I am sitting at my brand new table, hand-made by the local carpenter in front of my living room window overlooking a sea of jungle green that grows between my front porch and the tarmac.

I stare at the smoking mbaula with complete frustration. My watch beeps, signifying that, yes, 9am is here and, yes, I have tried to meticulously light this fire for the past hour. All I want are eggs for breakfast, but it seems like I will be drinking my coffee with charcoal smoke and an empty stomach.

I don’t think a place on earth exists where people don’t talk about water.

I was exhausted as I prepared for my journey to a refugee camp in central Malawi in order to train teachers on teamwork and collaboration.

I feel like my personality changes a bit when I speak in Chichewa and others have told me similar things about their own experiences speaking other languages. I make an attempt to speak in the way those around me speak and, in that way, integration and adapting to the environment around me becomes easier. Of course, I can never be Malawian. But I can try my best to understand, as an outsider, to fit in and become a member of the village and part of the extended family of community.

My transition from Peace Corps to Peace Corps Response felt natural.

It has been stifling hot for days. The kind of hot where you can’t tell where your skin ends and the hot dusty air begins.

It’s been a rough week, but this afternoon I decided to try and find my friend Agnes’ house to talk about some projects we are working on. I had only been there once, and her phone wasn’t working, so I set off walking in the general direction and hoped for the best.

Did you know that in Malawi, malaria is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality for children under five? Our Stomp Team is here to help put an end to that! Watch out video to learn what Stomp is, and how it's helping community members and Volunteers who want to put a stop to malaria in their areas.

Learning a new language can be very difficult but Peace Corps Volunteers in Malawi know it's worth working towards. Language skills can help Volunteers make friends, complete projects, and integrate into their communities. Hear what our Volunteer Support Assistant and former Education Volunteer, Paul, has to say about learning a new language in Peace Corps.

I spent the majority of my two-year Peace Corps service in Uganda fighting the spread of malaria. After finishing my service, I knew I had started a mission that I wasn’t done with yet.

Everything looked so familiar, yet there were subtle differences; a house that was now painted blue, the new brick fence, the church that had recently been cemented.

Peace Corps Volunteers all over the world strive to learn the local languages in the host countries in order to earn the friendship and respect of their community members. Learning a new language is hard, and there are many mistakes to be made along the way. This doesn't deter Peace Corps Malawi Volunteers; they dare to try...and look what happens! By learning the local language, our Environment Volunteers increase communication between themselves and their neighbors--leading to better team work.