Matapila

I’m on my way to Matapila, a bush village outside Lilongwe… to train another group of teachers. I’m told that most of the people involved in the Ministry of Hope’s programs are volunteers… The unemployment rate in Malawi is so high that being a volunteer is actually a much-sought occupation. You benefit from donations and above all you get some food…

One of the documents that I prepared is a chart listing activities/games/toys that teachers can use to develop certain skills according to an age group. It’s my favourite part. Demonstrate how to use local materials to create toys or games that you would buy if you had the money. Clay, seeds, ears of corns, sand, leaves etc. I give a few examples… I see sparkles in their eyes… We spend the next hour exchanging ideas and producing ways of creating activities, solving problems…