Rural areas are usually neglected in terms of development. Most of them here have no electricity so they do not fully benefit from the power of video or television. Video on a mobile projector will help them have access to nearly the same information that others get on television or on the internet.

Earlier this year, one of our previous partners, CARE Malawi held some very powerful screening sessions about infant nutrition in the rural areas of the Salima District. We spoke with Monitoring & Evaluation Coordinator Noriah Katungwe to understand more about her experience using video to bring their nutrition curriculum to life!

When OMPT goes out to complete a project, we only get the chance to work with members of the local community for a few days, but what happens after we leave? The impact of video education and ICT4D (information and communication technologies for development) remains positive and impactful far past the end of our workshop. We love hearing back from partners that we have worked with in the past who are still implementing technology to educate and promote positive behavior change. 

September 27th was, as they say, the first day of the rest of my life. Trite though the expression may be, I finally understood what it meant firsthand. As I boarded the first of many planes that would take me through New York, to Johannesburg, then finally on to my final destination, Lilongwe, Malawi, I remember thinking that I had absolutely no idea what my life would look like for the next eight days.

Our second trip this September, this one to Malawi, has been a major success! Everyone is safe and home and have a whole lot of photos to share.

Immediately following our trip to Burkina Faso, we head off to Malawi for our first opportunity to work with CARE. Like we did with Burkina Faso last week, we want to explore the unique culture of Malawi. Nicknamed the “Warm Heart of Africa,” Malawi is known for its welcoming, friendly people and colorful, vibrant culture.

Burkina Faso

A great thing about working in Burkina Faso, since we’ve been there before, is the familiarity with the landscape. Normally some of your brain is working towards getting the lay of the land, trying to figure out what the local customs are (in some places you can’t put your feet up with the bottom facing people, in other places you can’t refer to a certain period of time because it was marked by a violent revolution) so it’s always nice to be someplace where your brain power can be focused on building relationships.

Our second stop in our September trip will be in Malawi, this time working with CARE. Our workshop in Malawi will be our first time both working in Malawi and with CARE. Unlike most of the countries we travel to, Malawi’s official language is English, allowing our English-speaking staff to more directly engage the workshop’s participants.