2027 Medical Outreach: Blantyre, Malawi
Butterfly Collaborative runs volunteer trips to Malawi for medical and non-medical professionals.
You'll work alongside our permanent team, contribute your skills to real ongoing programs, and experience firsthand what it means to be the only option.
We don't do tourism. Every person on a trip is working. But the work is extraordinary.
What to expect:
Typical trip length: 10–14 days
Location: Malawi, sub-Saharan Africa
Work: clinical care, community outreach, program support, or operational logistics depending on your skills
Team: you'll be integrated with our permanent on-ground team and local collaborators
Who goes?
Physicians. Nurses. Mental health professionals. Physical therapists. Pharmacists. Professional and undergraduate health students. Lawyers. Software engineers. Accountants. Pastors. People who just want to help. We've had all of them, and every single one mattered.
The honest part: Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world. The need is real and it is large. You will feel it. That's not a warning — that's the point. You'll do work here that you simply cannot do anywhere else.
Choose Between a One or Two week Trip
May 21 - 30
In Malawi May 23 - 29
General pediatric outreach & cervical cancer screening for caregivers
Week One
May 28 - June 6
In Malawi May 30 - June 5
Disability-focused pediatric outreach & cervical cancer screening for caregivers
Week Two
What will we be doing?
Providing care for vulnerable individuals alongside Malawian clinicians
Utilizing an evidence-based Diagnosis & Treatment formulary for plan development
Tropical & underserved medicine focus (anemia, HIV, helminths, malaria, nutrition, tinea, etc.)
Data collection, triage, point-of-care labs, medication provision, social work, mental health, cervical cancer screening/care
Week 1: Primary care health/nutrition screening, treatment, & health education for orphaned and vulnerable children and their caregivers
Week 2: Comprehensive assessment, education, & support for children with disabilities and their families
Student roles will be determined by student type and level
How to get involved.
Step 1
Check out this 8 - Minute Invitational Video
Step 2
Complete the Butterfly Collaborative’s Online Application
Students please touch base with Dr. Flores (florese@etsu.edu) first.
Once Approved…
Attend pre-trip Zoom meetings starting ~4 months prior to travel
Review and respond to team email and WhatsApp messages
Travel with team and stay at The Leslie
What are the costs?
Flight ~$1,900-$2,200 (varies by dates and departure airport)
Trip Fee $1,550 for one week or $2,400 for both weeks
Includes housing, meals, & in-country transportation
Questions?
Contact Dr. Diane Matsumoto (pediatrician) at diane@butterflycollaborative.org
or
Dr. Emily Flores (pharmacist) at florese@etsu.edu (ETSU/Johnson City region contact)