Godfrey Masauli is the first person in Malawi, Africa to ever paraglide. Godfrey is the oldest of the five children in his family. Masauli has always had a dream of flying. Every day he would tell people his dream. It didn’t matter if he knew them or not, he had to tell someone. In 2011, while he was working at a construction site, he met a young Canadian man who expressed to Godfrey that he had a dream of teaching an African how to paraglide. Godfrey was paragliding for the first time three weeks later on June 28, 2011.
Godfrey describes paragliding as scary, unnatural, satisfying and breathtaking. Masauli says that when he paraglides, he feels like he was “born to fly”. Masauli explains that every paragliding experience is different and he can “learn from every flight.” Godfrey reflects on the first time he paraglided and admits he thought he was going to die.
Overcoming the fear of failure was the hardest obstacle he had to face, according to Godfrey. While going on this journey, Masauli faced criticism like no other. Being the first person in his country to paraglide, he was told that it couldn’t be done and that he would never succeed. Because of these comments, Masauli felt like giving up. Godfrey soon learned to accept the criticism and continue to pursue his dream.
Photo credit Godfrey Masauli
Now that he has flown, his next dream is to reduce the school dropout rate in Malawi through his passion of flying. He plans on spreading inspiration throughout the entire nation one school at a time. He will be visiting every school in Malawi and hopes to establish a club in every school that will give children something to look forward to when they go to school. To help support his cause, he is selling bracelets that say “Ndizotheka” which means “It is possible” that cost $10 each and can be bought in the Main Office. The money will go towards equipment and supplies he will need to make this project successful.
Photo credit Godfrey Masauli
Godfrey encourages everyone to be themselves because it is the “most peaceful place to be.” Though discovering yourself will take time, it will be worth it in the long run. He compares this to a fish in water. Fish are meant to swim in water and that’s who they are, but if a fish were to try to climb a tree, it wouldn’t work out because that isn’t who they are. Godfrey also encourages everyone to follow their dreams just like he did. Godfrey believes that “as long as you have life, you can dream.” No matter what the dream is, it is possible. Ndizotheka!
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