Blogs, blogs, blogs.

Someone followed my previous blog after I hadn't written a post since winter (European winter) 2009! That blog is now my personal blog: https://visiblyinvisible.wordpress.com/ and I'll keep this one as my professional blog. I am no longer at Citizens for Justice. The project I was offered had and has no funding - long story. Thus, I am sending apps, 'under consideration', 'shortlisted', a 'possible candidate', etc. Until I have another firm offer from an employer, I won't blog much. I'm hopeful and happy. We're now in Malawian winter. Still, seeing as this is Africa, might as well be summer.

JOB

So, I was hired at Citizens for Justice, Malawi, in August. The new role began last week. I'll learn a lot there. Reiterating what I said elsewhere, this is an advocacy role in the civil society sector. I'll make sure Malawian citizens, the most vulnerable ones, e.g. children and women are aware of their human, environmental, economic, political and social rights. I'll achieve this by ensuring that both the government and private sector are accountable and that there is transparency in proceedings so that vulnerable Malawians, or citizens in general have access to their full citizenship rights, can make the most of these and are not exploited, excluded or mistreated. So I'll monitor, evaluate and report on such. This'll be fun. I'm working on an Oil and Gas and Aid and Debt project. The funds have been disbursed by Hivos. So, I'll blog as new and interesting things happen as I read, interview stakeholders and write the literature review based report. Life is good here. Blogging again pretty soon. On my first two days at work, there was a workshop with Trocaire. Citizens for Justice and Trocaire collaborated to provide capacity building for the judiciary and magistrates. So I'm working on the aforementioned report and a summary of proceedings from the workshop. Good, worthwhile, interesting work.

The Mamaland ❤ - Malawi the Warm Heart of Africa.

So I've been back in Malawi for several months now and I've pretty much adjusted. It's good to be around extended family and to be around environs that were familiar to me between the ages of three and 6. I was raised on a farm in a village in the southern region and we left not long after I joined the parents in Lilongwe so Lilongwe is still very 'new' to me. I live in a suburb not far from the city centre and I'm interning for my uncle as I send apps for jobs in the sectors of international development that I mentioned in the first blog. I got a Norwegian Church Aid interview for a baseline study on a maternity ward at a health centre in the northern region two weeks after my arrival. However, they needed an experienced health professional and most of my experience is in public relations and communications. Although I could handle a health assignment, I'd have to start at internship level. They needed someone to lead or be a consultant in the baseline study team. The job search has been quite the venture. Because I grew up abroad, I don't have a Malawian network. So the 'sent' portion of my email looks like a conversation between me and my gmail 'sent' folder. Eish, the struggle is real. I'm keeping the faith though. I'll keep y'all posted on all that. That's if you're interested in my job search struggle. A sister needs a paying job. I'm 29! So that's a quick snippet on Life as an Mdubs returnee. There are several jobs in health and one in communications that I'm under consideration for so if I'm invited for an interview, I'll say so here. Ciao for now ladies and gentlemen.

Belgium/Malawi/USA/Kenya/UK etc.

UMich 2014

LDN

UMich 2014

LLW 2013

Cousin's wedding

Cousin's wedding

LLW 2013

Mangochi 2013

LLW 2013

Nai 2014

New Year 2014

Cousin's wedding



Cousin's Wedding

Easter

LLW 2014

Salima

Cousin's Wedding

Salima

Salima



Salima

Nai 2013

Nai

Belgium

Belgium

Nai

Hey!

I'm a young Christian woman who is interested in communication for development, child rights, the environment, gender and development and health and development; especially HIV/AIDS and development. I've been travelling but I'm in Malawi now. I graduated from the University of Bristol with an MSc in Social Science Research Methods (Development Politics) in January 2014. I have an MPhil in Development Studies and a BA in International Relations. This blog will be about development and my past travels. This is an online journal to document life; mainly my past travels and my present search for employment. I'm aiming for one blog post per week but that could change. Some weeks I may have two or three blogs prepared and other weeks, none. This may be a monthly blog or I may blog once every two months. The blog posts will become more regular when I'm employed. I'm just glad I've started a blog that'll be positive and that I know I'll maintain. Ciao for now.

-Yami

Salima, Malawi, January 2014.