The Social Impact Journey
2021: 4th-11th September (Malawi)
2022: 2nd-9th April and 3rd-10th September (Malawi)
2023: 9th - 18th September (Malawi)
The Social Impact Journey
Why is this trip for you
Itching to scratch behind the surface of local travel? Want to travel with an impact, discover more about the destination you are visiting and exchange your skills as you travel? The Entrepreneurs Journey takes you on a seven day adventure across Southern Malawi. Meeting inspirational entrepreneurs, visiting communities that are engaging in local economic initiatives and seeing some of Malawi’s hidden gems. It is a chance to be part of a team where impact is at its heart. An expedition with purpose.
14-20 people (Mixed Male/Female). £1,750. 7 Days (excluding flights)
*Please note 10% of trip cost goes to the Orbis Foundation Micro Finance Fund for Malawian entrepreneurs.
Highlights
Skills Exchange Workshop with Business Entrepreneurs
Visit to city based start up initiatives
Overnight Community Village Homestay
Collaborative visit to a rural village banking project
Day spent at a village secondary school running mentoring and skills workshops.
Time spent at Cape Maclear on the shores of Lake Malawi.
Extended travel also available
The Impact
The impact of The Entrepreneurs Journey begins before you travel. In a number of zoom calls you will meet our team in Malawi and chat through the entrepreneurs you will be working with- designing your workshops to ensure a sharing of knowledge and an understanding of local culture and practices. At every turn your expedition connects you with local suppliers, inspiring community initiatives and business men and women who are pushing the boundaries of entrepreneurship to lift themselves and their families out of the cycle of aid dependency and poverty. The impact you will have is economic and social. You are directly supporting tourism to Malawi, every step of the way your £/$ are reaching local people and promoting empowerment through trade. You will work closely with our Malawian team to think about each aspect of your expedition and eek out the impactful moments, the times that make you tingle but also offer the people you meet a direct impact too.
*Please note 10% of trip cost goes to the Orbis Foundation Micro Finance Fund for Malawian entrepreneurs.
A day at Rainbow Hope Secondary School
Cheering and shouting, kicking their feet in the dust and belly laughing…the noise is deafening! Your day spent at Rainbow Hope Secondary School is set to be a real highlight. We have linked with this Lake Malawi Village Secondary School since it was a dream of a local boat builder, Joseph. It has taken over 5 years but we now have four classrooms and a science/tech room too. The school is run from solar power and has around 200 students ranging from 11-25 years of age. Secondary School in Malawi is not free so many students at the school are under Orbis Sponsorship. The school has a buzz of a tight community and its students seem to love welcoming us in. We call this day a workshop day- we speak to the teachers and find out what the students would welcome and usually workshops on CV building, presenting yourself, engineer/stem style lessons all work really well. The students are enormously creative and will probably want to perform a song, dance or play for you while you are there. There may well also be a netball or football match- the students are incredible at navigating there way across the dusty pitch- so be prepared!
Please note we pay $20 per person to the school for hosting this day and this goes towards staff salaries and resources for the school, acting as a business for them.
Further Information…
We try our best to include everything for your time in Malawi. The cost of The Entrepreneurs Journey is £1,750 which includes all meals, accommodation (shared twins), bespoke activities and skill sharing, and transport during your time in Malawi.
International flights (est. £650-£950), drinks, visas, tips and items of a personal nature are excluded.
Payment and Company Sponsorship: We try and offer really good payment plan options and advise re fundraising. To get your company or business involved in part-sponsorship of your expedition as a professional development opportunity please see our bespoke page for further info.
Flights: We have an ATOL partnership so can book your flights for you. If you would like to book your own flights but just need some advice regarding routes then do let us know.
Coronavirus Update: See here.
Day 1: Arrive Blantyre. Acclimatisation. Game Haven Lodge.
Day 2: Business Entrepreneurs Workshop. Skill Sharing
Day 3: Business Entrepreneurs Workshop. Skill Sharing
Day 4: Village Homestay. Rural Community near Zomba.
Day 5: Lake Malawi Secondary School. The Makokola Retreat
Day 6: Lake Malawi Secondary School. The Makokola Retreat
Day 7: Lake Malawi Retreat. Mgoza Lodge
Extended Travel can be organised.
“This is simply a meeting of minds, social communication from one culture to another, which is brilliantly inspiring, it is a way to raise each other up. To be empowered and inspired by the strength an courage of others”