It has been 3 months since my last post, and in that time so much has changed! The American interns have come, transformed themselves and others, and have gone. We had a fantastic summer together here in Malawi and it is safe to say that after our experience together, none of us will ever be the same.
I am now here in Malawi on my own and have spent the past two weeks finding my niche and settling into my new role. I am officially the "American Consultant to the Director of Education, COTN Malawi." What does that entail? Anything and everything having to do with the education of our orphaned and sponsored children, all 1,000 of them! I spend my time tutoring children in our orphan homes, anything and everything from remedial math to test prep; I follow up on progress reports of our children in schools throughout the central region; I deliver school fees and supplies to the children in our homes and programs throughout the villages; I am acting Head Mistress at a school in Mgwyai (the neighboring village); I present on a variety of topics (anything from reading aloud to autism) to our house parents and aunties; and I train teachers on topics including lesson planning and best teaching practices. Whew! I think that's it... I work with two National COTN staff members, Esther Lungu and Chance Gondwe.
Each day also brings with it the opportunity to walk through the village holding hands and playing with kids (often times my favorite part of the day). The children pick us up to walk to school each day, and their excitement for learning brings me hope and encourages me to keep working.
