News / Local volunteers heading for Malawi
A GROUP of volunteers from Shetland are planning to return to Africa in June of next year to help provide school activities in one of the continent’s poorest countries.
Back in 2008, the seven-strong group did a several weeks long gymnastics project in Zambia, but this time they plan to travel to Malawi.
Some of the group have also been to Romania volunteering there in 2011.
Spokesman of ‘Team Malawi’, Mark Wylie said the idea of returning to Africa with another project was already born when they were in Zambia.
“While there we travelled over the border into neighbouring Malawi where we witnessed children with nothing at all except the biggest smiles.
“Many of the children are orphans through AIDS and malaria and often suffer from HIV themselves.”
The group is now planning to embark on a fund raising campaign to enable them to deliver as much help as possible.
Wylie said: “We are very good at providing various activities in schools however we would like to raise enough funds to help out by providing food for short meals and hopefully something long term if we manage to raise enough in the coming 16 months.”
To that end a major raffle during 2013 is planned as well as and various bag packing days in local supermarkets, a dance performance in Mareel, a senior netball tournament and a social night amongst other events.
Wylie added: “We work very well as a team with a number of us having already proven this when we volunteered in Romania in 2011.
“We are all very driven and enthusiastic, and are all looking forward to experiencing another way of life, meeting new people from a different culture and trying to make a difference in some small way in a country that so desperately needs it.”
Team Malawi consists of Jenny Wylie, Tracy Webb, Valerie Farnworth, Nicola Duthie, Vicky Anderson, Jenny Teale and Mark Wylie.
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