Final Malawi Update

I’m home. There isn’t much else I want to say but I think a few people want more of an explanation.

I left Malawi mid-June after thinking about leaving for 6 months. It was not a decision I made overnight or without much thought. I was full of hope and optimism when I came to Malawi. I spent 2+ years in neighboring Zambia learning the culture and language of my neighbors. I felt I had a successful Peace Corps Zambia service. I came to Malawi with the intention of learning about public health and passing on skills I’ve learned through my previous jobs. I learned very little about public health and a whole lot about foreign aid. It was not a failed service; it just didn’t take 26 months to learn these lessons. 

I learned that foreign aid has created a dependency cycle for Malawi as a whole. Malawi doesn’t have much fuel, medicine, medical supplies, or other necessities unless someone else donates it. How do you break the cycle? I don’t know. I naively thought I could make a difference but when a country is accustomed to hand outs and failure, I lost hope. I also feel strongly that there are several members of Peace Corps Malawi staff that do not believe in the program. It’s hard to feel hope when your supervisor clearly doesn’t care. I tried to work in a non-traditional Peace Corps position improving the supply chain of an NGO but Peace Corps Malawi did not want to think outside the box. That was the beginning of the end for me.

Until the majority of Malawians truly want a better Malawi, it won’t happen. But remember, wanting it doesn’t make it so.  America didn’t become the country it is just because people wanted it. It became successful through hard work, sacrifice, and ingenuity. Ok, there’s more to it than that but the point is Americans and our government didn’t sit around waiting for someone else to make it better. How does a country with little to offer the outside world move up the economic ladder? I don’t know and I’m a long way from even offering a solution.

I miss my friends in Chioshya/Chimteka and volunteers within and outside of Peace Corps (especially Michaelo) but I’m happy I came home when I did. I’ve been given opportunities I would not have otherwise had if I came home next year. I’ve been able to spend invaluable time with family and friends and I’m thankful for these moments.

Until next time…..