Half a year in Malawi

27 February 2018

My name is Nadja. I’m 24, study social work in Ludwigsburg in Germany, and my biggest dream has always been to spend some time in Africa and to be able to engage myself in helping others.
During my studies I have to complete a practical internship in order to gain further insights in social work and more practical experience in general. Thus, I decided to combine my internship and my dream of going to Africa, and go to Malawi.

A semester abroad? In Malawi? Where the heck is that? Do they have internet there? Isn’t it too dangerous there? And what about malaria?
My search for work placements started in March 2017 already and I contacted over forty institutions in the whole of Africa in the beginning. Taste of Malawi was my first choice right from the start because they unite everything I wished for. I am able to get insights in a still very young organisation, realise my own ideas, experience the workings of different departments, work with adults as well as children. And all of that on the continent I’ve been longing to travel to for such a long time.
At the moment, I’m still in the preparation phase – about a hundred vaccinations, malaria pills, cotton underwear, knee-length skirts are my daily companions and my excitement growths bigger every second. Silly questions like: How is it going to be to wash my clothes by hand? Are there really going to be as many power outages as they say? Do I have to cook my food over coal? And will everything go right with my flight in the beginning?

The most exciting time of my life is right around the corner and I’m really happy to take all of you along on my journey and look forward to sharing with you all my experiences in Africa with Taste of Malawi!