Testimonial - Beryl       Beryl's time with MVO Beryl Ely From: England Aged: 60 Project: Malawi Medical Volunteers Volunteered: August - September 2010 Duration: 4 weeks I retired in April 2010 after years of managing a GP practice. Having harboured a wish for some time to see how healthcare works in developing countries, I decided to take the plunge and spend a month as a medical volunteer in Malawi. I was pretty apprehensive. How much help would I be (I don't have any medical qualification)? What was this 60 year old grandmother going to be able to offer? How would I fit into a shared house with much younger people? Would I be safe? I needn't have worried. I suddenly realised that my experience listening to health professionals advising patients about minor ailments, as well as caring for a family, was really useful. I spent most mornings helping at one of the two nursery schools that MVO runs for the many local 3 - 5 year old orphans who've been robbed of their parents, usually by HIV. It was a real pleasure to encounter such eager faces each morning and to be able to play with them, bringing some fun and laughter into their lives. I also helped to teach them some basic English, numeracy and writing skills, as well as helping to prepare their porridge each day (we had to fetch the water from the well and make a wood fire to cook it on). I returned to the volunteer house each day happy, if somewhat grubby as a result of picking up, swinging and cuddling so many children! Most of my afternoons were spent giving talks (with the help of very capable local translators) to groups of villagers on various health-related topics. The audiences were always attentive and appreciative, and the talks often took place in stunning locations. There was plenty of reference material back at the house to help me prepare but to be honest much of it was basic family healthcare. My fellow volunteers were all younger than me - mostly by quite a long way - but without exception they made me feel part of the group and always included me in any leisure activities. I admit it was a bit of a shock to find myself sharing fairly basic facilities with about 13 others after years of living on my own, but it's surprising how quickly you adapt. When I compared our accommodation to that of the locals, it was clear that the volunteer house was a palace! The volunteers' choice in music didn't always impress me but their commitment and enthusiasm for whichever projects they were involved in certainly did. In fact I really missed the camaraderie when I got home I never felt unsafe in Malawi - the house staff and the local people were delightful. On the couple of occasions I got lost, some young man always materialised to see me safely home whilst clearly relishing the opportunity to practise his English. So to anyone out there who's getting on in years but is still physically fit and young at heart, is prepared to muck in, wants a rewarding and challenging experience which will benefit others who are less fortunate, wants to be a traveller rather than a tourist, and wants to operate in a safe and supportive environment, I would say without hesitation "Go for it"! There really is a huge need in Malawi for your skills and experience. Beryl back to testimonials If you'd like to make an enquiry about volunteering with us, please use the request form or visit the contact page.