What was I thinking ?

Hi everyone,

As most of you already know, I am leaving for three months to Blantyre, Malawi.  I am not one to usually share personal ideas or to document my life publicly.  However, if this allows me to inform as many people as possible through the same means, I will use it !  Many of you have been asking me what exactly I will be doing there and this blog will inform you on my activities.

I was appointed the mandate of Resource Mobilization Officer within the AYIDO-MANASO organization in Blantyre.  My main objectives will be to assist Active Youth In Development (AYIDO) to identify opportunities for funding, train and assist in developing written proposals and also include gender equality in all activities.  I was hired by Students Without Borders through the Uniterra Program; which will give me the opportunity to gain work experience in addition to traveling to a new country.

Now, I've received mixed reactions from friends and family regarding my leaving for Africa.  Whether you are for or against it, I leave tomorrow!  Truth is, I have always been attracted to traveling and even more so to travel and work overseas.  I didn't think my first experience would be in Africa: but when life gives you an opportunity like this one, you take it !

As prepared as the program asks you to be, we must learn to let it go and expect the unexpected.  Hence the title of this entry: What was I thinking ?  In the past week, my pre-departure excitement shifted into a premature fear.  As much as escaping the western way of life for a few months sounds tempting, the fear of getting too far away from it has been even more overwhelming these past few days.

So I rely on the idea that not many people get to do this and that the fact that I am doing this will reward me in ways I still can't imagine to this day: I am going to Africa.

I can't wait to see what Malawi has to offer and yes, I WILL TAKE LOTS OF PICTURES...

Thank you for taking the time to read this,

Samantha