TWESA IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Host and Volunteer, Community projects at our community resource center and within the sorrounding communities
About Us
TWESA In Community Development is a registered charity Community Based Organisation (CBO) operating in Karonga district in the northern part of Malawi and was established on 1st December 2015. TWESA aims to positively impact the citizens of Karonga district to create a healthy, educated and gender balanced society.....
Why to Choose Us?
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● Volunteers generally work five days a week and have their weekends off, although this timetable is flexible (sometimes there will be an activity planned at the weekend.) Every Monday morning there will be a team meeting at the TWESA office for us to share ideas and plan the activities for the week ahead. All volunteers are expected to attend this meeting weekly to enable us to collaborate effectively as a group. All volunteers will also be invited to the TWESA whatsapp group, where we share photos and information about our activities with other members.
● For those who have a laptop or who would like to help with grant writing, blogs and other administrative work, we generally spend the mornings in the office (from approximately 8.30 until 12.30) before going for lunch. The afternoon activities can vary depending on the day and the program of the volunteers.
● Volunteers with specific skills and experience can request to work with one of our local partners outside of TWESA. For example, we can help doctors or those with a medical background to be placed in a local hospital or arrange for teachers to assist in a school. Volunteers are encouraged to come forward with creative concepts for new projects which can help the community. In the past, volunteers have decided to buy paint and redecorate the classrooms at an underfunded school, or to offer free counselling sessions in a nearby prison. While we welcome all ideas, we do request that you continue to involve TWESA in your plans during your stay through continued communication with other members, and by attending the weekly meetings.
● Most volunteers opt for our homestay accommodation option, where you will be hosted by one of TWESA’s members or friends in their family home. This is a great opportunity to experience the unique culture of Malawi and to interact and make friends with a local family. You will have your own room and private space for sleeping or relaxing in the evenings. We will do our best to ensure that you are comfortable and well looked after during your stay, however please be aware that facilities are basic and you must be comfortable using local drop toilets and bucket showers.
● Your food will be prepared by the family and you will receive 3 meals a day. The food mainly consists of tea/coffee and some bread/cake/porridge or potatoes for breakfast. For lunch and dinner we generally eat rice or nsima (a local dish made from maize flour) with some vegetables, beans, meat or fish. Sometimes, fruit or salad will also be served. This is the staple food here and we hope you learn to love it! Volunteers will also be able to help their host family with preparing the food and even cook a dish from their own country if they wish.
● Please let us know if you have any dietary requirements before arriving – Vegetarian, vegan and other diets can be catered for. If volunteers require any other snacks beside the three main meals these can easily be purchased in the local market or a nearby supermarket. Bottled water is not included but is also available in the supermarket.
● The good news is that construction of our first building at our recently established Community Resource Centre is through and ready for use. We are also able to host some of the volunteers at this place which has electricity and 2 members of TWESA are staying there. If you stay at this place you will be able to prepare and enjoy meals with members of TWESA. We are able to set a private room for you in our building and the place is very safe.
Meals are provided and included in the contribution fee. We provide breakfast, Lunch and supper.
25€ euro per day.
● Volunteers are responsible for arranging their own visas, travel insurance and travel vaccinations. We recommend that volunteers take malaria tablets while staying in Malawi, which should be attained before your visit.
● To enjoy your stay more, we suggest volunteers come prepared. For example, teaching volunteers can research teaching activities, songs and games to teach students. If you are volunteering in our office, it would be useful to bring your own laptop as we only have 1 and is taken out of office at some point.
● What to bring
This will vary from person to person for personal items, but we do recommend you bring the following:
● Personal medication
● Travel insurance details
● Insect repellent
● Sun cream
● Culturally appropriate clothes (women should wear dresses, skirts, shorts and trousers up to the knee and not too tight) and clothes with light material, as it can get very hot in Karonga.
● A laptop or tablet if you can – especially if you want to work in the office.
