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Visit to Malawi school inspiring
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In the summer of 2013, I joined my school’s habitat trip to a school for orphaned children in Malawi, Africa. On June 11, I was off, followed by numerous long and tedious flights from one continent to another. The moment I set foot on African soil, I knew my life was about to change. Malawi, located in the southeast of the continent near Zambia, is a beautiful country, rich in culture, history and dreams. I had the privilege of having 10 days to absorb life in the distinct city of Blantyre in all of its glory.
My experience in Africa would not have had such an impact if it were not for the people at the Jacaranda School. Despite what little they have, the students there have the biggest hearts and could not have given my classmates and me a warmer welcome. The school owes everything to an inspiring woman named Marie Da Silva, who was named a 2008 CNN Hero for her admirable persistence and faith in the Jacaranda School. Born in Malawi, Marie had been working in the United States for about 16 years as a nanny.
The initial movement to create the Jacaranda School began in 2002 when she discovered that a school housed in one of the town’s churches had to be closed down. Marie convinced her late mother to offer their home as a makeshift school. For the next three years, Marie financed the school by wiring the money she made working as a nanny in the US to Blantyre. Fourteen members of Marie’s family have died of AIDS, leaving many children in the family orphaned. Thus, Marie has a soft spot in her heart for orphans of the AIDS pandemic. Marie believes that there is hope for every single Malawi orphan, and education is key. Now over 200 students attend Jacaranda, a school that provides free education for orphaned children of all ages. It was a breath of fresh air to spend time with people content with everything they had, which was very little.
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