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Spend your time volunteering on this fantastic orphanage and medical community development programme, against the backdrop of the stunning Lake Malawi. The main focus of this project is on supporting the varied and very important work of the local Community Hospital and local orphanage in the Monkey Bay area of Malawi. During your time, you will have the rare opportunity to make a vital difference to those who need it most, caring for those in hospital, educating children in health workshops and also spending time with the young AIDS children who attend the local orphanage, close to your project. Project Location: Near Monkey Bay on the shores of Lake Malawi Project Age Limit: Minimum 17 years |
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Malawi |
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Malawi, often described as ‘The Warm Heart of Africa’, due to the friendliness of its people, has a huge variety of landscapes. These range from the rugged highlands, such as the hiker’s and climber’s paradise of the Mulanje Massif to lowland plains and unspoilt wildlife reserves. Malawi’s biggest draw is undoubtedly Lake Malawi, Africa’s third largest lake, lined with hundreds of miles of tropical golden sand beaches and boasting hundreds of species of colourful tropical fish. |
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The Volunteer Project This project is ideally suited to medical students (preferably in the second year of studies or above), or volunteers with medical qualifications and experience. Volunteers without medical experience may also participate on this programme and will spend much of their time working with the young orphans in Monkey Bay. Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world, with over half of the population living below the poverty line and an average daily income of less than 30 pence. The majority of Malawi’s population lives in rural areas and is provided with free health care through a governmental health care system that is organised into three levels. Health centres manage the most common and easily treated problems and offer maternity services. Cases that cannot be dealt with at this level are referred to district community hospitals, which provide secondary health care, including some types of basic surgery. Tertiary care is then offered at one of the 3 central hospitals, situated in the North, Central and Southern regions. |
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This programme consists of 5 different project areas, suitable to all levels of volunteer experience. These are as follows: Local Community Hospital and Clinic: This project work is suited to volunteers with previous medical experience. There is work for nonqualified volunteers, though this will usually involve shadowing local doctors, helping with administrative duties or data entry of patients. |
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We are currently working with Monkey Bay Hospital, which is funded by an Icelandic organization and thus you will be working with a mix of African and Icelandic nurses and doctors during your time here. |
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The Community Hospitals has two main roles. They provide primary health care to the local communities, whilst also receiving patients who are referred from the other four health faclities in the local Health Zone. Like the health centres, the community hospitals are staffed with nurse-midwives and medical assistants, but in addition clinical officers and a laboratory technician. The hospitals have a range of departments, such as an outpatient department, a female ward, male ward, children’s ward, maternity ward and a nursery for children one to 14 days old. | |||||
The total number of inpatient beds at the Monkey Bay hospital is around 60; eight of which are in the maternity ward. There is a laboratory that can carry out simple tests such as measuring hemoglobin, but it also has equipment to do transfusions and appropriate tests beforehand. Some volunteers, particularly those studying or considering a career in the medical profession, may also wish to join clinicians in consultations, where there is an enormous amount to be learnt about tropical and infectious diseases. You will be involved in assisting the local nurses and doctors in their everyday care of the local Malawian people. Typical jobs may involve working with expecting mothers, newborn babies, administering injections, cleaning wounds and attending to dressings, small medical procedures and any other role which may be required from you by project staff. There is also a very important role available as a lab technician, carrying out all of the vital tests for the hospital. You will typically work from about 8am until 12.30pm each day at the hospitals and clinics |
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Local Orphan Centre - This project work is suited to any volunteers, regardless of your medical skills, but mostly recommended for those with little or no previous experience. This orphan day care centre currently houses approximately 70-100 young orphans, many of whom are affected by HIV and AIDS. You will be involved in a range of activities which include some pre-school teaching to prepare them for their education ahead, helping with feeding each day, teaching the importance of health and nutrition and HIV/AIDS prevention. | |||||
In general, your day is primarily focused upon making the children smile, in providing much needed love and support. You will be working typically from 8am until 12pm each day. In the afternoons however, you are free to develop some sports and games with the children. Please Note: This centre is extremely under funded and therefore, any extra donations and financial support you can raise through fundraising would be extremely welcomed: For example, £10 will buy enough grain to feed the children for nearly a month! |
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| HIV and AIDS workshops and Home Based Care: This is a fantastic new initiative, which is keen to generate the support of our Medical volunteers. This programme was set up by five local Malawian staff who have developed an interactive workshop for HIV and AIDS education and awareness together with an important Home-based care unit. |
