Internships & Volunteers
Volunteering or doing an internship can be an enriching experience, helping you to connect with the world we live in, the community around us, and embrace a welcoming new culture, especially in the warm heart of Africa. It also gives opportunities to network, boost skills and make a tangible positive difference!
We welcome all types of people with all types of skill sets from gardening volunteers to university interns through Roots Interns. We value all types of skills no matter how great or small, and as long as you are passionate about contributing, then we would love to incorporate your ideas and skills into MSPC. We encourage volunteers to get involved in areas they are passionate about and to bring along their own new ideas too!
Although flexible, we encourage volunteers to stay for at least a month, and interns at least two months so they can contribute fully and gain a rounded experience. There is so much to get used to and focus on that a shorter time can be rushed. We provide all necessary information in a welcome pack, project summaries and other documents full of medial advice and travel tips. More useful and up to date travel info can be found on MalawiTravel.com including Covid-19 updates.
We really encourage people to get involved where they are most interested and where their passions lie. In a busy environment people have to be able to work on their own initiative sometimes but be part of a much wider team. We are also really flexible so that you can mix up the different fields you might do and of course the programme will differ at different points of the year. If you are interested in the opportunities through MSPC then please fill in the contact form.
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Volunteers and Interns can...
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Help with the development of a strategic plan and long-term communication strategy
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Help improve the website and social media
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Create infographics and promotional material.
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Help out with the organisational aspect of the growing MSPC project looking at the overall management and expansion of the programme.
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Assist with data analysis for the increasing number of schools taking part and a growing monitoring and evaluation programme.
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Help fundraise so that the programme can flourish.
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Get involved with schools during their weekly practical sessions, or arrange extra sessions with the kids.
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Assist the schools, especially during busy periods where they have open days and visits to other permaculture sites.
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Use produce from the garden to demonstrate new recipe and nutrition ideas during one of the weekly sessions.
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Help to maintain and develop sustainable practises around Butterfly Space for demonstration purposes during school visits and teacher training, such as the drip irrigation system and solar water heaters.
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​​Assist with the development of second year packs for children who attended the club who may want to carry on projects the following year.
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Help research a five year plan and potential links for schools in Nkhata Bay for the future.
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Plant tree seedlings at Butterfly for transplanting later at schools
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Help with landscaping around the site at Butterfly or at the schools.
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Work with Francis or Josie in the gardens to plant new crops and species which can be used for the schools. Diversity is the key in Permaculture.
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Paint signs to label more trees around Butterfly and to add to the Butterfly nature trail which is now open for school visits and teacher training. This is also linked to the information in the nutrition folder.