Join a Community Foundation Connecting Community Priorities with Resources in the Mountains of Malawi

Informationen

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  Beschreibung

  Welcome to Phoka, in the beautiful Livingstonia Mountains of northern Malawi.
  
  We are a youth-led, community-rooted and grant-making Community Foundation working with communities in Rumphi District, close to Nyika National Park.
  
  We believe that communities should have a meaningful voice in identifying the issues that affect them and in shaping the solutions. At the same time, we do not believe that communities have to solve everything alone.
  
  Communities often know what their most urgent needs are, but the resources required to address those needs-financial resources, technical skills, equipment, networks, knowledge and opportunities-may exist elsewhere.
  
  This is where we come in.
  
  We see ourselves as a bridge between community priorities and the resources that can help address them.
  
  Through community engagement, we listen to people, identify and document their priorities, and build relationships with local groups, friends, partners, supporters and other organisations that can contribute resources.
  
  We mobilise and connect different kinds of resources—including local giving, financial contributions, skills, materials, labour, partnerships, grants, volunteer time and knowledge—and help channel them towards priorities identified by communities.
  
  Our approach is therefore not based on the idea that communities can do everything by themselves. Nor do we believe that outside organisations should arrive with solutions already designed for them.
  
  Instead, we try to bring different strengths together:
  
  Community knowledge + local contribution + external resources + skills + partnerships + accountable local leadership = stronger community solutions.
  
  We believe that outside resources can be extremely valuable when communities have a meaningful role in deciding what those resources should help achieve.
  
  What we do;
  
  Our main role is to mobilise resources and make grants towards pressing community priorities.
  
  We have conducted extensive community engagement and have developed a growing database of priorities identified directly by communities. This helps us understand what different communities need and where resources can make a meaningful difference.
  
  However, our work does not stop at making grants.
  
  We also strengthen the organisations, committees and groups responsible for managing and implementing community initiatives.
  
  We provide capacity-building and training for:
  
  Youth organisations
  Community-based organisations
  Women's savings and loan groups
  Community committees
  Local development structures
  Elderly groups and committees
  Other community groups and emerging local organisations
  
  Depending on their needs, we support training in areas such as organisational development, leadership, financial management, project management, resource mobilisation, inclusion, accountability and other practical issues relevant to community development.
  
  What we are currently supporting;
  
  Community education:
  
  One of our major current initiatives is supporting the construction of a community junior primary school.
  
  The project is being supported through locally mobilised resources and contributions from friends and partners. One classroom block has already been completed, and we are continuing to mobilise resources for additional classrooms, an office and teachers' accommodation.
  
  We are also helping strengthen the community structures responsible for managing the project and monitoring its progress.
  
  Irrigation and food security:
  
  We are supporting the renovation and strengthening of an irrigation scheme in a neighbouring village. The purpose is to help farmers improve food production, strengthen food security and build greater resilience in their livelihoods.
  
  As with our other work, we are not simply providing resources and leaving. We work alongside the community, help mobilise resources and strengthen the structures responsible for implementing and sustaining the initiative.
  
  Community-led projects:
  
  We work with different communities to identify priorities, mobilise resources and support the implementation of projects.
  
  We monitor projects that have received grants and work with local committees and groups to strengthen their ability to manage resources and deliver their initiatives.
  
  Elderly companionship and inclusion:
  
  We also have an active elderly companionship programme.
  
  We work with elderly groups and committees, helping build their capacity and creating opportunities for older people to remain included in community life. Our activities include learning and discussion around health, inclusion, social wellbeing and other issues affecting older people.
  
  We believe older people should not become invisible simply because they are no longer economically active. They have knowledge, experience and an important place in community life.
  
  Building sustainable enterprises:
  
  We are also developing income-generating enterprises to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Rise for Phoka. At present, we are investing in agriculture, including crop production and animal rearing.
  
  The idea is to create productive enterprises whose profits can be used in three ways:
  
  Reinvesting in and growing the enterprises;
  Supporting the operational sustainability of Rise for Phoka; and
  Generating additional resources that can eventually support more community grants.
  
  We see this as another way of building a stronger bridge between resources and community needs.
  
  Who we are:
  
  Rise for Phoka was founded in 2020 and grew out of a desire among local young people to contribute to the development of their own communities.
  
