VOLUNTEER

Volunteers can stay in Mpemba cottage. We can help you arrange this through Mr Majonanga, MOET’s director. LOCATION The cottage is right on the shore of Lake Malawi – the beach is at the bottom of the garden. It’s 15 minute’s cycle ride from the school (bikes provided). It’s in a fenced-off compound, shared with a friendly Malawian family. Sayiwala (the dad) is the watchman and will help you out with things. You can find the rough location if you type in ‘Makokola Retreat’ to Google maps. (This is a hotel 2 minutes’ walk down the beach – which has wifi). It’s about half an hour away from Mangochi town. FACILITIES Fairly basic but fine. Kitchen has hob, fridge, and freezer. No washing machine – can hand wash in the sink or in the lake. 2 double bedrooms, 2 toilets, 1 shower. Mr Majonanga will correspond with the owner and propose a price. This depends on how long you’re staying. Likely to be around £90 a month.

Volunteers are not required to pay anything for the volunteering itself. The only costs are your own travel to Malawi, (which you will have to arrange), immunisations, DBS check (£7), accommodation (which FOMOE can help to arrange: most visitors stay in the volunteer cottage) and some spending money. Volunteers must be over 18, and committed to making a contribution to the school’s work. We encourage volunteers to fundraise and raise awareness as much as possible for FOMOE before going out to MOET. Whilst volunteering we expect regular updates/photos/videos to use in our marketing to inspire others. In the past, we have found that the volunteering programme has been really worthwhile for both visitors and the school. MOET is a warm-hearted, lively and welcoming place. You’ll be sure to have more questions all this! MORE INFORMATION can be found in our Volunteering FAQs below. Want to know more detail? Contact Johannes Lau– past volunteer and now FOMOE’s Volunteer Co-ordinator. Please send him an email: volunteering@fomoe.org.

For guidance on what to take, see the packing list below: Essentials: Phone Boarding passes Passport Travel insurance Cash Credit/debit card List of emergency contacts Clothes: T shirts Shorts Long skirts Baggy trousers Fleeces Waterproof coat Sunhat Swimsuit Health products: Suncream Insect repellent Mosquito net Anti-malaria medication Paracetemol/Ibruprofen Plasters Hand sanitiser Oral rehydration tablets Insect bite cream Antiseptic wipes Tissues Toiletries (can buy shampoo etc locally) Other: Towels Camera Chargers Books Torch Clothes pegs String Sunglasses Rucksack

Volunteers in the past have been alone. It’s do-able! The community is safe and welcoming. You’ll get to know people.

It’ll be down to you to sort your flights out – best to fly to Lilongwe. On arrival you will have to pay for an entry visa (£65 or $75). See https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/malawi/entry-requirements, and the Malawi high commission website : http://www.malawihighcommission.co.uk/index.php/visa There are buses from Lilongwe to Mangochi town. However if you’re staying for a long time it may be best to ask Mr Majonanga to pick you up from the airport and pay him back for petrol. Whilst staying in Malawi you can get around on foot, by bicycle, by bicycle taxi, or matola (public trucks). If you want to get into Mangochi town, Patterson has a truck and is often going to/from there if you need a lift. Minibuses run from Mangochi to Monkey Bay, Lilongwe, Blantyre, Salima, Liwonde, and more.

There’s wi-fi in the MOET School office, can also be accessed from the library. It’s sometimes slow and unreliable but fine most of the time! The cottage doesn’t have wi-fi but if you feel you need it you can get a data package with a local SIM card, or go across to the Makokola Retreat and buy wi-fi time there. The fastest wi-fi on the lakeshore can be found at Nkpola Lodge which is a short bike ride from MOET.

Make the most of being in Malawi! Cape Maclear and Liwonde National Park are both worth a visit. Ask Johannes for more info on how to arrange: volunteering@fomoe.org.

