Beyond Soccer Clinics....

The preparation for my trip has primarily been focused on the collecting of cleats, uniforms, soccer balls and planning the soccer clinics for the girls at the feeding centers.  That is not all we are hoping to accomplish while we are there.  Here is our list of activities that the team will be doing while in Malawi:

We will spend a few days at two rural feeding centers:  Matapila and Khwamba (hundreds of children gather here daily for their meal of porridge and beans).  

While at the feeding centers, we will:

• Expand the drip irrigation system that was piloted last summer - enlarging the plot 3 times what was completed last year
• Install solar panels - this is the 2011 pilot and we hope to have enough power to charge solar lanterns and some local cell phones and adding lights in the center 
• Run soccer clinics for the girls at the Feeding Centers.  Distribute all of the soccer gear we have collected over the last few months.
• Teach dental care and distribute hundreds of toothbrushes/toothpaste
• Run VBS program focusing on how God loves the world, regardless of what country you live in
• Repair thatched roofs for some of the widows

When not at the FC's, we will be spending time at the crisis nursery caring for the babies, attending a local church service and meeting with local folks to understand the culture and community.