The Warm Heart of Africa

There are a million places you can read about Malawi, whether it be the history or the general facts and numbers.(https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/mi.html).  As such, I won't bore you with the details, but here are the basics:

It is known as "The Warm Heart of Africa."  There are 16 million people in Malawi, and it is almost always included in lists of "poorest countries."  Lilongwe, which is the capital and where Kate will be teaching, has about one million people there.  The country as a whole is densely populated and definitely underdeveloped within the broader sense, with agriculture playing the major role in its economy.  As a former British colony, it gained its independence in 1964, with English being an official language.

More importantly, we are also taking Lucy with us!!!!  The number one question is whether or not we will have to quarantine her when she goes?  The answer seems to be no.  There are a number of requirements before you bring a dog into Malawi, most of which can be found here-  (http://www.pettravelassociates.com/countries/malawi).   Kate has spent a good bit of time on getting Lucy ready for the big move. One year ago Lucy was scrounging on the street for every scrap of food she could get her paws on.  In two months, Africa!  A loooooooooooooong flight awaits.  As I promised, some pics of Lu-dog.

Needless to say, Kate is very excited that Lucy is helping her with the initial move in July.  I, on the other hand, may be a little lonely without my two girls for six or so months.  That's okay; they can introduce themselves to the locals before I arrive.  A handsome devil-

One Acre Fund

So one of the exciting things about this adventure is discovering different things about Malawi and Africa in general, and all of the exciting and inspirational things going on there.  As part of the potential job search, I have been exploring and researching non-profit aid and development work.  It is sobering to see how many people and organizations are working hard to effect change in Africa!

One organization that has caught my eye is the One Acre Fund.  (http://www.oneacrefund.org/).  One Acre Fund is an organization that focuses on micro-financing in the agricultural sector.  They help farmers grow their income through loans of basic seed and fertilizer, follow up with training on best practices and methods to maximize yields, and provide better market access to make sales at the optimal profit.  If it doesn't sound too complicated, it's because it's not; just a basic idea focused on helping farmers and their families work their way out of poverty while at the same time decreasing hunger in communities where the need is high.  Very impressive!

Needless to say, the prospect of finding work in a place like Malawi can seem overwhelming at times.  What a coincidence that within the first week or ten days of looking, a position as a Program Associate for One Acre Fund was posted, and in Malawi! ( http://www.oneacrefund.org/careers/job-openings/).  One of the first things listed for qualifications needed was this:

• Strong work experiences. Examples include a demanding professional work experience, or successful entrepreneurial experience (e.g. starting a field program in a developing country, leading a conference, starting a business, solid Peace Corps accomplishments).

Well if being a public defender isn't a demanding professional work experience, then I don't know what is.  That being said, a little farther down the line

• Top-performing undergraduate background (include GPA and test scores on your resume).

Well for those of you who know about my undergraduate performance....well, there you go.  Funny to think that my poor academic habits of almost 15 years ago make me cringe as I read that requirement.  Oh well, I'd like to think that a strong showing in law school will help give me a shot.  I get the feeling that the hiring process will be ultra-mucho-out of this world competitive, and actually read on one website that one position at One Acre Fund had 2,000 applications!  So you're saying there's a chance.......

Kate and I have brought one attitude to this whole process, and that is if a door is meant to be open, it will be opened.  If it is meant to be shut, it will be shut.  For those family and friends who make prayer a part of their daily lives, please pray that we will see the plan clearly!

Next blog, some general info about Malawi, and maybe a picture of Lucy the dog!

A NEW ADVENTURE!

WHO: Kate Munro and Jon Scheib

WHERE: Lilongwe, Malawi
(https://maps.google.com/maps?q=malawi+map&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x18d85bdd9313c0d7:0x44a32e1729668543,Malawi&gl=us&ei=pW5uU-ygEIWPyASug4GoBQ&sqi=2&ved=0CCgQ8gEwAA)

WHEN: August of 2014 for Kate, approximately February of 2015 for Jon

WHAT: This blog is to track our progress towards Malawi so that our friends and family can follow along and help us make our plan a reality

WHY: Kate just accepted a teaching position at the Bishop Mackenzie International School (http://www.bmis.mw), teaching 5th grade.  The school offers an International Baccalaureate curriculum, which Kate is very excited to teach.  She has agreed to a two year contract starting this August, and will be making the move in late July of this year.  Kate is leaving her community organizing job at CLOUT (http://www.cloutky.org) after two years of helping to make Louisville a better place.  For those of you who don't know, Kate spent 27 months with the Peace Corps in Kazakhstan prior to getting her masters in international educational development.  It's time for her to head back to her field of expertise, and we are very excited!

I am eyeing a move there in February of 2015, depending on a variety of factors, not least of which is my current career at the Louisville Metro Public Defender.  I have been there almost 3 years, and I love the work, but this is an opportunity for us that we couldn't pass up.  As of now, my time frame is to stay as a trial attorney until early 2015 (sometime between February and April is the goal).  I plan on keeping my Kentucky law license current while we are there, but won't be a practicing public defender (at least for a while).  As for what Malawi has in store for me, I am exploring a variety of options for my career moving forward, focusing on development work within Malawi through non-profit work, non-governmental organizations, etc.  That being said, I am also considering everything from remote document review, transcription services, entrepreneurial opportunities, anything to stave the creditors off and make living there viable.  Making a lot of money is certainly not the goal for our time in Malawi; we are simply trying to sustain while we have this adventure in a new and exciting place, while hopefully helping to create an impact on the community  and people there.

HOW: Through networking with other professionals, through suggestions of friends and family, and by creatively tackling all of the new challenges coming our way!  This is also my first time blogging, so hopefully you will see some development of those skills along the way and maybe I can figure out how to make this somewhat readable.  I will be updating with exciting opportunities I am looking at, new and innovative companies and non-profits that are doing interesting things in Africa and the rest of the world, facts and information about Malawi, as well as general information about some of the nuts and bolts in making a move like this such as getting the proper visa, international health insurance, what it takes to move our dog Lucy to Africa, and the like