Help us to create a sustainable and self-sufficient farm near Zomba, Malawi

Details

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  Description

  Hello friends,
  
  I'm excited to share an opportunity to experience life in rural Malawi while making a real and lasting difference in a local community.
  
  We are based in Gologota, a beautiful rural area approximately 25 minutes from Zomba on the Zomba to Blantyre Road. Through our Workaway programme, we offer free accommodation and meals in exchange for around 4 hours of help per day, 5 days a week.
  
  This is a fantastic opportunity to immerse yourself in Malawian culture, learn about local life, and contribute your skills to a growing social enterprise. Our smallholding farm includes an events garden with all profits helping to support our ongoing community projects.
  
  At present, we are particularly looking for volunteers with practical building and construction skills. We are currently constructing a perimeter brick wall fence around the property and urgently need help with:
  
  • Bricklaying and general construction work
  • Moulding red bricks for the wall
  • Site preparation and labouring
  • Anyone with experience in building, masonry or DIY projects
  
  If you enjoy working outdoors and would like to leave a lasting legacy, your help would be greatly appreciated.
  
  We are flexible and aim to match tasks with each volunteer's interests, strengths, and experience. Current projects include:
  
  Converting existing buildings into guest accommodation
  Developing a campsite with future glamping opportunities
  Caring for our fruit trees, including guava, lemon, mango, apple, plum, peach, and mulberry
  Making local jams and preserves for sale
  Building an outdoor pagoda and community gathering space
  Supporting our social media and marketing activities
  Exploring solar power solutions to improve sustainability
  
  We also work closely with a local nursery school for 4- and 5-year-old children, where volunteers can assist with teaching, arts and crafts, and educational activities.
  
  The setting is idyllic, surrounded by mature trees, abundant birdlife, and regular visits from squirrels and monkeys. Chichewa is the primary language spoken locally, although most people also speak English, making it a wonderful place to learn and practise the language.
  
  As an occupational therapist, I firmly believe that everyone has something valuable to contribute. Whether you are taking a gap year, enjoying retirement, changing direction in life, living with a disability, or simply looking for a meaningful adventure, we would love to welcome you.
  
  Types of help and learning opportunities:
  
  • Charity work
  • Teaching and education
  • Art and creative projects
  • Language exchange
  • Eco projects and sustainability
  • Gardening and farming
  • DIY and construction
  • Animal care
  • Hospitality and tourism
  • Cooking and food preservation
  • General maintenance
  • Elderly companionship
  
  If you think you could contribute to any of these projects, especially our urgent perimeter wall construction, we would be delighted to hear from you.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Charity Work

  Art Projects

  Language practice

  Help with Eco Projects

  Elderly Companionship

  Teaching

  Light gardening

  Creative DIY projects

  Animal Care

  Farmstay help

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  Hospitality/Tourism

  Light maintenance

  Help with Computers/ Internet
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  Interests

  

  Charity work

  

  Farming

  

  Sustainability

  

  Events & social

  

  Pets

  

  Self development

  

  DIY & crafts

  

  Gardening

  

  Cooking & food

  

  Drawing & painting

  

  Animals

  

  Team sports

  

  Yoga / Wellness

  

  Nature

  

  Hiking
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  UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

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  What's this?
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  In this rural environment, you would get the opportunity to experience rural life in Malawi. I speak Chichewa and can help anyone wanting to learn the language and anyone who wants to immerse themselves in the Malawi culture. I enjoy cooking so this is also a good way of enjoying some local cuisine.
  I enjoy doing Yoga and yoga in the woods/outdoors in the early morning is special. This place also offers tranquillity and calm that we call crave from time to time. So if you are facing burn-out or feeling overwhelmed, please do reach out and come away.
  Zomba, the old capital city is only a 25 minute drive away and highly recommended. Zomba is a market town and home to Zomba Plateau and Malape pillars (often compared to the Grand Canyon!) are also in the vicinity.
  Lake Malawi is about a 3 hour drive away and and Mvuu Camp (safari) is about 1.5 hour drive away.
  Majestic Mount Mulanje is about a 2 hour drive away so if you enjoy hiking or just want to admire the mountain from a safe distance Mulanje is definite a must-see sight.
  This is a mutually beneficial arrangement for us and for Workawayers as there are many learning opportunities: to share lived experiences, a beautiful place to heal, to reflect and to feel heard and listened to. This is not just about work but about friendship and sharing.
  We would like for all Workawayers to leave at the end of their visit, knowing that they have made friends for life and knowing that their visit was impactful.

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  Projects involving children

  This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.

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  Help

  I am a qualified occupational therapist, currently spending more time in rural Malawi and predominantly live on my own although my children visit from time to time. I currently pay for labour in developing this not-for-profit venture that will create employment for local people in the community and will enhance the livelihoods of the local community.
  
  I am requesting support with developing this project. Your help of working 3-4 hours a day, for 5 days a week in return for free accommodation and 3 meals a day would enable me to achieve this. I am inviting you to help me in the following areas:
  * DIY skills/ building/ general repairs/ improvements of the house, café and events garden
  * I am in the process of setting up a small events garden and café to generate income for the on-going projects
  * Support with social media presence and advertising
  * Animal care - I have several dogs that are always looking for love and attention
  * support with making the smallholding more sustainable and self-sufficient through things like using solar energy etc.
  * support with teaching/ doing art projects at a local nursery school
  * ideas / projects to engage local youth to enhance their livelihoods in the villages

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  Chichewa, Chewa, Nyanja: Fluent
  French: Beginner

  This host offers a language exchange
  I am bi-lingual (English and Chichewa) and I learnt French as a subject over several years but lack the confidence to speak it. I would be happy to teach Chichewa/English and to learn more French if that were possible.
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  Accommodation

  I have a fully furnished 3-bedroom farmhouse with single and double beds (depending on your needs), one bathroom with shower and bathtub, electricity and a lovely surround veranda on three sides. All beds have mosquito nets and bedside lights.
  I have a fully furnished kitchen with a gas cooker and electric oven. I am flexible with meals so you can cook independently if needed or we can cook together and share. I would just want for you to come and experience rural Malawi, learn a bit of the language and perhaps use this as a base for you to go our and explore Malawi a bit more.
  All Workawayers would be accommodated in the farmhouse in bedrooms with single/ double beds etc.

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  What else ...

  Thondwe market is about a 20 minute walk away but also there are bike taxis if you prefer to be a bit more adventurous. The market offers lots of local produce and local crafts. There is a local church and lots of nice walks in the area. If you prefer to venture further afield, we have a car that we can let you use for a small fee.
  Other local sights:
  Zomba - the market, the plateau and Malape/ Chikala pillars
  Liwonde- a town close to Zomba where you can access Mvuu Camp for a safari
  Mulanje - the home of Mulanje Mountain, the third highest peak in Africa. This is approximately 1.5 hours drive from Gologota

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  A little more information

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    Internet access

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    Limited internet access

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    We have pets

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    We are smokers

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    Can host families

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  Can host digital nomads

  I have office space for people wanting to work on their own online projects whilst staying with us.

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  Space for parking camper vans

  We can offer travellers in campervans a parking space and they can use our bathroom facilities if/when required.

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  Can possibly accept pets

  We can accept cats and dogs

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  Two

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  My animals / pets

  Prince (2 years)

  We have 2 male dogs - brothers who are a (cross between German Shepherd and Boerboel)

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