A team of volunteers heads for Malawi today to work on homes for the needy, as Bermuda Overseas Missions undertakes its 18th annual humanitarian trip

BOM president David Thompson will travel with 28 volunteers to Mulanje, a small town in the country’s south.

The group, a mix of students from the Berkeley Institute and Saltus Grammar School accompanied by adults, will partner with the Malawi branch of Habitat for Humanity International.

The Christian housing organisation “seeks to provide shelter as one way of eliminating poverty and improving the lives of orphans and other groups of people”.

Because of high poverty, most families live in a “typical village hut” of mud bricks and dirt floors, with grass thatched roofs that need frequent repair.

The local team plans to build four homes for residents unable to afford for themselves.

Mr Thompson explained that while BOM’s trips include adults, their focus lies on students, as their goal is to “take them out of their comfort zone and show them the rest of the world”.

Although Mulanje is considered an incredible hiking destination due to Mount Mulanje, the town lacks electricity and running water.

The charity has previously extended its outreach programme to Malawi in 2015, but Mr Thompson decided to travel there again this year, saying it would offer “good experience”.

Mr Thompson and his volunteers have been fundraising for this trip since last year. They organised a variety of fundraising events, such as car washes and bake sales. He credited sponsors for their help.

The group returns on August 9, after which they will start planning their next mission trip.

Mr Thompson was first inspired to pursue the cause after a 2002 outreach mission to Montana. When he returned to island, he immediately decided to embark on an international mission trip to Bolivia in 2004. Though volunteers were few at the time, their ranks have been increasing. Over the course of 15 years, Mr Thompson has travelled to countries such as Botswana, Romania, Brazil, Guatemala, Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras, Colombia, Zambia, Paraguay, the Dominican Republic, and India.