We are a Thrivent Builds Worldwide team, participating in a trip to Malawi, Africa July 10-20, 2015. Thrivent Builds brings together the financial, volunteer and advocacy resources of Thrivent Financial with the affordable-housing construction leadership of Habitat for Humanity.
Malawi is a small country in southern Africa bordered by Mozambique, Zambia and Tanzania. The magnificent Rift Valley cuts through the eastern border, which holds the country’s most famous natural resource, Lake Malawi. Our group will stay and work in the Mulanje District, which is in the southeastern part of the country. It is home to Mount Mulanje, the highest mountain in south-central Africa, and some of Malawi’s famous tea plantations. Despite its natural beauty, Malawi is one of the poorest countries, ranked 174 out of 187 in 2013 by the Human Development Index (HDI). Seventy-five percent of the population lives on less than US$2 a day. Unsanitary housing conditions, such as thatched roofs, mud floors, poor ventilation and no windows characterize 78% of the houses. These conditions put families at risk for all kinds of diseases, with leaky roofs making the house damp and mud floors attracting insects. Habitat Malawi houses are made of kiln-fired clay bricks, glass windows, air vents for good ventilation, iron sheet roofs, and foundations made from large stones, brick or cement. We are excited to spend five days building alongside our two partner families.
Our team is made up of 11 people from around the United States. For half of us it is our first time doing a global build. We are all excited and ready to experience a different culture and environment. The people on our team are: Carin (Minnesota), Deb (Minnesota), Jason and Joanna (North Carolina), Jerod (Minnesota), Laura (Minnesota), Lynn (Minnesota), Pam (Missouri), Patti (California), and mother and daughter pair, Kari and Ashley (Minnesota).
Thrivent Builds Malawi 2015 