I feel full of beans this week!!! It was clearly heat exhaustion that I suffered last week and thankfully I’ve made a full and rapid recovery! I’m settled into a nice little routine and I am extremely comfortable here in Kasungu, Malawi. FRIENDLY, POLITE AND EXTREMELY KIND is how I would describe Malawians. I know I’ve said it before but it’s such a pleasure to meet and exchange greetings with people who are genuinely interested in you. I can spend a whole day in the UK passing people, even in my own working environment and not even exchange eye contact! We even email each other when we’re in the same room! What’s all that about? A smile costs nothing and it makes you feel great. It's certainly not money that makes the people of Malawi happy. ... read more

Anybody who knows me well knows I wear my heart on my sleeve…. What a week! I haven’t written anything since Tuesday because I’ve not had Internet access of course but also because I’ve been really quite ill. I’ve been suffering heat exhaustion and also I’m sure I’m having a reaction to my Malaria medication. I’ve been extremely weak and unable to eat and sleep. The heat has been unbearable and there has been no relief from it. Generally they don’t use fans anywhere here let alone air conditioning. When I shower (water depending) I get out and within 5 minutes my skin is clammy again. Getting dressed is such an effort. If I manage to get to sleep I am woken with sweat dripping off me. When I’ve been working my clothes are wet which ... read more

It’s unfortunate that I’ve not been able to get a dongle so you’re going to get these blogs all in one go! Woke this morning to no electricity and water! Surprise! Also gasping for a drink as they ran out of bottled water last night. I hear the tap water is fine (if there is any) if not get get it from a bore hole, so I don’t want to take any chances. I was served breakfast, cornflakes and milk. Errrmmm I don’t think I’ll be taking the milk as I know there has been no electricity in town since Saturday and I haven’t seen any cows around here. I arrived at work at 8.30am with the anticipation of a bottle of water waiting for me as I’d asked Gentry to bring me one. Charles, who ... read more

Gentry and Blessings found me the best resthouse to stay in. When I said I really liked it I heard Blessings breath a sigh of relief. It’s an example of how hospitable and caring they really are. It’s very clean and well presented. Erin the guest house lady is so very welcoming and kind. Although, I’ve learnt not to trust anything that’s attached to a wall! Oh and having power is a privilege too! Tonight the power has been off for 3 hours already. Thankfully my laptop is charged! During my chat with Erin she asked me ‘How’s Kate Middleton and do I like Mr Cameron’. We chatted for a while about life in Malawi and made some comparisons to the UK. I asked Erin what wild animals she’d seen in Malawi and I was astonished ... read more

I thought I'd start my blog by telling you about the roller coaster of emotions I've experienced leading up to my new adventure! Yes my teeth really have been chattering! I've always had a strong desire to help others and since surviving breast cancer 6.5 years ago (yes the half makes a difference) I've also developed a strong desire for new experiences and adventure. Basically living life fully! So what better way to fulfill both desires than volunteering for charities overseas! www.afid.org.uk in a nutshell is a social enterprise that helps find qualified accountants who are willing to volunteer their time to help charities strengthen their bookkeeping and accounting systems. It's essential because the information that comes out of their accounting systems affects decisions that are made and that includes whether donor... read more