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Stacey’s Story

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Our Work So Far

I visited Malawi in summer 2019 alongside Charlie, Lesley, Mattie and Hannah. I was so excited for our trip and really didn’t know what to expect. I think it’s easy to assume that visiting one of the world’s poorest countries, there were going to be a lot of sad moments and boy was I wrong!! The beauty of the country, the children and the people of Malawi made all the sadness that I thought I was going to experience, disappear. I’ve never felt happiness like it. The people of Malawi were some of the warmest, happiest and friendliest people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. Each project we visited brought a new and different experience and you literally couldn’t wipe the smile from my face. It’s hard to pick out a favourite part of the trip because each experience was equally as amazing as each other. The orphanage and foster houses were full of children who were happy, smiling and laughing. Everyone was so eager to play and to have cuddles.

One of my first most memorable moments was the morning we spent at Thyolo. After playing some simple games with a ball that they had made (pretty cool,) we put the speaker on and danced to your typical English songs. Cha Cha Slide, Superman, the Macarena… Everyone had so much fun. After showing them the dances to some of our songs, the children and women began to sing and dance to their own songs. It was honestly so uplifting, and we all had so much fun. The atmosphere was amazing, everyone was so happy to have us there and they really did show me up with their moves and their beautiful singing. The lake was THE most beautiful place I have ever been to. The simplicity of the life there was admirable. The children would run through the village with huge grins on their faces to greet us as we walked through. Most of them chanting Charlie’s name showing just what a big impact he’s had on a lot of their lives. I never wanted to leave.

Working alongside the amazing Loraine and the other ladies in the Mango Tree nursery was also a definite highlight. We were brought there to share some of our ideas and teach them some new activities however, I didn’t expect to learn so much from them. They were all amazing with the children and I admired the way they worked. The children thrived in their environment as it was such a happy place to be. There was a lot of learning, singing and dancing and all round happiness there. It’s hard to put into words the beauty of Malawi and the beauty of the people there. It is truly somewhere I fell in love with and I cannot wait to be back out there working alongside Charlie in September 2020.