● A SIM-unlocked phone.
● Toiletries
● A torch, and ideally a solar lantern because of the blackouts.
We are always very grateful for any resources volunteers can bring with them such as:
● Educational and reading books for our Community Library , educational toys and posters, colouring books, stationery and toys for preschool – as schools are often very under resourced.
● Laptops, cameras or USB memory sticks that you or your friends and family are no longer using, as we work from a very basic office.
● Any sporting equipment such as balls and also games for kids who usually play at our community resource centre.
Visa Requirements
A valid passport with at least six months to expiry date is required to enter Malawi. There are no Volunteer Visas in Malawi, so all volunteers should apply for a Tourist Visa and give “tourism/travel” as the reason for entry on the form. Those staying less than 90 days who are not planning on leaving the country in this time can purchase a single-entry tourist visa ($75 USD for most nationalities) which is initially valid for 30 days but can easily be extended (for free) up to 90 days at the immigration office in Karonga. Those who plan on staying longer than 90 days should go for the 6 month multiple entry visa.
Accommodation, meals, laundry and tour guide.
Insurance, transport.
● Karonga is located close to the northern shores of the lake, where you can go swimming, kayaking, and relax in your free time. You can also go on a cruise on the lake. We have a museum in town that shows some findings of prehistoric humans, a dinosaur and information about Malawian history and culture. For those who wish to explore another part of Malawi, you can visit Livingstonia, and go hiking in the beautiful scenery of the Nyika Plateau. You can visit different mines in the area if you are interested in mining. It is also possible to travel to Nkhata Bay for a weekend and go scuba diving in the lake there. The Vwaza Wildlife Reserve and National Park are both easily accessible from Rumphi – wildlife viewing can be done from a game viewing vehicle or on a bushwalk for the more adventurous.
● Alternatively, you can stay in Karonga where you can experience village life and culture, enjoy Malawian music, dance and learn some traditional cooking. Volunteers must arrange extra activities themselves and cover the cost of travel, food and accommodation.
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I loved being part of the TWESA community and contributing to their mission. Jimmy and the team are committed to creating a community that feeds, educates, and empowers. Each day I saw the positive impact this project is having on the women and children here. I chose to stay with Mary and Louis as my Homestay family and I couldn’t have been happier. Their hospitality, friendship, and amazing cooking were also a highlight for me. So glad I could be in Karonga and contribute to this project!
I had a fantastic time with Jimmy and his team at TWESA. It’s an incredible way to immerse yourself in local life and culture—every day I was learning and connecting in ways you simply can’t as a tourist. The community around Karonga is so welcoming and kind; from the children at the centre to the local members, everyone was extremely welcoming and generous to visitors. During my time there I particularly enjoyed helped with decorating the office. As a volunteer I was particularly encouraged to bring their own ideas and creativity to projects, which makes the experience feel collaborative.
Voluntariar com a TWESA foi uma experiência transformadora. O Jimmy me recebeu muito bem desde o começo, com boa comunicação, foi me buscar na cidade e me acolheu muito bem, assim como todas as outras pessoas da comunidade. As acomodações são bastante simples, bem fora da zona de conforto, mas tudo com muito amor e carinho. A organização tem vários projetos interessantes, mas só consegui ajudar realmente com fundraising, o resto ainda precisa de recursos pra acontecer então não tem muito a ser feito por enquanto. Foi uma experiência incrível de imersão cultural.
My experience with TWESA in Karonga,in the north of Malawi,alongside Jimmy,was absolutely amazing.I volunteered for three weeks on the project.Jimmy and the families in the community are amazing and incredibly welcoming.The project is a lifeline for them,and I would wholeheartedly recommend it to any volunteer planning to travel to Malawi and looking for a real cultural immersion.They really need all the help they can get.The children are wonderful and will create lasting memories in any volunteers life.I am deeply grateful to Jimmy for the opportunity.TAONGA!
