Story Telling Showcase!
Lessons From My First Birthday Away From Home!
My most memorable experience in a MOH-sponsored village was spending my 20th birthday in Khwamba (05/31/2024). As we arrived, we were met with a warm welcome from all the kids surrounding the bus and singing songs. After we all entered the community center, we introduced ourselves as the kids greeted us. With all the clapping and singing, I was a little overwhelmed because I wanted to participate but didn’t know how. My group’s enrichment activity was scheduled for the next day, so we spent our time playing around with the kids. Their joy was palpable, and you couldn’t help but be lifted into a better mood.
After the small groups broke out into their activities, we were tasked with entertaining them, and a few of us got roped into dancing Infront of everyone. This was an amazing cultural exchange; I taught them the Nae Nae and they learned that Americans can’t dance. After everyone was finished laughing at our dancing, we went outside and played a few games like Duck, Duck, Goose and a relay race. This day in the Village really reminded me of the simplicity of happiness. We rely a lot on different material items to make us happy, but the kids in Khwamba made me realize that all you need is people around you to connect with.
Many people feel sad on their 20th birthday as they move on from being a teenager to beginning their adult life. This day was very symbolic for me because the kids served as a reminder to appreciate life and find happiness in the little things, like experiencing new things and spending time with people. I feel as if I have returned to the States with a new zest for life and that is largely due to interacting with the children of Malawi. They taught me so many things that I didn’t expect to take away from this trip, and for that, I will be forever grateful.
University of South Carolina Students Assist in Chimwang’ombe Relief Efforts
On June 4th, 2024, a group of University of South Carolina students volunteered to assist the Ministry of Hope with a Mobile Medical Clinic in the village of Chimwang’ombe. The students were taking part in a service-learning and literacy study abroad trip led by Professor Van Kornegay and Dr. Andrea Tanner. At this Medical Clinic, people begin arriving in the early morning to line up to be seen. The students were assisting with counting pills for prescriptions, running check in, taking vitals, and processing malaria test kits.
Upon arrival to the clinic, the students were surprised to see that there were already hundreds of people waiting to have their medical problems attended to, but they did not back down from the challenge. The students introduced themselves, put on their masks, hurried to their stations, and began to take patients. Once the doors were open, patients started rushing in and the students attended to a constant flow of people.
These patients ranged from young, with conditions varying from routine checkups to requiring immediate attention for Malaria. Despite the long lines and language barriers, the students remaining diligent and attentive in their duties because they recognized how important this was for the patients.
After the line began to calm down, the students started to play with the kids and take pictures of them so they could do funny poses and enjoy themselves in such a stressful environment. Professor Kornegay even brought out a drone to fly around and entertain the adults. The photographs and drone were a smash hit and brightened the mood of the day.
At the end of the clinic, the students took a mother and her baby with pneumonia to a local hospital in Malawi to receive more intensive care. During the bus ride home, the students reflected on their day and realized the substantial healthcare needs facing Malawi. They were impacted by the difficult realities that some people were facing but remained confident that Malawi will continue to grow as a country and improve its infrastructure to meet the needs of all Malawians.
