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Food and Accommodation - Africa and Asia Venture

Food and Accommodation

Photograph of AV accommodation - Gap Year Projects & Volunteering Opportunties in MalawiAV houses with fellow volunteers

You will live in designated AV houses with fellow volunteers, either within the school grounds or nearby. An important part of the AV experience is living in local accommodation, shopping at the local markets, being invited to fellow teachers’ houses as well as entertaining the staff and fellow AVs. Depending on the school, and size of the house, you may be living with between two - four AVs. Other AVs from your group will be in schools nearby, clustered around Lilongwe and Zomba, with a few schools also in Dedza and there will often be a chance to meet up.

The accommodation in Malawi is possibly the most basic of all the AV projects in Africa. The house itself will probably have a bedroom(s), a communal/cooking area and somewhere to wash. It is very unlikely to have electricity, running water or lavatories. Instead there will be an outside pit latrine or ‘long drop’. You will need to collect water from a local source using jerry cans, or buckets, just like everyone else. You will quickly get into a routine of sterilising the water by boiling it. Whatever house you get, you will grow to love it and soon feel very much at home!

Photograph of an AV volunteer in her accommodation - Gap Year Projects & Volunteerng Opportunities in MalawiWe encourage independence and so you won’t have someone cooking and looking after you – it’s a chance to step up and take responsibility for yourself. You will be given a daily food allowance and will be expected to shop at and cook for yourself. This is the best way of getting to know people, being involved in the community and gaining an understanding of living there – you are not a bystander watching from afar.

All schools are near to main roads linking you by mini-bus to Lilongwe and Zomba, where you will be able to use the internet cafés for email and change money.

Whilst not living with you full time the AV representative is never far away and there whenever you need them. They can be contacted by phone 24/7 and will visit you during your project.

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