Welcome to our community foundation led from within in Livingstonia, Northern Malawi

Infos

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  Description

  We are a community-rooted, youth-led Community Foundation based in the Livingstonia Mountains of Rumphi District, northern Malawi, near Nyika National Park. Founded in 2020, we exist to ensure that development in our communities is owned, led, and sustained by local people.
  
  Born and raised in Livingstonia, we formed our Community Foundation from a simple observation: many projects fail once external organizations or support left; because communities were never truly in the driver’s seat. We was created to change that story.
  
  Today, we work across 16 Village Development Committees (VDCs), strengthening local leadership, mobilizing local resources, and supporting communities to identify, fund, and implement solutions to their own challenges.
  
  Our Model: Community Foundation & Local Giving
  As a Community Foundation,
  - Communities identify their priorities through Village Action Plans
  - Local resources (cash, labor, materials, ideas) are mobilized first
  - External support complements, not replaces, community effort
  - We support implementation and make grants to communities
  
  Our goal is to move communities from waiting to acting, and from dependency to ownership.
  
  Youth at the Centre of Development:
  
  Youth leadership is central to our work. Each VDC has youth representatives from existing youth clubs, trained as Community Ambassadors. These Ambassadors mobilize communities, support planning, and ensure accountability at village level. They are supported by Field Assistants and our Secretariat. This means volunteers work alongside strong local structures, not in isolation.

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  Types d'aide et opportunités d'apprendre

  Bénévolat

  Projets artistiques

  Pratique d’une langue

  Aide avec des éco-projets

  Compagnie pour pers. âgée

  Enseignement

  Jardinage d'entretien

  Projets DIY créatifs

  Aide dans une ferme

  Baby-sitting et jeux créatifs

  Cuisine/repas pour la famille

  Aide à la maison

  Accueil / tourisme

  Petits travaux d'entretien

  Aide informatique/internet

  Garde de maison et d'animaux
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  Centres d’intérêt

  

  Films et télé

  

  Dev. personnel

  

  Événements/vie sociale

  

  Politique/justice sociale

  

  Technologie

  

  Vidéographie

  

  Dev. durable

  

  Culture

  

  Ferme

  

  Bénévolat

  

  Soin des plantes

  

  Bricolage / artisanat

  

  Livres

  

  Blogs

  

  Cuisine et alimentation

  

  Jardinage

  

  Photographie

  

  Animaux

  

  Nature

  

  Sports d'équipe

  

  Yoga / bien-être

  

  Activités en plein air

  

  Montagne

  

  Danse

  

  Plage

  

  Camping

  

  Fitness

  

  Randonnée
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  Objectifs de développement durable de l’ONU que cet hôte essaie d'atteindre

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  Qu'est-ce que c'est ?
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  Echange culturel et opportunités d'apprendre

  It will be an unforgettable experience - you will get to engage in Malawian life, learn more about the culture, share your knowledge and have meaningful interactions with the locals.
  You will be assisting a small grassroots organisation which is run entirely by volunteers, sources funds from internal contributions, tree nursery sales and receives no international funding. Your time and help will make a difference to some of the poorest people in Malawi.
  Volunteering can be a great way to build confidence, develop personally, learn new skills or even just develop old ones. It looks good on your CV (resume) and may give you something interesting to talk about in a job interview.
  
  VOLUNTEER PROGRAMMES
  When you apply to volunteer with our project we will do our best to tailor a program which is suitable to your skills and the needs of the organization. Please let us know before you arrive if you have any specific skills or areas of interest so we can plan activities accordingly.
  When you arrive in Livingstonia, Rumphi, you will be met by a member of the our project team and taken to your accommodation to get settled. We can also help you with other tasks such as buying a local SIM (for internet data, texts and calls) or any other essentials you may need.
  The next (weekday) morning, you will be taken to our project’s office where you will be able to meet other members and volunteers. You will be given a chance to learn more about our project and to introduce yourself to the team. Together we will create a programme which can make best use of your skills, interests and time.
  Volunteers generally work five days a week and have their weekends off, although this timetable is flexible (sometimes there will be an activity planned at the weekend.) Every Monday morning there will be a team meeting at the projects office for us to share ideas and plan the activities for the week ahead. All volunteers are expected to attend this meeting weekly to enable us to collaborate effectively as a group. All volunteers will also be invited to the our projects Whatsapp group, where we share photos and information about our activities with other members.
  For those who have a laptop or who would like to help with grant writing, blogs and other administrative work, we generally spend the mornings in the office (from approximately 8:00 until 12:00) before going home for lunch. The afternoon activities can vary depending on the day and the program of the volunteers.
  Volunteers with specific skills and experience can request to work with one of our local partners outside of our project. For example, we can help doctors or those with a medical background to be placed in a local hospital or arrange for teachers to assist in a school. Volunteers are encouraged to come forward with creative concepts for new projects which can help the community. While we welcome all ideas, we do request that you continue to involve our project in your plans during your stay through continued communication with other members, and by attending the weekly meetings.
  
  WEEKENDS
  During weekends volunteers might chose to visit places of tourist attractions around Livingstonia such as the Mantchewe falls, Ancestral caves, farm eco-lodge, the old Livingstonia missionary church, Stone house museum, hiking at the Chombe plateau, hiking to the Nyika National Park.. Workawayers might also chose to visit the beaches at the fresh water lake Malawi which is 15km from Livingstonia. We have a motorbike at the office, which you could rent for your travels to help us raise income for our office works.

