One of my projects while I’m in Malawi is to design simple furniture for the orphan care center in Namitete. I’ll also work with local carpenters to get the pieces built.

Malawi has very few orphanages; instead, the focus is on orphan care centers (OCCs). Most orphans live with members of their families, usually an uncle, aunt, or grandmother. OCCs take care of the orphans from morning until evening, providing them with food, activities, and in the case of younger children, pre-school.

The orphan care center in Namitete opened in 2006; the buildings are new and well-built. Unfortunately, with no furniture and little organization, the interior spaces do not match the exterior. Without a properly-considered interior environment, the center is far from living up to its potential.

In each of the classrooms, materials and toys are assembled in piles. The piles are disorganized, dirty, and dangerous, as they’re breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Each time I moved items in the piles, a crowd of mosquitoes came flying out. I never thought that shelves could be used to prevent malaria.

This last pile has the added problem of having two Chibuku beer cartons in the mix of toys (Yes, these containers are used as toys.)

The OCC in Namitete also demonstrates the value of shade. People flock to any shade available, and the community congregates most often in the central shaded pavillion.

Lastly, the playground is also a great start, but it could use some more work. (…and shade? Who said that all playgrounds had to be uncovered?)