After founding our association, our first project trip took us to beautiful Malawi. Together with our local partners in Lilongwe, Likoma Island and Blantyre, we visited 14 different organizations in early October – including various schools, hospitals, orphanages and other facilities – to gain an initial understanding of the needs and to identify suitable partners for collaboration in Malawi.

During this trip, on October 6, 2025, we also had the opportunity to meet the Country Manager of the GIZ (German Society for International Cooperation) office in Malawi. With many valuable tips in mind, we continued our journey and we are very grateful for this informative exchange.

The impressions we gathered at each stop left us deeply thoughtful and reinforced our commitment to supporting the people of Malawi with all our strength. Conditions in the schools and hospitals are often catastrophic and far below the standards we are accustomed to in Europe.

Schools often lack basic necessities such as school supplies, sanitary facilities and even tables and chairs are not always readily available. It is not uncommon for there to have only five schoolbooks for classes of up to 100 students and far too few teachers, making adequate teaching nearly impossible. School commutes are often long, and there is frequently a lack of funds to organize school transportation.

Hospitals often lack basic necessities such as a proper disinfectant, which is essential for hygienic care; a fully equipped delivery room or sufficient operating rooms are also not the norm. In one hospital, linens are even washed by hand because the industrial washing machine has been broken for months.

Many orphans have lost their parents as a result of malaria or HIV infections or were abandoned outside the orphanages due to poverty. Even there, essential things like adequate sleeping arrangements including mosquito nets and a balanced and sufficient diet are often lacking.

Child marriage and early pregnancies are a significant problem in Malawi, particularly in rural areas where cultural, economic and social factors often combine to perpetuate these practices. Families frequently see marrying off their daughters at a young age as a way to ease financial burdens. These very young mothers often have limited access to education and without education, girls frequently face fewer future prospects.

In summary, the need in Malawi is enormous.

During our journey we met many people from all over the world who are very passionate about supporting the Malawian population and many locals also make an immense contribution to improving the situation in the country in small steps - however, financial resources are often very limited and leave little room for major progress.

After an intense time, we returned to Germany deeply changed. We brought with us a wealth of emotions, unforgettable images and a backpack full of African warmth. Africa has left a profound mark on our hearts and will change us for the rest of our lives.