Day 2 Life at Sparkle

Begin the day by joining the nursery school children for Morning Circle time, where songs, movement, and laughter set the tone and where your dance moves may be put to the test. Help the children wash their hands and serve them breakfast, taking part in the simple routines that support care and wellbeing. Join a literacy or numeracy class, to get first-hand insight into the quality of education Sparkle’s students receive. In the afternoon, take part in a gentle community walk, providing perspective on the wider environment in which families live.

Day 3 Volunteering & Hospital Outreach

Spend the day engaging in hands-on volunteering, supporting a range of activities alongside staff and community members. This may include reading or homework support during after-school programmes, assisting in classrooms, creative activities with younger children such as arts and crafts, or joining football training sessions or friendly games of netball with the youth. As part of the day, you will create Bags of Hope for patients at Zomba Central Hospital, preparing care packs that are distributed through Sparkle’s hospital outreach programme. This activity offers a meaningful way to support children receiving medical treatment, providing comfort, dignity, and a reminder that they are not forgotten.

Day 4 Safari & Perspective

Spend the day on a safari in Liwonde National Park, one of Malawi’s most important conservation areas. Beyond wildlife, the experience offers space to reflect on the balance between people, environment, and sustainability. This change of pace provides time to process earlier experiences and connect informally with fellow volunteers.

Day 5 Culture, Food & Daily Life

Visit an authentic local market, where families purchase their daily food and household needs. Learn about locally grown produce, staple ingredients, and the dishes that form part of everyday Malawian life.

This is followed by a Malawian cooking lesson, preparing and sharing a traditional meal together - a relaxed and enriching way to engage with culture and hospitality.

Day 6 Sustainability & Legacy

Spend the day at the Sparkle Farm, learning how food security, agriculture, and sustainability are embedded into Sparkle’s long-term approach to community wellbeing. Take part in a legacy activity, such as planting a tree, offering a tangible and lasting connection to the work and your volunteering journey.

Day 7 Zomba Plateau & Reflection

Travel to the Zomba Plateau for a hike or nature walk, offering time in nature and space for reflection, as well as unstructured time to interact and engage in meaningful conversation with Sparkle’s staff, deepening relationships and understanding beyond formal activities. The journey concludes with a closing reflection session and a farewell BBQ with the Sparkle team, creating space to share experiences, insights, and the impact of seeing Sparkle’s work first-hand.

Day 8 Departure

Depart Malawi with a deeper connection to the communities, programmes, and people behind Sparkle’s work, carrying lived experience back into your volunteering back home.