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They currently visit all of the surrounding areas of Monkey Bay and smaller communities (approximately 100 in total), presenting drama workshops and presentations (in English and Chichewa) to children and families. During this time, they also carry out home-based visits, to offer support, medical supplies and aid to those families who are too ill or do not have the facilities to make the journey into town to seek the help and assistance they need. | |||||
The aim of this project is to increase the awareness of HIV and AIDS, thus reducing the stigma associated with such an illness, whilst also educating local communities in the prevention of this Virus. This is then partnered with a support network that is in great demand and is ever growing amongst the poorer communities in this area. They also cover other important and relevant diseases such as Bilharzia and Malaria. |
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Outreach Clinics: These Clinics are available to all Medical volunteers and take place on a Friday, between 8am and 3 or 4pm. You will be taken out in a vehicle by the local mobile medical teams to visit and assist rural, poorer communities through the use of medical practice, support networks and aid relief. This will be extremely rewarding work and will allow you a rare opportunity to witness the everyday poverty and situations that local Malawian people face, whilst also helping to alleviate their hardships through your assistance and care. | |||||
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Project Support |
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Throughout your stay in Malawi you will have the support and guidance of the Malawian project team. They will provide you with competent assistance and help you with any questions or advice you may need during your stay. The house staff will be on hand throughout the day and the project coordinator lives on site at one of the volunteer houses. | |||||
Project Orientation |
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On your first full day in Monkey Bay you will be given an orientation by the project coordinator. The orientation will include:
It will also be a good idea to work with the other medical volunteers to devise a suitable timetable for your working week, to allow you time to each work in the specific areas of your choice during the programme. |
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Project Accommodation and Meals |
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You will stay in a very comfortable, shared volunteer house, which is within walking or cycling distance of the community clinics and a short drive from the community hospital. The houses are situated right on the beach of Lake Malawi about 7km south of Monkey Bay Town, so you can sit and gaze out over the waters. The property is fenced and gated and has a large green garden. | |||||
Rooms in the house range from twin share to dormitory style and there is running water, a shower and western style toilets. Please be aware that whilst electricity and water are fairly reliable, power cuts and water shortages may be experienced from time to time. There is staff at the house, including a cook, house keeper (although volunteers are also expected to do their bit to keep the house clean and tidy) and night watchmen for your security. Three meals per day are provided. Breakfast is usually on a self-service basis, consisting of cereals and toast, although the cook may treat you occasionally. Lunch will either be a packed lunch, or self-service if you plan to return to the house at lunchtime. The cook will prepare the evening meal for you. Please Note:There is a fridge at the house, which is used to store the food for your meals each day and some additional drinks, which you can purchase form the staff. If you do wish to buy some of your own food/snacks and drinks, this will be fine to do though you must be aware it cannot be stored in the communal fridge. | ||||||
Free time |
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There are a number of highlights that you may like to see in your free time at weekends, such as National Parks, or the Mulanje Massif. The project staff will be happy to help you to organise excursions while you are there. There is also a programme of weekend activities/safaris each month. These weekend activities are not included in your project fee and will need to be paid for on site.
Alternatively, you may wish to just relax by Lake Malawi. The nearby village of Cape Maclear has a number of small lodges offering great snorkelling and scuba diving. We recommend you take a look in our excellent, up to date gallery where you will find pictures of trips the volunteers have been on. |
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Getting There |
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| You will need to arrange your flights to Lilongwe International Airport. Upon arrival you will have a meet and greet with one of the project representatives. You will then be transferred by road (approximately 3.5 hours) to the volunteer house just south of Monkey Bay, to settle into your accommodation and meet your fellow volunteers. Please Note: If you arrive outside of the project start date, you will need to pay a private transfer fee of US$100, upon arrival in cash. |
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| Project Costs 4 weeks |
£949 |
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Project Cost Includes:
Project Cost Excludes:
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Fundraise before you arrive! One of the things many volunteers wish they'd done before coming out to Malawi is raise a bit of extra money to spend out here, inevitably on helping people they make good friends with, or helping contribute to their own projects and ideas. For example, this year, volunteers raised nearly £2000 to pay for a new orphanage building. Some volunteers raised nearly £600 to help 15 young adults go to secondary school. Money was also raised for cycling safety initiatives - purchasing hundreds of reflectors to help keep people safe at night. Your money will go a long way out here. It is not expected of you to bring extra money or to fundraise - your being here and your time as a volunteer are the most important things! However, feedback from other volunteers has been that they wish they thought about fundraising before arriving in Malawi, as there was so much they would like to contribute to. So, if this is something you'd like to get involved with, please visit:
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