After many conversations and careful planning, Project Malawi underwent many transitions throughout the course of the past academic year.
First and foremost, we have officially committed to partnering with ACADES by offering financial support and informing our community of the work being done in Malawi.
In late September, we hosted the second Project Malawi Symposium, in which many UW Madison faculty and community members with ties to Malawi presented their projects and progress while also discussing future opportunities for engagement. We had the honor of hearing our guest speakers, Nancy Kendall, Lori DiPrete Brown, and Don Gray, speak about their deep rooted connection to Malawi, as well as their ongoing efforts to support the nation.
As a result of the symposium, we were introduced to Kate Schachter, the UW Madison Peace Corps Representative. Throughout the fall semester we discussed coordinating a shared event with the Peace Corps and Project Malawi in the spring, spreading awareness throughout the community regarding the various ways they can positively impact the world beyond campus. Unfortunately, the rise of COVID-19 put the event on pause, but we hope to safely host the event in the upcoming school year as we see so much potential in this relationship.
At the close of 2019, we hosted a meeting with many of our distinguished faculty and community members to touch base on the progress of the organization and plans moving forward. Through this meeting we received valuable feedback, which has motivated us throughout the spring.
When we returned to campus at the end of January, we began digging deeper into grant research and worked to fortify our understanding of the role we would play in supporting the ACADES mission by maintaining constant communication with their CEO, Hastings Nhlane.
Unfortunately, COVID-19 brought the semester to a screeching halt in March. However, the executive team has been keeping in contact and diligently developing new ideas and setting great goals for the future. This sudden pause has allowed for reflection of our past accomplishments and motivation for our future endeavors, which we are excited to share with you on our social media, website, and blog.
