The Homestay programme was one of the richest experiences of my Malawian trip! I stayed with a women called Charity, and both her family and the village community were very welcoming when I arrived. Charity showed me around the village and introduced me to various members of her family, including the local chief who gave me some tangerines from his garden!
I learnt about traditional Malawian farming, and I spent much of my time hoeing the garden with Charity and her family. This was tough work, but it was really rewarding to see the progress we made, and to see the amount of effort that went into maintaining the garden.
I was embarrassed by Charity’s generosity; every meal she made was filling and delicious, and she was always encouraging me to have more! Her hospitality was really humbling, especially when she and her family performed a traditional Malawian dance to wish me well on my travels.
I would encourage anyone visiting Zomba or YODEP to seriously consider the Homestay programme. It has been one of the most culturally rich experiences of my trip, and is one of the most innovative ways of experiencing Malawian life.
Ivy chat about the power of women coming together on our Skills Sharing Expeditions. 'If women are capable of doing everything that men are capable of doing, then we have a universe of double work force, a universe full of people that can work together in a better and faster way.'
Maggie goes behind the scenes of RSC's Community Project links and chats about how we are trying to empower communities through sustainable tourism and practice Trade Not Aid where possible.
Our Malawi team chat about The Orbis Challenge, Orbis Skills Sharing and our 2020 School Expeditions. What a year it will be!
