Monday, July 26th

Hello! 

This morning we were able to sleep in some because the schools were closed because some people were celebrating the end of Ramadan. After breakfast, we stopped by the grocery store to pick up some more water. We then made our way to the Chifundo Foundation orphanage where we were greeted with song and dance. On the way back to Annie's Lodge we stopped at Steer's, a burger place, for lunch and the market for some shopping. Once we got back to Annie's, we packed the teachers gift bags and talked about what we wanted to do at school the next day. It was a long day but we are excited to start the STEM activity tomorrow!

Alyson

July 3rd

This morning Tabitha and I woke up at 5:30 to watch the sunset at Club Makokola at Lake Malawi and it was beautiful! We had breakfast with a view of the water and left at 8:30 to start our drive to Lilongwe. About halfway there we stopped at Mua Mission to look at the art and learn some the cultural history from the area. The art and wood carvings were so detailed and gorgeous. We got to our new Annie's Lodge at around 5:40 and got settled into our rooms. We picked somewhere cheap for dinner (we all pretty much just got chicken or pizza) and now we're back at Annie's to finish getting settled in and ready for tomorrow! It was a long day, so I think we're all ready for a good nights rest!

-Catherine 

Sunday, June 2nd

Hello everyone!

Today we left Zomba, which was really sad for some of us. We stopped by and got our items that Lovess made. On our way to Lake Malawi we stopped by the Liwonde market again for those of us who wanted to make some more purchases. The trip from Zomba to Lake Malawi, including the stop was about 3 hours. Once we arrived at Club Makokola we quickly realized how beautiful it is. We get a gorgeous, mini get-away after all the hard work we put in. The lake is stunning with the mountains in the background. However, the sand is rougher than the sands we are used to back at home. Each "room" is shared by 2 people, although I hesitate to call it a room! There are 2 different bedrooms and a bathroom with a shower and bathtub. The leaders have their own rooms with a nice living room and bedroom!

We started our time at Club Mak by eating lunch with a view of the lake. Afterwards many of us laid on the beach, sat by the pool, or relaxed on some comfortable seats by the bar. Most of us even got massages in rooms that are open in the front, with a beautiful view and the sounds of nature in the background. Some of us went to the vendors right outside the entrance and to the little gift shop. Some of us also watched the sunset on the beach. For dinner we had a 3 course meal, and everyone loved what they got! We also had some entertainment. Dancers in crazy outfits and masks danced for us. It was quite the experience, and something most of us will never forget! Unfortunately we have to leave Club Mak early in the morning to head to Lilongwe, but it was a great day at Lake Malawi!

Tabitha Nelson

Wednesday, June 28

Hello everyone!

Today at school we continued our math research in our classrooms. During our STEM project our groups continued to build and perfect their windmills. By the end of our hour, each group had a working windmill, and many groups were building more. Some of the girls we are doing the writing project with do not understand English well. To help them better understand the book, "The Water Princess" we read it aloud and the standard 1 teacher, Lucy, did a great job translating it for us.

After school we walked a short distance to a church. At the church three different groups performed songs and dances for us. The first group was the ladies group. Even with some elderly women, they were singing and dancing and it was very beautiful! We also heard songs from the youth group and the choir. For dinner we went to Kips, to try a new restaurant. Tomorrow, Innocent is going to teach us how to play the drums after school.

-Tabitha

June 29th

Moni!

Today was our last day doing our projects at the school. From 9 to 11, we all did some math research observations. Some of us also sat in the community meeting for a few minutes to listen to the progress being made at the school. At 11, we got our STEM groups in a big circle to test which group had the best windmill. The winning windmill had to stand up on its own and had to have the fastest spinning blades. My group won!!! They were so proud of themselves and loved the pens they got for winning. We also worked with our 11 girls to finish up our work with the bookThe Water Princess. After school, a few of us went to Tasty Bites, and the rest of the group went back up to Annie's Lodge. It was a great day, and we are so excited for the celebration tomorrow. (But also not because that means it's really over 😔) 

-Catherine

Day 5, June 20th
Today was filled with learning, laughter, and love.   We set off with a plan of working with students today and we all succeeded.  Each RU student was assigned at least two different classrooms.  We began our math research, conducted interviews, and continued to learn about the Malawi education system.  Our time at school ended with the introduction of our STEM project.  Students in Standard 7 were numbered off into small groups and placed with an RU leader.  We read The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind picture book and briefly discussed how we could build windmills.  After a few games of Hopscotch and Duck, Duck, Goose, we ventured out to the grocery store and fabric store.  Laslty, we enjoyed dinner at Tasty Bites before calling it a night.  There's no school tomorrow so stay tuned for our day off adventures.

~Kim

Wednesday June 21st

Hello! 

Today was an unexpected change of plans if you're following us based on the itinerary. Yesterday Esther (the Head Teacher of the Malemia primary school) told us that school would be cancelled today because all of the teachers were asked to attend a mandatory government meeting. Because there was no school today, we got the chance to sleep in for the first time since coming to Malawi. Once everyone woke up and had some breakfast, we all piled into the bus to go on another little adventure. We rode the bus to a lodge at the top of Zomba mountain. Fun fact: the first study abroad group from Radford stayed at this lodge before decided it was too far from school and the rest of town. Once we got to the lodge, some people decided to go for a little walk (that I soon realized was more like a hike), to a beautiful little waterfall. While some people went on the walk, others stayed at the lodge and relaxed, enjoyed the scenery, and shopped at the nearby vendors. Once the group got back from the hike, we enjoyed a nice lunch at the restaurant in the lodge. Originally we had planned to go to an indoor market after lunch, but we decided to head back to Annie's Lodge to relax some more. The students that decided they wanted to get something made out of the fabric they bought yesterday then went to the tailor to have their measurements taken. At 6:00pm, we sat down for dinner and decided to call it a night and discuss our plans for tomorrow at breakfast in the morning. I'm looking forward to going back to the school tomorrow and continuing our research! 

Until tomorrow,

Alyson!