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Gina Paoloni
From Volunteer to Development Coordinator.
I heard about Anna—and her work in Malawi— through our mutual friend,
Anne Beneville. I was so moved that I decided to stop in to Anna’s
store in Nyack and learn more. That day in May of 2007 Anna and
I began the first of many conversations culminating in my visiting to
Malawi in January of 2008. Anna told me about the poverty in Malawi,
about the women and children who were affected by HIV/AIDS and the programs
she was involved with—the Kwithu Women’s Group and Feeding Center
and Mzuzu Academy. I asked so many questions and Anna patiently
tried to answer them. But at one point she looked me and said,
“Gina, if you really want to understand, you must come and visit.” I
decided she was right and booked a flight.
After 2 ½ days of travel, I
arrived in Mzuzu. Anna picked me up in Lilongwe
and we drove directly to the Kwithu Feeding Center where I had one of
the most moving experiences of my life. All 120 children and the
entire Kwithu Women’s Group were outside the center clapping and singing. Welcome
Gina, welcome Gina, welcome to Kwithu. We are happy today. We
are happy today. We
are happy to see you here. After they finished singing,
each and every child and all of the Kwithu women hugged me. I
was overwhelmed with emotion. I
also got to meet Anna’s sweet nephew, Blessings, who would be chronicling
our trip on video.
Over the next 8 days, I visited villages,
schools and several of the women’s homes. I spent time with the
children at the Kwithu Feeding Center. I
learned about the shortage of schools and how many children only go to
school for a few hours each day (schools often operate two sessions
each day to accommodate all of the children.) If it were not
for Kwithu, the children wouldn’t have a safe place where they could
gather; a place that not only provides meals, but support and supplemental
educational programming, including HIV/AIDS prevention.
Anna was right -- there was no way I could fully understand without seeing
for myself. Everywhere I went, I was shocked by the conditions.
Homes had mud floors, no electricity, and no running water. Because
it was the rainy season, the people would collect water that dripped
off of their roofs in tin cans. Some homes had wells, but not many. In
one village we visited, Anna introduced me to a Grandmother who was taking
care of her eight grandchildren because their parents had died from AIDS. I
was stunned to find out that this was not the exception, but the norm
in Malawi.
School conditions were no better. In all of the government
run schools, children sat on the floor, shoulder to shoulder—with some
classes having as many as 90 students. They had no textbooks. Few
had notebooks and pens. Not
only is there a shortage of space but there is also a shortage of qualified
teachers.
I spent a lot of time with the Kwithu Women who welcomed me into their
homes and their hearts. I think what astounded me most of all
is that while they have very few material possessions and their lives
are extremely hard, you never heard them complaining. They sang,
laughed and carried out their duties with big smiles. It
is those faces and those smiles that I remember most. I came
back from that trip more dedicated than ever to make sure Maloto’s
projects reach completion. Anna is truly an inspiration and my
life feels fuller because of this work. I will visit Malawi again
(hopefully in August) and I can’t wait to see my friends there.
Gina Paoloni, Maloto Development Coordinator
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