  We are locally rooted, but we are also outward-looking. We value relationships with people and organisations from different parts of Malawi and from around the world. We believe that meaningful development happens through relationships, learning, accountability and collaboration.
  
  We also believe that volunteering should not be about coming to "save" a community.
  
  A Workaway volunteer brings something valuable—skills, knowledge, experience, time, creativity, networks or simply the willingness to learn and participate.
  
  At the same time, the volunteer receives something valuable from the community: friendship, cultural knowledge, new perspectives, practical experience and an opportunity to understand rural life in Malawi from within the community rather than only as a visitor.

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  Arten von Hilfe und Lernmöglichkeiten

  Karitative Arbeit

  Kunstprojekte

  Sprachpraxis

  Hilfe bei Ökoprojekten

  Seniorenbetreuung

  Unterrichten

  Kreative Heimwerkerprojekte

  Mithilfe auf einem Bauernhof

  Zubereiten / Kochen von Mahlzeiten für die Familie

  Hausarbeiten

  Tourismus / Gastgewerbe

  Hilfe mit Computer /Internet
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  Interessengebiete

  

  Film & Fernsehen

  

  Selbstentwicklung

  

  Events & Sozialleben

  

  Politik & Soziales

  

  Technik

  

  Videoaufnahmen

  

  Nachhaltigkeit

  

  Kultur

  

  Farmarbeit

  

  Karitative Arbeiten

  

  Gärtnern

  

  Heimwerken & DIY

  

  Bücher

  

  Blogging

  

  Kochen & Backen

  

  Gartenarbeiten

  

  Fotografie

  

  Tiere

  

  Natur

  

  Mannschaftssportarten

  

  Yoga / Wellness

  

  Outdoor-Aktivitäten

  

  Gebirge

  

  Tanzen

  

  Strand

  

  Camping

  

  Fitness

  

  Wandern
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  UNO-Ziele für nachhaltige Entwicklung, die dieser Gastgeber verfolgt

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  Was ist das?
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  Kultureller Austausch und Lernmöglichkeiten

  We do not want volunteers to come only to complete a task. We want them to understand the people, communities and environment in which the work takes place.
  
  Experience rural Malawi from within the community:
  
  Living in Phoka gives volunteers an opportunity to experience everyday life in a rural Malawian community. They can meet local families, farmers, young people, older people, community leaders, local organisations and entrepreneurs.
  
  They can see how people cooperate, make decisions, organise groups, mobilise resources and respond to challenges. This is very different from visiting Malawi only as a tourist.
  
  Learn about community-led development:
  
  Volunteers can learn how a locally rooted Community Foundation operates and how community priorities can be connected with resources.
  
  They will see how we:
  
  Engage communities
  Identify and document priorities
  Mobilise local resources
  Connect communities with external resources
  Make grants
  Monitor supported initiatives
  Strengthen local organisations
  Build partnerships
  Learn from implementation
  
  They can also see the challenges involved. Community development is rarely straightforward, and we believe volunteers learn as much from the challenges and things that do not go according to plan as they do from successes.
  
  Learn about community philanthropy:
  
  We are particularly interested in demonstrating that philanthropy does not have to mean only large international donors. People can contribute money, materials, labour, skills, ideas, relationships and time.
  
  Volunteers will see how local giving and external support can work together.
  
  Learn about rural livelihoods and agriculture:
  
  Volunteers can experience agriculture as an important part of rural livelihoods and also as an emerging social enterprise for our organisation. They may learn about local farming practices, food production, livestock, markets and the realities of developing rural enterprises.
  
  Cultural exchange goes both ways. We also want to learn from volunteers.
  
  People arrive with different experiences of community life, fundraising, business, technology, education, agriculture, environmental sustainability and social organisation.
  
  A volunteer may teach us something that we can adapt to our context.
  
  We may also challenge some of their assumptions about Africa, development, poverty, community and volunteering.
  
  That is part of the exchange.
  
  We particularly want to avoid the idea that volunteers arrive with all the answers. We believe knowledge travels in both directions.
  
  Learn about Malawi:
  
  Volunteers can experience Malawian food, languages, music, traditions, community life and hospitality. They can learn about the history and unique character of Livingstonia and the surrounding communities.
  
  They can also experience the differences between rural and urban Malawi and develop a more nuanced understanding of life in the country.
  
