April 5th 2013 – First Associate Responsible Investment

Alyssa Berggren | April 18, 2013

More Than I Could Ever Describe

Why did I take a 20 hours flight to one of the poorest country?

What is the motivation that makes me live in a country for a year where there is no water for shower, no internet, no cellular reception, no power supply, or even food?

What is it that make The Associates to do our first project in such a place where we know nothing much about?

Malawi – also known as “The Heart of Africa” for it’s peaceful culture. I went there expecting to make a small difference in the world; hoping to do the most with the cash, books, and stationary donations we’ve collected from our investors; but I came away with so much more than I could have anticipated. Something richer, something deeper.

The experience of living in an orphanage in one of the poorest countries is indescribable. The poverty of the Malawi conflicting with all the joy and happiness I receive around me. I woke up each day surrounded by 250 bubbly orphans with the most beautiful eyes and the biggest smiles I’ve ever seen. I pondered why these people here are all covered in dirt, emaciated, but so welcoming and generously sharing all they have with me. All of a sudden, they seem so rich in my eyes – rich by heart.

From what I see, Malawians have cultivated the art of simplicity. They enjoy every bit of life no matter its taste. For adults, all they wish is to have enough food for their children; for kids, all they want is to be able to go to school and change the future of their tribes. With such a low life expectancy (average age 37), death occurs all around them each day. While I was there, an HIV child had died on my lap while we were on the way to the hospital; the next day, I heard about one of the orphanage’s local workers who looked perfectly well the day before had died of Malaria at night. These people has so little expectations in life, yet their dreams could never be fulfilled before they die.

While I was volunteering in the orphanage, I was working on the education development program. Children were so hardworking and they cherish every chance they have to learn. I told them “When I was young I never love going to school!” They replied “I need to go to school because my tribe is hungry.” I looked away from those pure eyes, refraining from my tears.

How can I not be touched by these strong minded yet vulnerable children, by the misery that touches so many lives, and by seeing the consequences of actions made in the past, that still affect the people here today… it’s all there, still there, and will be there if we don’t reach out and give them a lifting hand. Being amidst such conditions definitely made me realized how much I’ve taken for granted: clean feet; soft mattresses, not worrying about my mosquito net or power going out and not having a drop of water for shower; and on a more serious note, having parents who raised me with so much time, effort, and love spent on my development; and having an unconditional support system that these children lack.

Thanks to all the supports, we have successfully adopted 4 children on our first Responsible Investment. The orphanage will provide them a safe environment and education that helps to shape a brighter future for them. More importantly, they’ve received a life changing opportunity that affects not only themselves, but the entire village and tribe that they belong.

We are utmost grateful to have the support by donors like you. In this project, a lot has been achieved in such a short period of time, however, a lot has yet to be achieved. For that, it will be the motivation of our Responsible Investment projects – to give, to reach, and to bring the possibility to those that live in the “impossible”.