Vandy Pullen, a member of Radford’s women’s basketball team, spent a month this summer in Malawi, Africa. Pullen was one of several students who took part in Radford University’s College of Education and Human Development’s study abroad program. The red-shirt senior from Arlington, Va. sat down with Assistant Director of Athletic Communications, Brian Stanley, to share her experience.
The Republic of Malawi is located in southeastern Africa and is bordered by Zambia, Tanzania and Mozambique. Mozambique surrounds Malawi on the east, south and west and the countries are separated by Lake Malawi.
Why did you choose Africa?
I was in my reading class and my classmate made an announcement about a study abroad opportunity. It was funny because when she first told the class about it I thought she was saying in Maui not Malawi, Africa. But, I had always wanted to go to Africa so when I found out, I thought it would be a good opportunity.
What did you have to do in preparation for travel to Africa?
Before I went to Africa I talked with a few people who had been on the trip before. A group from the education department had been going for a few years before I decided to go. The group who I went with had a meeting to talk about what was needed, what we would be doing, and what to expect when we got there. I had to get about five shots and take different types of medicine. I had never been out of the country before so I had to get almost everything new, like suitcases and things like that. It was an 18-hour flight. We flew from Washington D.C. to Rome. We didn’t even get off the plane while they refueled. From there, we flew to Ethiopia and stayed the night. After a five-hour flight, we finally landed in Malawi.
When you arrived what was your first impression?
When I first got there I couldn’t believe I was in Africa. It looked totally different than here. I saw chickens, goats, and monkeys walking around like our squirrels. It seemed like a movie or like I had stepped back into time. I couldn’t believe that people in 2008 still lived in conditions that they did. Some of the people there had almost nothing and still were very happy and nice. My first impressions of the people were that they are very caring and nice. Everyone stopped and talked to me and were truly interested in what I had to say. When people asked you “hello, how are you?”, they are really interested in what you have to say. They are not just saying it because it sounds nice.
Where did you live and what were your living arrangements like?
For the most part I stayed at Annie’s lodge in a town called Zomba. It was a very nice gated area and the people who worked there were awesome. I got to know everyone by name and wrote down contact information so we can remain friends. I had a roommate and the rooms were spacious. We had a huge bathroom and hot running water. Our living conditions were a lot better than most of the people who are really from Zomba. We were just a 10 minute walk from the market. There was a restaurant on the lodge grounds, so at night we didn’t leave the lodge and I felt very safe staying there.
Where did you teach?
I taught sixth grade at Malemia Primary School, walking through a village to get there. The school was first through eighth grade with only one classroom except for second. That grade was split into two classrooms. Each classroom can have any number of students. For example, a third grade class had 181 students in one room and the kids sat in rows on the floor and did not have desks. The students were wonderful and very respectful and were very appreciative of little things like a backpack or even a pencil. They had to call the teachers sir or madam. When they wanted to ask to leave the classroom, the students bent down to ask the question. Every morning when I entered the classroom the students would stand up and say together “good morning madam, how are you today?” One thing I did notice was the girls did not play basketball. They played a game called netball. It is similar to basketball, but you do not dribble and you have more players on the court at one time. The basket does not have a backboard. It’s just a pole with a rim. A little thing that surprised me was that the students did not have lunch time. The families could not afford to send their children to school with food. Our group started a food program in which we donated money to the school which allowed the students to eat before and after school.
What did you teach?
The teacher I worked with wanted me to teach Science and technology. I was given a book and teachers guide to help me out. I taught about the different senses, sight, hearing, etc. I also taught about common accidents and food presentation. I noticed while being there, the students learn things they need to know in order to survive. I also did math and worked on reading as well. I worked Monday through Friday for the most part. We (the other study abroad students) missed some days when we went to different places like the safari and other site seeing adventures.
What did you do in your free time?
During my free time I loved going to the market. I got really good a bargaining, so I loved to shop for wooden arts and paintings. I went on a safari and saw elephants and zebras. The group members and I hung out at the lodge and played games. I went to the local college and played basketball one time. That was fun but weird because girls do not play basketball. The guys I played with were really cool and didn’t treat me different as far as I could tell. What was your favorite memory of the trip? It was when I presented in front of all the teachers in the school as well as all the parents of my students. I had an idea about giving students new uniforms, and with the help of a Dr. Patricia Kelly of Virginia Tech, I was able to achieve this goal. The reason behind this is that everyone has to wear uniforms to school and sometimes the parents cannot afford to get their children new uniforms from year to year. Many of my students had holes in their uniforms or you could tell they were passed down from other family members. I chose to only give it to the girls in my class because there is a big drop in enrollment especially in the higher grades and among girls. Girls tend to drop out and get married because education is not a priority. By giving them the uniforms they were promising me to stay in school. If that happens or not, we will not know, but the main goal of it was to show them how important education is.
Would this be something you would like to do again (possibly as a career)?
I would definitly love to go back again. I want to travel to different countries in Africa to see what they are like. I do not think that I would like to stay for a month again because I missed my family way too much. When I got back, I realized that some of the same issues I was seeing there are also a problem here. For example, drop out rates and HIV/Aids in the African American community. I want to work hand and hand with those issues.
Would you recommend this program to other students at Radford?
I would recommend this program to other students especially education majors. I went as a student wanting to be a teacher, but I came back with more of a teacher mindset not so much a student. I learned a great deal from the people who lived in Africa and also the other people who went to Africa with me. You come back with a different mindset and are so much more appreciative of what you have. I think the trip will help me be a better teacher and work around different obstacles such as language. So Yes, I do think other students should go because they can learn a lot of things from the experience.
