The Secondary School in Malawi Has Been Completed

As part of the final volunteer team, Vincenz was involved in completing the new Secondary School in Kalanga. He shares what he encountered in everyday life between responsibility, community, and real learning – and why the school is so important for the region.

By Vincenz Egner

Bonn, August 16th, 2026 – After finishing my training as a carpenter, it quickly became clear to me that I wanted to gain work experience abroad. I’m aware that only few people have the privilege of growing up in a country like Germany, which offers so much prosperity, freedom, and opportunity. That’s why I wanted to contribute in a small way to supporting people who don’t have the same chances.

It was important to me to understand development cooperation as a mutual exchange: not bringing knowledge, passing it on, and leaving again, but working together with people on the ground, sharing experiences, and learning from one another – professionally, culturally, and above all, humanly.

While searching for a suitable volunteer project, acquaintances pointed me towards Grünhelme, and I attended their applicant meeting. The projects seemed well thought-out, sustainable, and grounded. It’s not about short-term help or nice photos for social media, but about building something long-term together with the local community. That approach impressed me. At the same time, I had great respect for the assignment – after all, I knew I would be spending three months outside my comfort zone.

After a few weeks of preparation, we finally set off in early April. Excitement? Huge. Motivation? Absolutely. Respect for the unknown? Definitely. You never really know what awaits you. But I wanted to do everything right and take the responsibility seriously – after all, the idea was to successfully finish the construction site as the last volunteer team.

The first days in Blantyre were overwhelming: traffic, smells, markets, people – within just a few hours you find yourself in a world that could hardly be more different from everyday life in Germany.

We continued on to Kalanga in the Land Cruiser – from the big city into rural Malawi. On the one hand, you encounter poverty everywhere. On the other hand, a warmth and helpfulness unlike anything I had ever experienced.

We felt that right upon arriving in the village. We got stuck in a riverbed – a bit unfortunate, just 500 meters before reaching our destination. It was already pitch dark, but within minutes it felt like the whole village came to help pull the car out of the mud. That helpfulness accompanied us throughout the entire three months.

Responsibility on the Construction Site

Work on the construction site began on Monday. We accompanied the final construction phase of the new Secondary School, including teacher housing. After a short handover from our project leader Lennart, we took responsibility for a construction site with 23 workers – in a country whose language we didn’t speak. But English was enough to communicate, and you grow into your role quickly.

Our tasks included organizing daily work, checking construction quality, coordinating material transport, working with the community, solving small and big problems, writing weekly reports, handling payroll, managing finances, and much more. And of course: rolling up our sleeves and helping out ourselves.

As a carpenter, I was lucky that the final construction phase still involved a lot of woodwork: small roofs for the toilet buildings, adjusting and installing doors, and guiding the construction of shelves, tables, and stools for the library. It felt good to pass on my craftsmanship – and at the same time, I learned at least as much from the people on site. In the end, that’s what it’s all about: working together and learning from each other.

Everyday Life, Community, and a Music Video

The daily routine was clearly structured: at nine o’clock we had a half-hour tea break, and at midday a one-hour lunch break – often accompanied by heated rounds of board games like Bao and Draft. During weeks with temperatures around 38 degrees and blazing sun, a quick power nap during lunch wasn’t unusual.

My teammate Lena and I sometimes used breaks and the time after work to shoot a music video for our construction-site colleague and newcomer artist Wonder. Filming it is one of the memories I will never forget.

Over time, we became more and more part of the village community. We celebrated Lena’s birthday together, attended football matches, and even played ourselves – wild games full of headers, bicycle kicks, and joyful dances after victories.

We also met many people during evening bar visits and had interesting conversations about life, faith, and everything in between. You get a glimpse into lives that, in many ways, are not so different from your own.

Life in our small house quickly became a home. With a hole in the ground as a toilet, a bucket of water as a shower, a gas cooker, thin mattresses on the floor, and little comfort, we lived very simply compared to Germany – and still had far more than most people around us.

We grew especially fond of our neighborhood. Almost daily, several children stood at our door. Sure, the little rascals could get on your nerves sometimes – but most of the time we simply had a lot of fun together. We played, danced, acted silly, and laughed.

Why the New School Is So Important

The new Secondary School is far more than just a building for Kalanga. Around 300 children finish Primary School each year. Until now, there was no secondary school in the village. The nearest one is about twelve kilometers away in Thambani and only has space for around 90 students per year. For many children, their education ended after primary school – either because of the long distance or simply because there weren’t enough places.

The new school is meant to close this gap and will give significantly more young people access to education and better future opportunities.

The Secondary School was officially opened and handed over during a large celebration. The Minister of Education of Malawi, the district minister, and other representatives from politics and administration attended. For the community, it was a meaningful moment that showed how important this project is for the region.

Farewell and Outlook

Time passed incredibly quickly, and when our stay came to an end, saying goodbye was difficult. For our colleagues and now friends on the construction site, it also meant the end of their steady employment. Many told us they planned to go to Mozambique or South Africa afterward to look for work. In Malawi, especially in rural regions like Kalanga, there are very few opportunities for regular income.

At the same time, everyone was incredibly proud of what had been created together and grateful for the time on the construction site.

For our final lunch break, we treated everyone to a big meal and celebrated our farewell together in the village. Saying goodbye to so many people who had grown close to our hearts over those three months wasn’t easy. Luckily, I still keep in touch with some of them via WhatsApp.

For me personally, the assignment in Malawi is one of the most formative experiences of my life. Of course, you know in theory that our standard of living in Germany is more the exception than the rule worldwide. But there is a world of difference between reading a newspaper article, watching a documentary, or seeing an Instagram post and experiencing it yourself. Only when you witness everyday life on the ground do you truly understand how unequally prosperity and opportunities are distributed globally.

That’s exactly why I believe development cooperation is so important. Not because it solves all problems, but because every single contribution matters.
If we have the opportunity to build something together with people on site and learn from one another, we should take that chance.

More pictures of the construction site:

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