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  Association caritative

  Cet hôte est une association caritative déclarée dans son pays et recherche des bénévoles pour l'aider dans ses projets.

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  Projets impliquant des enfants

  Ce projet peut impliquer des enfants. Pour en savoir plus, consultez nos directives et conseils ici.

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  Aide

  You are here to:
  
  - Strengthen local capacity
  - Share skills and global perspectives
  - Support documentation, learning, and fundraising
  - Walk with communities, not ahead of them
  
  You are not expected to “fix” problems - you help local leaders do what they are already committed to doing.
  
  How You Can Contribute
  Depending on your skills and interests, you may support us in, but not limited to the following:
  
  1. Community Engagement & Learning
  - Supporting community meetings and workshops
  - Assisting with Village Action Planning processes
  - Help local women build their financial independence
  
  2. Capacity Building & Systems Strengthening
  - Fundraising strategy and grant writing
  - Monitoring, evaluation, and learning tools
  - Organisational systems and governance support
  
  3. Documentation & Storytelling
  - Photography, videography, and writing
  - Capturing community stories and impact
  - Supporting reports and online visibility
  
  4. Sustainable Livelihoods & Agriculture
  - Supporting our demonstration farm (maize, poultry, fish)
  - Skills exchange in agribusiness, sustainability, or permaculture
  
  5. Youth, Education & Social Programs
  - Supporting menstrual hygiene initiatives
  - Teaching French and or English, helping kids with reading, sports.
  - Supporting schools, with teaching and learning materials, painting and renovations
  - Elderly companionship activities - health wellness, exercises and chat
  - Market clean-up and environmental awareness
  
  What You Gain as a Volunteer
  - A deep, authentic community experience
  - Learning from grassroots development in action
  - Opportunities to contribute meaningfully and ethically
  - A chance to be part of a growing African Community Foundation model
  
  Please note that we can tailor activities or initiatives based on your skills and interests.
  
  Beyond Volunteering: Be Part of the Movement
  
  Many of our volunteers continue supporting us as:
  - Fundraising ambassadors
  - Long-term partners
  - Advocates for community-led development
  
  Join Us Now!
  
  If you are passionate about community ownership, youth leadership, and sustainable development — and willing to learn as much as you give — we welcome you.
  
  Come walk with us as communities lead their own development.

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  Langues

  Langues parlées
  Anglais: Courant
  Chichewa, Chewa, Nyanja: Courant
  Swahili (Kiswahili): Intermédiaire

  Cet hôte propose un échange linguistique
  We're interested to learn your mother language.
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  Hébergement

  We encourage volunteers to opt for our homestay accommodation option, where you will be hosted by one of our project’s members or friends in their family home. This is a great opportunity to experience the unique culture of Malawi and to interact and make friends with a local family. You will have your own room and private space for sleeping or relaxing in the evenings. We will do our best to ensure that you are comfortable and well looked after during your stay, however please be aware that facilities are basic, some hosts and you must be comfortable using local drop toilets and bucket showers.
  
  Your food will be prepared by the family and you will receive 3 meals a day. The food mainly consists of tea/coffee and some bread/cake/porridge or potatoes for breakfast. For lunch and dinner we generally eat rice or nsima (a local dish made from maize flour) with some vegetables, beans, meat or fish. Sometimes, fruit or salad will also be served. This is the staple food here and we hope you learn to love it! Volunteers will also be able to help their host family with preparing the food and even cook a dish from their own country if they wish.
  
  Please let us know if you have any dietary requirements before arriving - Vegetarian, vegan and other diets can be catered for. If volunteers require any other snacks beside the three main meals these can easily be purchased in the local market. Bottled water is not included but is also available at the local market.

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  Autres infos...

  The Livingstonia mountains being at the foot of the famous Nyika National PARK, provides a great playing grounds for people who love-- hiking, rock climbing, mountain biking, photographing.
  
  The fresh water lake is 15km down the mountains. With nice beaches to spend your free time. You will enjoy walking on foot in the path of GORODI, looking at a the amazing scenery beauty and beyond the lake to Mozambique and Tanzania. The closest city is Mzuzu, about 3 hours away on public transport.

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  Informations complémentaires

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    Accès Internet

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    Accès Internet limité

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    Nous avons des animaux

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    Nous sommes fumeurs

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    Familles bienvenues

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  Possibilité d’accueillir les digital nomads

  We have Unlimited Wi-Fi

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  Espace pour garer des vans

  Cet hôte a de la place pour les vans.

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  Combien de volontaires pouvez-vous accueillir ?

  Plus de 2

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  Mes animaux
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  Cet hôte fait payer des frais

  en savoir plus

  Pourquoi Workaway permet-il à certains hôtes de facturer des frais ?

  
  

  Workaway offre des opportunités d'échanges culturels non pécuniaires où les hôtes fournissent le logement et la nourriture en échange de l'aide des workawayers. Dans certains cas exceptionnels, des frais ou une demande de don (généralement pas plus de 5 dollars par jour) peuvent être approuvés pour des hôtes tels que les associations caritatives ayant un historique de feedbacks positifs de la part des bénévoles. Toute somme versée doit aller directement à l'organisation caritative et ne peut être utilisée que pour couvrir les frais de nourriture des bénévoles. Cela sera clairement indiqué sur le profil de l'hôte.
  

  Les annonces provenant d'agents, ou autre type d'intermédiaires, ainsi que les projets qui semblent faire des bénéfices grâce au séjour d'un bénévole sont strictement interdits. Tous les frais doivent être discutés et approuvés au préalable par l'équipe Workaway.

  $8 per day contribution for food

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