Interview

1. In the last call for grants for social commitment and sustainable development projects, you recived financial aid to carry out a project in Malawi. What do you think about the University getting involved in cooperation and development initiatives?

To be honest, I was pleasantly surprised when I found out about the role that Pompeu Fabra University plays in supporting cooperation for sustainable development through financial aid. I think it is essential that universities should increase the value of these initiatives by talking about the different collaborative projects and, furthermore, adopt a more supportive attitude. So, once we found out about the grant, we decided to submit our project. And we are very happy to have been awarded it.

2. How did you find out about the call? 

Active Africa has known about this call for years, since it was presented in 2012 through a volunteer. My mother is part of the team of the association and
is knows about the grant. Active Africa and Malawi have been part of my life and also of my brothers for many years, and having this example at home has allowed us to have another vision of the world. The work that the team does to improve education, health and women's rights in rural areas is incredible, and the results are very tangible. I myself saw this for myself a year ago when I collaborated in Malawi.

So, after my stay in Malawi and learning about the UPF Solidària funding, I decided to submit our project for the construction of a well in the town where I stayed when I was there. Funding is increasingly difficult for non-profit organizations, which is why we believe that any help is good for these associations to forge ahead.

3. How does Active Africa work and what goals do it pursue? 

Active Africa has been operating for about two decades and is a non-governmental organization whose mission is to institutionally train and strengthen public and private entities, in an exercise to promote the self-management and resilience of the Malawian population. For this reason, it is intended to facilitate the tools that dignify human rights such as access to universal education and always with an approach based on gender equality, among the most vulnerable sectors of the population.

We work by raising money and obtaining grants to be able, from an educational point of view, to have an impact in specific areas of Malawi. We are also working on the creation of schools and feeding points to improve both education and health. Unfortunately, Malawi is a little-known country, there is not much aid, it has few resources, since it is small compared to other African countries, and it is among the poorest countries in the Human Development Index. For these reasons, Active Africa decided to get involved.

4. What will the 2,200 euros that you have been awarded through the call for grants be used for?

The project consists of developing a secondary school in the rural area of Kafumpe. Other Active Africa donors are helping to build classrooms and other infrastructure. In this sense, we realized that the school was improving and that there were many projects underway, and one of the most important was the construction of a well so that the students and the surrounding population could get access to good quality water. Therefore, we have called our project for this call “Access to drinking water and the development of sustainable self-management of water infrastructure with an ecological perspective”.

At Active Africa we try to ensure that all public schools in the district have access to a source of drinking water, in order to meet the Malawian government's goal of one well for every 50 families. Projects like these will help improve education and health.

5. What encouraged you to be part of this entity? What was your experience in Malawi like? 

You could say that I have grown up with Active Africa, since my mother joined the association when I was three years old. For as long as I can remember I have been a volunteer in the NGO helping at any event to raise funds. Last year I had the opportunity to stay in Malawi, and live the experience first hand.

This experience has been one of the most enriching of my life since what really surprised me the most was experiencing the impact that Active Africa has in the field. At the same time, it was also a very hard experience, due to the fact that there is extreme poverty, and you realize how lucky we are here. It changes your mindset and perspective on life.

6. We have seen that you are doing two degrees at UPF, IBE and Global Studies. How can you combine your studies with being a member of Active Africa? 

Generally, I am a very ambitious person, and when I was doing my first year of IBE, I realized that I am very interested in the contents of Global Studies. That's why I decided to give it a try, and so far it's gone well. As for how I combine studies with the entity..., I would say that it is based a lot on the method of organizing yourself. We volunteers collaborate occasionally when we are needed, and it is not difficult to combine studies with these collaborations. Therefore, I encourage everyone who wants to participate in a project like this to do so: don't hesitate. 

7. What message would you like to send to the university community, especially to students, so that they can gain a greater understandind of a cooperative experience? 

I would tell them that it is an experience that must be lived: the feeling that not only do you feel good about yourself, but the feeling that you are bringing about a change in society, however small, is a feeling that everyone should experience. When you are there, you see that with these projects there is an improvement in life among the local population; in this case, that they can access services as basic as education or drinking water. We cannot just give up and wait for a change. We have to value living in a part of the world with resources, being able to study at a university or enjoying public health. 

Lastly, I would like to add that any help is important, and that we will be happy if someone wants to get involved in the Active Africa project: everyone is always welcome. But not only with Active Africa, but in Barcelona or wherever you can help out the local population. There are many people who need help and many people willing to give it.