VOLUNTEER WORK IN AFRICA

13th of April was one of the biggest days in Malawi for me as a volunteer as finally the donation of books to a Malawian Prison happened. I had been working on it since January to arrange this donation and at the end of March I went to the Malawian Prison Headquarters in Zomba to talk to the Chief Commissioner of Prisons. Talk to the Chief of Malawian Prisons was a unique experience, I brought him the letter to ask permission to report the donation in a newspaper and a radio. He was very grateful for the donation of books to the prison in Chichiri and he said we are welcome to go back there to donate more books because these books will be very important to boost the reading culture among the prisoners and to improve their education as an important key for their reintroduction into the society. The donation was made up of 2,500 assorted books to Malawian Prison in Chichiri, Blantyre. This action arose as an initiative to give a proper destination for books from old stocks of DAPP Second Hand Shops in Blantyre. The donated books were assorted second hand ones from UK and USA including education, novels and religious books. Chichiri Prison has a library and school with primary and secondary education, and also a vocational school with some courses like mechanics, electronics, carpentering and computing.

The books were received by Deputy Officer in Charge for Chichiri Prison and the Officer in Charge for the School. Those present from DAPP were Project Leader Iness Chimwaza, Co-project Leader George Chibaka, DI from DAPP Book Shop Maurício da Silva Mayor, and DI from DAPP Second Hand Clothes and Shoes Kim Mihong. The event was reported by a national newspaper, Nation on Sunday, and it was also reported by a national radio, MBC Radio.