Teacher admits year helping communities in Malawi has been a life changing experience

Oct 30 2008 by Debbie Spalding, West Lothian Courier

TEACHER Norma McCarty has just returned from a life-changing volunteering trip to Malawi.

The Whitburn Academy History and English teacher worked as an aid worker in the African country with the Relief Committee of the Churches of God.

Working alongside two doctors from Dundee, her team visited five churches, researching the needs in their local communities, which she followed up by sending lengthy reports back to the UK with suggestions for tackling some of the problems.

In total, 11 aid projects were established during the year, which included improving agriculture, setting up an orphan centre, teaching people business skills, drilling a boreholes, providing school uniforms, organising a youth camp, running a mobile clinic and setting up adult literacy classes.

On her return Norma said: “It was strange to start school again in August – my outlook on life has changed so much over the past 12 months.

“No doubt I’ll return to Africa in the future, but in the meantime it’s good to be home, working with the children here.”