worldward

Through the joint initiative "Worldward" by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and civil society organizations, all interested young people between the ages of 18 and 28 have the opportunity to participate in a weltwärts volunteer service in countries of the global South. Each year, approximately 3,500 young individuals go weltwärts, dedicating themselves to a 12-month engagement at a local partner organization focused on education, health, environment, agriculture, culture, or human rights.

worldward is a learning service. The key focus is on the North-South exchange and the shared intercultural learning experience. Volunteers gain international experience, acquire language skills, and develop personal competencies.

With the support of the Association of Niedersächsischer Bildungsinitiativen – VNB e.V. in Barnstorf, young people can also complete their weltwärts volunteer year at a partner organization of the Freundeskreis Malawi and Städtepartnerschaft Hannover-Blantyre e.V. (Association for Central and East Africa). Partner organizations include the Jacaranda School for Orphans in Blantyre/Limbe, the Teachers Training College in Blantyre, and Stella Maris Secondary School.

Preparatory seminars at VNB aim to provide prospective volunteers with a better understanding of global learning on equal footing. Topics such as intercultural communication, living with a host family, and their role as a volunteer from Germany in an African or Latin American country are discussed. Requirements for participation include: a passion for and experience in working with children and youth, creativity, independence, advantageous computer skills (Facebook, websites), willingness to adapt to the rules of the host country, and proficiency in English.

Thanks to the fruitful collaboration with the Association of Niedersächsischer Bildungsinitiativen – VNB e.V. in Barnstorf, the Freundeskreis (Friendship Circle) was able to send the first two volunteers to the Jacaranda School in Blantyre/Limbe in 2013.

Worldward: Locations

Jacaranda School

At the Jacaranda School for Orphans, over 400 children who have lost their families due to AIDS live and learn.

The aim of the Jacaranda Foundation is to provide these orphaned children with a free education, educate them about HIV/AIDS, and support them with healthcare services and daily meals. The volunteers contribute to the Jacaranda School for Orphans by offering various extracurricular activities and clubs for the students' recreational development, such as music and composition clubs, a German club, dance classes, acrobatics club, gender club, film club, and more.

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2013/2014 Louisa Grotkamp at Jacaranda-School.

However, the specific offerings may vary based on the strengths and interests of the volunteers. Additionally, the volunteers are involved in website development, managing the Facebook page, assisting with fundraising, and handling other necessary tasks. There are also various unplanned activities at the school that the volunteers support, such as participating in the Blantyre Arts Festival where they regularly perform with the Jacaranda School's choir and sell their own products, as did Louisa and Franziska.

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The Blantyre Arts Festival (BAF), with its various performances, music, art, and theater, has become a significant meeting point where many reunite. For example, members of the aware&fair School Club, with coordinator Louis Zulu, who founded the school club during the EU project aware & fair, and Tobias Kunze, who attended the festival at the suggestion of the Freundeskreis and with the support of the Kulturbüro, showcasing his skills. In 2015, Silvia Hesse visited the two volunteers, Till and Sofia, from the Jacaranda School, who were also representing the Jacaranda School at the Blantyre Arts Festival (BAF).

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In December 2014 and January 2015, a catastrophic flood devastated entire parts of the country, leaving over 100,000 people homeless. The Freundeskreis was informed about this situation by Till and Sophia even before the media reported on it. Silvia Hesse wrote to the Mayor of Hannover, Stefan Schostock, and asked for his help in launching a fundraising campaign.

The donated funds were then forwarded to the Jacaranda School to provide blankets and food for the homeless children and families and to rebuild homes for the children.

For more information, please refer to Sofia's report on the flood.

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Cooperation with

Jacaranda School and VNB

Stella Marie Secondary School

The Stella Maris Secondary School provides comprehensive education for girls and advocates for increased educational opportunities for girls and young women. The school seeks support in various areas such as sports, computer usage, library, environment, or health through teaching assistance and potentially afternoon programs.

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The school is welcoming volunteers for the first time. Together, we will assess the interests and skills that the volunteers bring and how they align with the school's needs. The school also pursues a plan for agricultural self-sufficiency.

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Requirements: Enjoyment in working with children and teenagers, experience/knowledge in at least one of the areas mentioned by the school, creativity, patience, willingness to integrate into the local work and living environment, suitability for tropical conditions. Accommodation will be provided with host families.

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Cooperation with Jacaranda School and VNB

Blantyre Teachers Training College

The Blantyre Teachers Training College is the only tuition-free higher education institution that trains primary school teachers in South Malawi. The teacher training program consists of one year of theoretical studies at the college and one year of practical teaching experience in a rural village school. During the theoretical year at the college, students receive intensive preparation for the teaching profession. They are taught both subject content and pedagogical skills.

The volunteers support the computer applications and basics program, which includes tasks such as using Word and Excel, scanning, and utilizing the internet. The courses also cover topics like writing a resume, learning internet research, setting up email accounts, and sending attachments and photos. Ideas for managing the computer lab are also welcome. Requirements: computer skills, good communication abilities, openness and flexibility, English language proficiency, willingness to adapt to the school system, and respect for the rules and ways of life in the host country.

Amanda Badicke, volunteer from the year 2018/2019, Director Stanley Daniel Kwerengwe (far left), and Department Head Joyce Nyirenda (in the middle) during the handover of the projector donated by the Church Administration of the Protestant Church in Hesse and Nassau.

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Cooperation with Verein Niedersächsischer Bildungsinitiativen e.V.

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