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GYC2104 - Orphans + Community Project Country: Malawi Cost: £1465.00 Please note: Cost also includes £600 contribution to the Joshua Orphan Care Centre and all activities. Cost Includes: The price includes accommodation, food, pickup from airport and visas but does not include flight, insurance or kit      Duration: 4 weeks Company Rep Nearby: All the time 0845 344 7599 or

 

	This placement would suit... People wanting to get out there and experience the real Africa, working closely alongside local communities and children. Malawi offers a stunning variation of landscapes and activities and all within the same friendly and safe environment which characterises the whole of Malawi. From palm-lined lakeshores, to airy escarpments, from remote wildernesses to busy marketplaces, there’s sure to be an activity that appeals, trekking, cycling, kayaking, game viewing, diving or just plain chilling out, this is one special place and one special project.. Malawi Orphan Education Project Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world, with 65% of the population living below the poverty line in 1998. Today it is estimated that up to seven million people, from a population of 10 million, may be on the edge of famine. It is a relatively small, land-locked country with few exploitable resources apart from land, which is at serious risk of degradation due to an increasing population and poor farming methods. Agriculture is the main source of income, combined with tobacco, sugar, tea and coffee. The Joshua Orphan Care Centre is based just outside of Blantyre, in the Pen Sulo district. Joshua was initially set up 4 years ago and aimed to help provide feeding stations and maize for the local HIV orphans. Originally the plans were to help 3 villages, although due to demand this has now expanded to 9! Joshua helps to fund the building of feeding stations in each of the villages and also provides maize meal to feed the orphans and vulnerable children, which can number over 100 in one village alone. Currently, these orphans rely on community support and help from relatives, which is an enormous burden on the already struggling families. The feeding stations also act as community centres for the whole village, doubling up as a clinic, school and meeting place, so the benefits can be very widespread! Quest volunteers will be involved in construction of these feeding stations in one of the ‘Joshua’ villages. Joshua has also recently purchased a piece of land and hopes to be able to complete a large secondary school, which will cater for many of the children from the surrounding communties, who currently cannot afford or manage the huge travelling distances to reach the other secondary school. Joshua would also like to fund school fees for the orphans who cannot afford them. Quest volunteers will help to get this large project off the ground and over the period of a few years, will provide the funds and labour to complete the entire school – something that will be a challenging but extremely rewarding project to be a part of! As well as the desperately needed building work, volunteers will also get involved in a variety of community projects. There will be the chance to spend time with the youth group that Joshua work with in one of the townships outside of Blantyre. You’ll get the opportunity to experience first-hand some budding Malawian rap artistes and the very talented actors from the drama group. Who knows, you could also end up working alongside these amazing young people to help put on a production to raise funds for their school fees. There will also be more opportunities to get involved with the community, such as the women’s group and local school kids – helping with workshops on health and hygiene, HIV and environmental education – the options are endless! Malawi Expedition After all that hard work you'll certainly be up for some R&R, and let's face it- you can't come all the way to Malawi without spending some time expaloring the country! The 18 day expedition linked onto the end of the project will give you the chance to kick back and relax with your new team mates, and you'll certainly deserve it! The expedition route itself includes several days trekking on the stunning massif of Mount Mulanje - including the opportunity to rock climb one of the world's largest rockfaces- this is followed by beginning the journey up north, taking in the amazing views from the Zomba Plateau, a boat safari amongst the huge pods of hippos in Liwonde National Park and the opportunity to see some of Africa's Big 5, whilst walking through the reserve on foot. After a few days in the bush its straight to the main attraction in Malawi - Lake Nyassa - nearly 300 miles of beautiful crystal clear freshwater. We'll be jumping straight into kayak's for a two day kayak safari on the lake, camping overnight at one of the many islands just off the lakeshore. The final step of the expedition is heading up even further north to the Viphya plateau, where you can choose between abseiling, kayaking, mountain biking or rock climbing. We'll then beging our final trek down from the plateau to the lakeshore. Nothing more motivational than the thought of a white sandy beach and a cool beer awaiting your arrival at the end of the trek. At that's where we finish this expedition - chilling by the lakeside, maybe choosing to take in a snorkelling trip, or even swimming with horses in the cool clear waters of Lake Malawi. One things for sure - it's gonna be hard to leave... Pre-departure Preparation All students join in a Training Weekend prior to departure which is held May. This is included in the cost of your expedition and covers such topics as cultural awareness, responsible tourism, risk assessments, kit and packing, cooking, camp craft and, of course provides an oportunity to meet all your team before you go overseas. The weekends are held in London and it is strongly recommended that all team members come along as it not only provides a vital part of your preparation but they are loads of fun as well! Leaders Each team has two Quest Overseas leaders who are there not to be your parents, but to make sure the project and expedition runs smoothly and you all have a great time. All our leaders are professional and experienced in the country you're travelling in, as well as being some of the most enthusiastic people you'll probably ever meet! They're also there to provide support, advice and endless information from their wealth of travel knowledge throughout the whole 3 months. Why Quest Overseas? Quite simply because we have the best reputation in the Gap Year market. We are second to none when it comes to safety, value for money and down right fun! We've never had a complaint and we aim to keep it that way - if you'd like to speak to a past student they would be more than happy to bend your ear on everything you could get up to! 0845 344 7599 Quest: Adventure travel in Latin America and Africa combining both worthwhile volunteering and challenging, action-packed expeditions. We commit to all our projects long-term, from constructing schools, helping shantytown children and orphans, rehabilitating animals, working in the depths of the rainforest or scuba diving to help protect endangered marine species. All our trips are designed to show you the real side of Africa and South America, to enable you to make a difference and to make sure you have the time of your life! Open afternoons in West Sussex, online presentations and telephone appointments are all regularly available.