  Learn from local people:
  
  One of the most valuable things a volunteer can take home is not necessarily a new technical skill.
  
  It may be a different way of thinking about community, relationships, generosity, resilience, leadership or what development actually means.
  
  We hope volunteers leave not only having contributed something, but having had their own perspectives broadened by the people they met.

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  Eingetragene Wohltätigkeitsorganisation

  Dieser Gastgeber ist in seinem Land als Wohltätigkeitsorganisation eingetragen und sucht Freiwillige, die bei seinen Projekten mithelfen.

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  Projekte mit Kindern

  Dieses Projekt schließt möglicherweise den Umgang mit Kindern ein. Mehr Informationen findest du in unseren Verhaltensregeln und Tipps hier.

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  Arbeit

  We welcome people who are interested in contributing their skills to our organisation, our community initiatives and our emerging enterprises. We are particularly interested in people who can contribute practical skills, professional experience, creativity, ideas and initiative.
  
  You do not have to be an expert in everything. What matters most is that you are willing to participate, listen, learn and work respectfully alongside local people.
  
  Fundraising and resource mobilisation;
  
  One of our biggest needs is finding and connecting resources with community priorities. Volunteers with experience in fundraising, philanthropy, donor engagement, crowdfunding, fundraising campaigns, networking or partnership development can help us strengthen this area.
  
  You may help us:
  
  Identify potential funding opportunities
  Develop fundraising ideas
  Improve fundraising materials
  Research potential partners and supporters
  Develop crowdfunding campaigns
  Build relationships with potential supporters
  Strengthen our resource mobilisation strategy
  Communicate our community priorities to wider audiences
  Grant writing and proposal development
  
  Volunteers with experience in grant writing, proposal development or donor communications can help us develop stronger applications and funding materials.
  
  They may help with:
  
  Grant proposals
  Concept notes
  Organisational profiles
  Project descriptions
  Budgets
  Donor reports
  Researching funding opportunities
  Developing project ideas into fundable proposals
  Documentation, photography and storytelling
  
  We want to improve how we document the work taking place in our communities.
  
  Volunteers with photography, videography, journalism, storytelling or communications experience can help us capture:
  
  Community meetings
  Grant-supported projects
  School construction
  Agriculture and irrigation activities
  Elderly companionship activities
  Training sessions
  Community stories
  Local people and their experiences
  The progress and impact of our work
  
  We also need help turning these experiences into stories that can be shared through social media, our website, reports and communications with supporters.
  
  Social media and communications:
  
  Volunteers with digital communications experience can help strengthen our online presence.
  
  This could include:
  
  Facebook and social media content
  Short videos
  Photography
  Graphic design
  Storytelling
  Content planning
  Digital campaigns
  Website content
  Community impact stories
  Designing communication materials
  
  We are particularly interested in volunteers who can help us communicate development work without portraying communities through stereotypes or simply presenting poverty as something exotic.
  
  Finance and financial management:
  
  Volunteers with accounting, finance or financial management experience can help us strengthen our internal systems.
  
  This may include:
  
  Financial record keeping
  Budgeting
  Financial reporting
  Developing simple financial systems
  Supporting community groups with financial management
  Training groups in basic financial management
  Strengthening accountability systems
  Monitoring, evaluation and learning
  
  We have many community priorities and grant-supported activities, and we want to continuously improve how we document progress and learn from our work.
  
  Volunteers with experience in monitoring and evaluation, research, data management or community development can help us:
  
  Improve monitoring tools
  Organise community data
  Document project progress
  Develop simple indicators
  Capture lessons learned
  Document stories of change
  Strengthen our community priority database
  Training and capacity building
  
  People with experience in training, facilitation, organisational development, leadership, entrepreneurship, project management or community work can contribute by helping us develop and facilitate appropriate training for local groups.
  
  This could include youth organisations, women’s savings groups, community-based organisations, committees and other local structures.
  
  Agriculture and enterprise development:
  
  We are developing agriculture and animal-rearing enterprises and welcome volunteers with practical agricultural, business or enterprise-development experience.
  