The Republic of Malawi is located in southeastern Africa and is bordered by Zambia, Tanzania and Mozambique. Mozambique surrounds Malawi on the east, south and west and the countries are separated by Lake Malawi.
Why did you choose Africa?
I was in my reading class and my classmate made an announcement about a study abroad opportunity. It was funny because when she first told the class about it I thought she was saying in Maui not Malawi, Africa. But, I had always wanted to go to Africa so when I found out, I thought it would be a good opportunity.
What did you have to do in preparation for travel to Africa?
Before I went to Africa I talked with a few people who had been on the trip before. A group from the education department had been going for a few years before I decided to go. The group who I went with had a meeting to talk about what was needed, what we would be doing, and what to expect when we got there. I had to get about five shots and take different types of medicine. I had never been out of the country before so I had to get almost everything new, like suitcases and things like that. It was an 18-hour flight. We flew from Washington D.C. to Rome. We didn’t even get off the plane while they refueled. From there, we flew to Ethiopia and stayed the night. After a five-hour flight, we finally landed in Malawi.
When you arrived what was your first impression?
When I first got there I couldn’t believe I was in Africa. It looked totally different than here. I saw chickens, goats, and monkeys walking around like our squirrels. It seemed like a movie or like I had stepped back into time. I couldn’t believe that people in 2008 still lived in conditions that they did. Some of the people there had almost nothing and still were very happy and nice. My first impressions of the people were that they are very caring and nice. Everyone stopped and talked to me and were truly interested in what I had to say. When people asked you “hello, how are you?”, they are really interested in what you have to say. They are not just saying it because it sounds nice.
Where did you live and what were your living arrangements like?
For the most part I stayed at Annie’s lodge in a town called Zomba. It was a very nice gated area and the people who worked there were awesome. I got to know everyone by name and wrote down contact information so we can remain friends. I had a roommate and the rooms were spacious. We had a huge bathroom and hot running water. Our living conditions were a lot better than most of the people who are really from Zomba. We were just a 10 minute walk from the market. There was a restaurant on the lodge grounds, so at night we didn’t leave the lodge and I felt very safe staying there.
Where did you teach?
I taught sixth grade at Malemia Primary School, walking through a village to get there. The school was first through eighth grade with only one classroom except for second. That grade was split into two classrooms. Each classroom can have any number of students. For example, a third grade class had 181 students in one room and the kids sat in rows on the floor and did not have desks. The students were wonderful and very respectful and were very appreciative of little things like a backpack or even a pencil. They had to call the teachers sir or madam. When they wanted to ask to leave the classroom, the students bent down to ask the question. Every morning when I entered the classroom the students would stand up and say together “good morning madam, how are you today?” One thing I did notice was the girls did not play basketball. They played a game called netball. It is similar to basketball, but you do not dribble and you have more players on the court at one time. The basket does not have a backboard. It’s just a pole with a rim. A little thing that surprised me was that the students did not have lunch time. The families could not afford to send their children to school with food. Our group started a food program in which we donated money to the school which allowed the students to eat before and after school.
What did you teach?
The teacher I worked with wanted me to teach Science and technology. I was given a book and teachers guide to help me out. I taught about the different senses, sight, hearing, etc. I also taught about common accidents and food presentation. I noticed while being there, the students learn things they need to know in order to survive. I also did math and worked on reading as well. I worked Monday through Friday for the most part. We (the other study abroad students) missed some days when we went to different places like the safari and other site seeing adventures.
What did you do in your free time?
During my free time I loved going to the market. I got really good a bargaining, so I loved to shop for wooden arts and paintings. I went on a safari and saw elephants and zebras. The group members and I hung out at the lodge and played games. I went to the local college and played basketball one time. That was fun but weird because girls do not play basketball. The guys I played with were really cool and didn’t treat me different as far as I could tell. What was your favorite memory of the trip? It was when I presented in front of all the teachers in the school as well as all the parents of my students. I had an idea about giving students new uniforms, and with the help of a Dr. Patricia Kelly of Virginia Tech, I was able to achieve this goal. The reason behind this is that everyone has to wear uniforms to school and sometimes the parents cannot afford to get their children new uniforms from year to year. Many of my students had holes in their uniforms or you could tell they were passed down from other family members. I chose to only give it to the girls in my class because there is a big drop in enrollment especially in the higher grades and among girls. Girls tend to drop out and get married because education is not a priority. By giving them the uniforms they were promising me to stay in school. If that happens or not, we will not know, but the main goal of it was to show them how important education is.
Would this be something you would like to do again (possibly as a career)?
I would definitly love to go back again. I want to travel to different countries in Africa to see what they are like. I do not think that I would like to stay for a month again because I missed my family way too much. When I got back, I realized that some of the same issues I was seeing there are also a problem here. For example, drop out rates and HIV/Aids in the African American community. I want to work hand and hand with those issues.
Would you recommend this program to other students at Radford?
I would recommend this program to other students especially education majors. I went as a student wanting to be a teacher, but I came back with more of a teacher mindset not so much a student. I learned a great deal from the people who lived in Africa and also the other people who went to Africa with me. You come back with a different mindset and are so much more appreciative of what you have. I think the trip will help me be a better teacher and work around different obstacles such as language. So Yes, I do think other students should go because they can learn a lot of things from the experience.
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