lot and get a little bit back. But to be honest, I have the feeling I got much more than I could ever give.

When I arrived I followed the example of my DI teacher and told my neighbors and people I see regularly that I am like a baby in their culture, that I don’t know anything about their culture, that I don’t speak the language and asked them to tell me if I do something wrong and explained it to me.

 I was living in a village together with the local people, in a kind of backyard. It was  complex with 8 houses and one common latrine. We didn’t have running water there so we needed to go to the local pump to pick up water.

I think it was the best way to really get to know the culture and customs there and to be seen as one of them.

One of the most touching moment was during my last months there. I had a meeting with my farmer’s women and we had a meal together as a farewell party. During this, they dressed me in a traditional dress and I had to prove I could carry water on my head (I trained it for 6 months). They were laughing like never before, but they were also very proud- I became a real African for them.

In many ways it was a simple life, which was not always easy, but gave me a lot. To be around local people 24 hours a day, to see their lives and to be part of their lives makes clear the differences between our way and their way to live. But it was the way to see the “real” Africa- to smell it, to taste it and to feel it physically and emotionally. I experienced a different life to that we are used in Europe which opened my eyes more to daily issues, to social structures and to the little joys in our lives.  It changed somehow my own view on life and what I expected from it. Since I’ve been back from Africa, I am now a DI teacher and prepare other DIs for their trip to Africa. This gives me the great possibility to be  involved in the whole process and to develop myself.  I have fallen in love with Africa, the people, the culture and the happiness and joys in their lives- I plan to go back to support the people in their daily life struggles and give them the support and motivation to improve their own live.

Malawi is a great little country with a beautiful nature and a lot of things to see and experience.