  Depending on the season and the volunteer's skills, this could involve:
  
  Crop production
  Farm planning
  Vegetable production
  Animal husbandry
  Farm management
  Business planning
  Record keeping
  Market research
  Enterprise development
  Value addition
  Exploring ways to make our enterprises more productive and sustainable
  
  We are also happy to learn from volunteers who bring practical agricultural knowledge from their own countries.
  
  Community development and youth work:
  
  People with experience in community development, youth empowerment, social work, education, environmental work or related fields can contribute to our programmes and learning activities.
  
  Volunteers may participate in community meetings, training activities, youth engagement and other appropriate activities.
  
  Research and knowledge:
  
  Students, researchers and professionals can also contribute through research and documentation relevant to our work.
  
  Possible areas include:
  
  Community philanthropy
  Local development
  Rural livelihoods
  Youth development
  Social enterprise
  Agriculture
  Community foundations
  Local resource mobilisation
  Community participation
  Inclusion
  Environmental sustainability
  General support
  
  Not every useful contribution needs to be highly specialized.
  
  Sometimes we need someone who is simply willing to work alongside us, organize information, help with activities, support documentation, assist with practical tasks or contribute ideas.
  
  We value initiative. If you see something that could be improved and have a constructive idea about how to improve it, we want to hear it.
  
  What we expect from volunteers
  
  We ask volunteers to:
  
  Respect local people and local culture
  Listen before assuming
  Be willing to learn
  Be reliable and responsible
  Work collaboratively
  Avoid treating communities as objects of charity or tourism
  Respect confidentiality when working with community information
  Understand that community work can move slowly
  Be flexible when plans change
  Share their knowledge without assuming that their way is the only way
  Take initiative while respecting local leadership
  
  Most importantly, we want volunteering to be a genuine exchange rather than a one-sided relationship.t.

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  Sprachen

  Gesprochene Sprachen
  Englisch: Fließend
  Chichewa, Chewa, Nyanja: Fließend
  Swahili (Kiswahili): Gute Kenntnisse

  Dieser Gastgeber bietet Sprachaustausch an
  We're interested to learn your mother language.
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  Unterkunft

  Volunteers will have the opportunity to stay within the local community in the Livingstonia/Phoka area.
  
  The experience is intended to provide genuine exposure to everyday rural Malawian life rather than a conventional tourist or hotel experience.
  
  Accommodation arrangements can vary depending on the volunteer, the duration of the stay and what is available at the time. We aim to provide a safe, clean and comfortable place to stay and will discuss the specific arrangement with volunteers before they arrive.
  
  Living in the community means that volunteers should be comfortable with a simpler rural lifestyle.
  
  Depending on the accommodation arrangement, facilities may be more basic than those found in hotels or urban homes. This is part of the experience, and we encourage volunteers to come with an open mind.
  
  Food arrangements can also be discussed before arrival. Volunteers will have opportunities to experience local Malawian food and, where appropriate, participate in preparing meals or other aspects of everyday community life.
  
  We want volunteers to feel welcomed and part of the community while also respecting the routines, privacy and culture of the household or community where they stay.

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  Was noch ...

  We are located in the Livingstonia Mountains of northern Malawi.
  
  Livingstonia is famous for its spectacular mountain scenery, views over the surrounding valleys and its historical and cultural significance. The area is surrounded by beautiful natural landscapes and is relatively peaceful and quiet, making it a very different experience from Malawi's larger towns and cities.
  
  Nyika National Park is also in the wider region and is an important destination for people interested in wildlife and nature.
  
  Things volunteers can do in their free time
  
  Depending on the season and local conditions, volunteers can use their free time to:
  
  Explore Livingstonia
  Walk through the surrounding mountains and villages
  Enjoy the spectacular viewpoints
  Visit local cultural and historical sites
  Meet local people
  Participate in community activities
  Explore local markets
  Learn about local food and cooking
  Spend time with local families
  Take photographs of the landscape
  Go hiking
  Explore the natural environment
  Visit nearby attractions
  Read, write or simply enjoy the peaceful environment
  
  Volunteers who enjoy nature, hiking, photography, writing, research or simply slowing down will find plenty to appreciate.
  
  Livingstonia experience:
  
  One of the things we value most about our location is that volunteers can experience the area beyond the normal tourist perspective. You will not simply be looking at the mountains. You will be living among the people who farm them, walk through them, raise families in them, organise communities in them and build their futures there.
  