We ask you to fundraise as much as possible for Fomoe before (and after!) your trip. 100% of the money donated to Fomoe goes to support MOET. Past fundraising by volunteers has included sponsored walks (including Hadrian’s Wall and the 3 peaks challenge), the ‘Live Below the Line’ challenge, public charity events, a local radio appeal, and more. For ideas and support with your fundraising, volunteer trustee Johannes Lau will be happy to help.

As well as funds, MOET School really appreciates donated items if you are going out to visit. Clothes, bags, shoes and stationery are always useful for the children. Before you go, ask FOMOE about the schools specific needs at that time. If you’re able to find a second-hand laptop that would be amazing. Depending on the airline you fly with, the baggage allowance is usually very generous. For Ethiopian Airlines and South African, it’s 2 bags of 23kg! So you should have plenty of room.

There is a good market a five minute cycle ride away in Makawa, where you can find stalls selling fruit and veg, and shops with bread, rice, crisps (dry food etc.). You can also buy stuff like soap, washing up liquid, washing powder, SIM card credit and more. For more of choice, you can go to People’s, a small supermarket in Maldeco, which you can get a bicycle taxi to. You can get most things there – from baked beans to peanutbutter! They also sell big bottles of drinking water. For getting money out, there’s an ATM at the Standard Bank in Mangochi which takes Visa or Mastercard.

This will vary depending on your skills, what you’d like you get involved with, what the staff need help with, and how long you’re staying. It is likely to include: WORK WITH THE CHILDREN Helping in classrooms. Most lessons are taught in English. Children in Standard 5 and upwards are usually good enough to communicate with! It will be particularly useful for you to help in English classes. If you’re comfortable with taking some of your own lessons, the teachers and children appreciate this! The teacher may allocate you a certain topic. Bringing your own ideas for new ways to learn and teach will be welcomed. Helping with school clubs School clubs meet on Thursday afternoons. There is plenty you could get involved with: including AIDS awareness, drawing, reading, permaculture, and more. See the video on Fomoe’s Youtube channel: https://youtu.be/2INiupFAYco Vocational skills MOET has a vocational skills programme in the afternoons for children in Standard 5 and upwards. The school has a few computers and volunteers can be really useful by teaching basic IT skills to small groups at a time. WATCH : Video - Vocational Skills The school also has a piano – if you’re at all musical, MOET choir needs someone to revive it! WATCH School Choir video HERE. Sports If you’re into sport you could to get involved on Thursdays or at breaktime – it’s mainly netball, basketball and football, but the kids (and teachers) love learning new games too! OTHER Ex-MOET students The school encourages its former students to come back to MOET for extra support. It would be really useful to be able to teach IT skills to these guys. Permaculture As well as in school, MOET delivers permaculture training and resources in surrounding villages. See ‘The Projects’ section of the FOMOE website. This is something you could go along and contribute to as a volunteer. FOMOE Stuff Because we’re a UK-based charity, we find it really useful to have a volunteer out in Malawi! In the past, volunteers have helped with admin in the school office, improving communication for the secondary school sponsorship programme, and providing news and photos for the website. We will agree a list of FOMOE tasks with you before you go. So… there’s lots for volunteers to do! Your own interests, ideas and contributions then will also be welcomed. It’s up to you how much you take on. MOET staff are really grateful for the help, but you’re not expected to stay all day every day.

FOMOE and MOET School cannot take any responsibility for your health during your stay in Malawi – that is entirely your responsibility. However, if you do fall ill when you’re there, Patterson will make sure you’re not alone in dealing with it. There is a good clinic in Koche, very near MOET. For more serious issues, Blantyre hospitals are about 3 hours away. Make sure you have comprehensive health insurance, including emergency repatriation. Contact with lake water carries a risk of bilharzia (a parasitic infection transmitted by snails found in some parts of the lake). We advise that you do some research before going to be aware of this, and visit a clinic while you’re there to discuss protection against bilharzia. It is possible to take preventative medicine. Be aware that the shower water in the volunteer cottage is sourced from the lake. All material on this website is provided for your information only and may not be construed as medical advice or instruction. No action or inaction should be taken based solely on the contents of this information; instead, readers should consult appropriate health professionals on any matter relating to their health and well-being.