Mission Direct - Volunteers helping the world's poor

It felt like we were visiting the ends of the Earth! Other projects in Africa have been affected by urbanisation, but Lilongwe is so remote that it has remained largely untouched. The villagers still live in mud huts and don’t wear western style clothes.

The other thing to say is that it is all breathtakingly beautiful – the landscapes, the sunsets and the night skies unspoiled by light pollution. You are living and working right in the heart of the African Bush.

It was a real privilege to be allowed inside their community. In some ways time has stood still for the Yawo: they still follow the routines of their forefathers, and they have not met many westerners. But they were very open to us and welcoming, as we sat with a translator and exchanged stories. We had completely different lives – but it meant that there was all the more for us to learn and discover about each other.

The Yawo recognise the hope education brings. It offers them increased health, prosperity and even life-expectancy. What we take for granted in the UK, Yawo children dream of.

The Government are keen to support education in the local Yawo language but have so few resources to offer the people. But they have agreed with our partners that if they can build a school and accommodation for teachers, the Government will pay the teachers’ salaries. This is a wonderful opportunity.

The Moeller family have been working in the area for a decade now, helping to provide medicine and clean water, resourcing Christians in the community. What struck me was how sensitive they were to the existing culture. They have spent years listening to the Yawo and their needs and are offering them holistic solutions that are designed to make a lasting difference in their lives.

For anyone that really wants to leave the West behind and immerse themselves in a totally different culture this will be a real adventure. The village is a two hour drive off of sealed roads. This is an outstanding opportunity to contribute to a remote people group, many of whom have little contact with the outside world.

You must be ready to roll up your sleeves and get down to some hard work; we will be working fairly solidly on building the school rather than visiting many other projects. We will spend a little time doing some bible studies in the local language and contribute to lessons in a school about 10 miles away, but this isn’t a ‘sightseeing’ trip. For this reason it may not suit families with younger children. But if you are in search of ‘something completely different’ this will be a real adventure.