In January 2020, I will be travelling to Malawi as part of a Tearfund team for 6 months.

I knew I wanted to do some sort of overseas volunteering trip in my gap year, as I have always been curious about learning more about the world outside my own. I think there's no better way to expand my knowledge than by living in another culture and meeting people from very different backgrounds to me.

When I was looking into which organisation to go with, I was very conscious of making sure the work I would be doing would help the community I was in. Having read Toxic Charity, a book which looks into the criticisms of charity work today, including overseas volunteering, I was well aware that some volunteering work can end up harming the communities it aims to help. I was really impressed by Tearfund's commitment to long term development (helping people help themselves) and the way in which they worked through the local church, rather than presuming they knew what was best for the community.

 While there, I will be working with Tearfund's partner, Scripture Union Malawi; involved in a whole range of their incredible work. I am likely to travel across Malawi, including their head office in Lilongwe (where I am predominantly based), Blantyre, Kande Beach and other places too. I will be involved in a range of activities, with a particular focus on sharing the gospel and supporting Scripture Union's staff to learn new skills. Scripture Union Malawi also runs many bible camps, which the team will help with. The organisation always mentions how much they appreciate the volunteers' work, and how impactful it is for local people to meet people from another culture who are passionate about Jesus. Therefore, I decided it seems a great placement to do.

Above all else, my main aim for this trip is to develop my journey with faith, through hearing the testimonies of others, both in my team and from local people in Malawi. I am sure it will be significant to see the church in a different country as it faces the striking challenges of poverty, and how this affects people's relationship with God.

I am incredibly grateful for any donations, whatever the size, because it reminds me that there are people supporting and praying for me throughout this adventure. You can keep up to date with what I'm doing on the trip through my Facebook page linked below. Thanks so much!

fb.me/kirstymalawi