West Of Scotland U18 In Malawi

I would just like to express my thanks for your support of our trip to Malawi this summer and below is a wee report on our successful trip, Yours truly,Graeme SimWhat a team! Rugby Team build Community Hall.For ten days a rugby team from Scotland travelled from their Blantyre lodge to the rural village of Chapotera. Here they worked alongside local builders and community members creating a building to be used as a community hall for functions and a meeting place for the village. They were accompanied by 4 gutsy girls who created wonders painting the local nursery school. From the first morning the rugby boys got stuck in with bricklaying, mixing, pointing and entertaining the community with their rugby skills! The local nursery children looked on amazed as this group of young lads worked side by side with the community and the chief looked on from his spot under the mango tree as each day the foundations grew into a wonderful building.Breaktime was the time for local football teams to appear, for a daily match, mandazis to be devoured and suncream to be reapplied. One day we insisted that everyone danced for their break and this turned into a Scotland Malawi idols competition and i think we can without doubt say Malawi won! In no time it was the final day and the walls were up, the plastering completed and each volunteer had a paint brush in hand as the countdown to the opening was underway. Ipods were blaring out Bob Marley tunes and spirits were high as the volunteers did one final push before stepping back and cheering at what had been achieved. Goat and Nsima was followed by traditional dancing and singing from the community. Friends had been made, memories created and a community hall in rural Malawi had been built. It was a challenge in ten days, but as they clambered on to the bus with sad farewells the community waved them off before returning to their new community hall for the first function of all night dancing and singing! Exhausted the group returned to their lodge to pack and get ready for their next adventure of climbing Mount Mulanje, going on safari in Liwonde National Park and finally a relaxing finish at Lake Malawi. An forgettable experience in Malawi!