Meet the trip leaders

2009 Malawi Leaders: Michael Buckler and Marissa Perry Saints

MARISSA PERRY SAINTS: University of Arizona, B.A., International Studies and Economic Development. Marissa lived and worked at in Malawi for one year in 2006 conducting art workshops at the Ekwendeni Youth AIDS Center. While there, she coached a high school girls soccer team through the Malawi Northern Region Women’s soccer league, built libraries with primary and secondary schools, and started a school mural project with a local government school. Marissa completed her undergraduate thesis on micro-credit lending and community-based development. Her research, combined with hands-on experience in Malawi, has convinced her that entrepreneurship is a powerful and effective approach to economic development. Currently, Marissa owns and operates Dsenyo, an ethical fashion company committed to offering sustainable accessories, featuring the art of African textile design. Marissa’s goal is to share the art of African textiles with people in the U.S. and to contribute to the economic development and social welfare of the women in Malawi. Dsenyo's products are currently made in the USA, and Marissa's goal is to become a Fair Trade company, creating much needed jobs for women in Malawi. Marissa enjoys playing soccer, teaching art classes for kids, serving on the Board of a local art group, and jogging with her dog. She is proficient in Chichewa.

MICHAEL BUCKLER: Cornell University, B.S., magna cum laude, Electrical Engineering; Duke University, Juris Doctor. Michael was raised in LaPlata, Maryland, a small town outside of Washington, D.C. After college and law school, he returned to the D.C. area to clerk for a federal judge in Alexandria, Virginia. Following a federal clerkship in Memphis, TN, Michael spent four years practicing as a patent litigator in Portland, OR. From 2006-08, he served as a Peace Corps teacher in Malawi, where he organized a rural village to construct a boarding facility for female students, and led the planning and implementation of a nationwide education camp for indigent students. Since returning to the U.S., he has been living in Washington, D.C., and writing a book about his Peace Corps experience. In his spare time, Michael has traveled extensively in Europe, the Caribbean Islands, India, and Africa. He likes to read, write, hike, and cycle. Michael has traveled throughout the entire country of Malawi and is fluent in Chichewa.