  Transport:
  
  Transport in rural northern Malawi is more limited than in major cities. Volunteers should therefore expect a slower pace and plan journeys with some flexibility. Public transport and local transport options are available, and we can provide guidance about getting to and from Livingstonia and travelling within the surrounding area.
  
  For longer trips or visits to attractions, arrangements can be discussed in advance.
  
  We encourage volunteers to let us know their travel plans before arrival so that we can advise them on the most practical options.
  
  Connectivity and working online:
  
  Although we are based in a rural and mountainous area, volunteers do not have to be completely disconnected from the outside world. We have unlimited Wi-Fi available at our office, which volunteers can use when working on projects, communicating with family and friends, researching, studying or working remotely.
  
  We can also help volunteers obtain a local Malawian SIM card so that they can access mobile data when they are away from the office or travelling around the area. Local mobile networks provide different data options, and we can help you understand the available choices and get connected.
  
  We encourage volunteers who need reliable internet for remote work, online studies or other commitments to let us know in advance. This allows us to help them plan how best to use the office connection and mobile data while they are with us.
  
  At the same time, Phoka offers something that can be increasingly difficult to find: an opportunity to step away from the constant pace of urban life while still having the connectivity needed to remain in touch with the wider world.
  
  You can therefore have both experiences—meaningful immersion in a rural community and a reliable connection to the world beyond it.
  
  The pace of community work:
  
  One thing we want volunteers to understand is that community development does not always move at the speed of a business or a tourist itinerary.
  
  Meetings may change.
  
  A community activity may be postponed.
  
  Weather may affect plans.
  
  Transport may take longer than expected.
  
  A project may encounter challenges.
  
  This is normal. We encourage volunteers to be patient, flexible and willing to adapt.
  
  A final word to potential Workawayers:
  
  If you are looking for a conventional volunteer placement where you are given a fixed task and told exactly what to do every day, we may not be the right place for you.
  
  But if you are looking for something more participatory—an opportunity to live in a rural Malawian community, contribute your skills, learn from local people, understand community philanthropy, support a growing Community Foundation and experience the realities of community-led development—we would love to hear from you.
  
  At Rise for Phoka, we are trying to build something that connects people who have needs with people who have resources, skills, ideas and opportunities.
  
  We believe the world has many resources, but they are not always connected to the people and places that need them.
  
  Our work is about building those connections.
  
  And perhaps your skills, experience, ideas or simply your willingness to participate could become part of that bridge.

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  Etwas mehr Information

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    Internet Zugang

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    Eingeschränkter Internet Zugang

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    Wir besitzen Tiere

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    Wir sind Raucher

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    Familien möglich

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  Kann Digital Nomads unterbringen

  We have Unlimited Wi-Fi

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  Platz zum Abstellen von Camper Vans

  Dieser Gastgeber bietet Platz für Wohnmobile.

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  Kapazität - wie viele Workawayer maximal

  mehr als zwei

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  Meine Tiere/Haustiere
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  Dieser Host verlangt Gebühren

  mehr dazu

  Warum erlaubt Workaway manchen Gastgebern, eine Gebühr zu verlangen?

  
  

  Workaway bietet Möglichkeiten für einen nicht-monetären kulturellen Austausch, bei dem Gastgeber Workawayern im Gegenzug für ihre Hilfe Verpflegung und eine Unterkunft zur Verfügung stellen. In einigen Ausnahmefällen kann eine kleine Gebühr/Spende (in der Regel nicht mehr als 5 Dollar pro Tag) an Gastgeber genehmigt werden, z. B. für registrierte Wohltätigkeitsorganisationen, die in der Vergangenheit viele positive Rückmeldungen von Volunteers erhalten haben. Jegliche Gebühren müssen direkt an die Wohltätigkeitsorganisation gehen und dürfen nur zur Deckung der Verpflegungskosten für die Volunteers verwendet werden. Dies wird im Angebot des Gastgebers deutlich gekennzeichnet.
  

  Angebote von Vertretern, „Mittelsmännern“ oder Projekten, die den Anschein erwecken, Profit aus dem Aufenthalt eines Volunteers zu schlagen, sind strengstens verboten. Jegliche Gebühren müssen im Voraus mit dem Workaway-Team besprochen und von diesem genehmigt werden.

  $8 per day contribution for food

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