After a temporary pause on our international learning tours during the COVID-19 pandemic, a group of nine learning tour participants were excited to travel to Malawi in November 2023.
While visiting a local partner of Presbyterian World Service & Development, the group met families who received humanitarian assistance after Cyclone Freddy, which claimed over 1,200 lives in early 2023.
Tour participant Nora Martin recalls the personal experience of staying overnight with a local family who had been impacted by the cyclone, and how it increased her understanding of poverty.
“I learned that in Malawi, everyone lives very close to the edge. My hostess for the overnight stay is an important and established member of her community, but when disaster struck with Cyclone Freddy, she was suddenly in need of assistance. In other words, there is a small margin between independence and need there.”
Staying with a family whose home had been destroyed by the cyclone was also a memorable moment for Bill Allen, who has helped raise funds for the Foodgrains Bank for over 25 years, and saw the learning tour as an opportunity to witness firsthand how those funds were being applied in the fight against hunger.
“My advice to anyone considering a similar learning tour with the Foodgrains Bank is “go for it!”” he says. “It will be an experience of a lifetime.”
Learning tour participant Denise Bartel had the opportunity to meet with Silvia Chijota, who works for ERDO’s local partner in Malawi, Children of Blessing Trust (Photo: Dan Penner)
It was encouraging to witness the unity of the group while travelling, and how each participant brought a learner’s mindset, says international learning coordinator Pamela Obonde. “Coming from very diverse backgrounds and regions and different representation, the fact that we were able to journey as one unit was powerful.”
When asked what he would tell someone who is considering applying for a future learning tour, trip participant Ian Daisley called it “an excellent opportunity to be a better advocate for those who face food insecurity.”
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This story was originally published in the 2024 Spring edition of Breaking Bread.
