Community: Real Life

Malawi through my eyes

For two weeks this year, Taylor, 17, along with other pupils from Felpham Community College in Bognor Regis, visited Malawi in southern Africa, to experience the work of blindness charity Sightsavers International.

The journey to Blantyre

Group of winners in Malawi

The lucky winners

Our school was a winner of the 2007 G-Nation Awards, which recognised our charity work over the last year. After all the build-up and excitement, the day finally arrived when we would leave England for Malawi. Our plane took off, landed in Rome and then in Addis Ababa, and finally crossed the equator and touched down in Malawi. This wasn't our final destination however; we had landed in Lilongwe to glorious sunshine, but still needed to travel further South to Blantyre.

On our first full day in Blantyre we visited the Queen's Eye Clinic, which is supported by Sightsavers. It was quite a culture shock as the place was overcrowded and many people were sharing beds and sleeping on the floor.

We spent the day talking to eye doctors and nurses and finding out about how the hospital operates. We met Maxwell Malola Mdala, who makes lenses for glasses. He showed us how he scored the glass before snapping it into shape and leaving his assistant to file it down.

Going back to school

At Makande Primary School we were given the warmest welcome I think any of us had ever had. We were instantly surrounded by hundreds of smiling kids. They were tapping on the windows and waving and cheering; we felt like celebrities. We were then ushered into a small room that felt as if it held all the heat of Africa, but our attention was on the 20 or so visually impaired children on one side of the room singing songs to welcome us.

After that we had a chance to get to know some of the students and play with tactile toys, games and wind-up radios we'd brought along. It was amazing to see their genuine fascination and happiness. After a traditional tree planting ceremony, we were treated to an array of drama, music, dancing and poetry.

As the day came to a close we walked over to the football pitch where there were lots of people all desperate to play, but without any fuss the teams were picked quickly and the game was underway. The heat was unbearable, but I wouldn't have missed it for the world. My tongue felt like sandpaper and my feet ached, but all that came second to the football. It was turning out to be one of the best experiences of my life. It wasn't like England, where the winning is all that counts. They were genuinely playing for the pure enjoyment, like most things the Malawians do. It was an amazing end to one of the best days of my life.

"We were instantly surrounded by hundreds of smiling kids. They were tapping on the windows and waving and cheering; we felt like celebrities."

Helping at a local eye screening

Dancing in Malawi

Such a warm welcome

The next day we visited a school where we were going to test the eyesight of the pupils and many of the local villagers. As the day began we were taught by some of the teachers and eye doctors how to tell if the locals had any problems with their eyes and whether they needed to have any treatment or an operation. I started the day by taking the names of everyone who was tested, their age and strength of eyesight.

There were letter charts with decreasing-sized fonts hanging from the brickwork beneath a corrugated iron roof in one of the classrooms. The charts were filled with the letter E pointing in different directions.  Many villagers were illiterate, so rather than a sheet of different letters like at home, they had to point to which way they thought the E was facing. The day wore on and we'd got through hundreds of people.

Throughout the afternoon we took pictures and the kids delighted in seeing themselves on digital cameras. A few of us sat and talked to the leader of the tribe; she told about the different customs we should adopt when talking to her, such as a short clap after certain phrases. After that we joined in with dancing and chanting, clapping and singing. We all gathered in a circle and then one of the locals went into the middle to dance and dragged one of us in with them. It was quite embarrassing, but a good laugh at the same time.

The trip draws to an end

Towards the end of the trip we visited Club Makokola on the shores of Lake Malawi where we were able to relax and do some of the more touristy things, like banana boating, which was great fun.

The journey home was amazing. Through one window we saw the sun set in that shade of red so typical of Africa, and through the other window, a storm flashed and banged, adding a soundtrack and lightshow to the journey. It was definitely an amazing trip that I will never forget.

Banana boating

Time for some fun

Each year the G-Nation Awards recognise young people making a difference. All you have to do is write an online diary about your charity fundraising experiences and you could win a trip to the Cameroon rainforest. To find out more, visit G-Nation.


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