We cautiously followed the man as he stepped away from the street. He moved elegantly through the small shantytown. Vendors woke from their mid-day slumbers and eagerly pressed towards us, goods in hand. I pushed my eyes to the ground and grasped for the back of Emily’s shirt. The path narrowed, each side slanting inward until each footfall stuck in a shallow ravine. The makeshift storefronts ended into a brick wall. The man disappeared into a dark path that ran between the bricks and a wall of wooden boards. Venders rushed out, baskets steadied on their heads. I gingerly placed each foot along the high sides of the path, pressing my body against the wall. It soon opened, revealing a single lane dirt street lined with even more elaborate booths. I stalled momentarily, amazed by the goods that extended from the shops and dangled over the street. I was quickly pulled aside, directed down an even smaller path that wound us deeper in the market. Women perched on overturned buckets, watching in amazement as three young Caucasian travelers passed through their secluded alleyways. We made a sharp turn, ducking beneath an aluminum overhang to enter a large three-sided structure built on a tiered cement slab. At either end tailors sat at worn, wooden Singer sewing machines, cradling brightly colored fabrics in their hands, finished skirts and shirts hanging overhead. Between them women sat behind rows of tables stacked with folded chitenjes. The vibrant fabrics were folded into small rectangles and placed neatly next to one another, forming rows of bold colors and ornate patterns. Attitudes and business approaches varied drastically amongst these women. Some made great efforts to hassle each customer, unraveling the fabrics and dangling them in front of overwhelmed onlookers. Others remained passive, watching as we ran our fingers over the rows. For some, a lifetime of peddling colored fabrics in a long, dimly lit room had taken its toll and they slept, draping themselves over their wares. Pushing through the crowds of people in the tight pathways that wound through the tables was challenging, and the pressing guilt of refusing these women a few dollars for their goods was heartbreaking. Our shopping was extremely visible and dark eyes followed us with persistence as we perused the tables, graciously shaking our heads and turning down the many offers that were forcibly thrust our way. Much like my decision-making in America, choosing a fitting pattern in a dingy underground market took me far too long. We left with only a few dollars out of pocket and elegant tapestry like fabrics draped over our wrists.
Enjoying our momentary freedom from responsibility and any set schedule, the three of us decided to continue exploring. I stepped off the covered platform into a small cement drainage ditch and walked back though the narrow passageway that lead back up to the open market and daylight. Ross hobbled along, adding amusing commentary as he struggled with his ankle on the uneven ground. Our progress slowed along the open road as we ascended a small hill, our eyes drinking in every image. For the novelty of it we wished to find an old Malawian flag. President Bingu Wa Mutharika had recently revamped the flag, slightly altering its image and making possession of an old flag illegal. Unfortunately fear has amazing power and the old flag was nowhere to be found. Our relatively aimless wandering found us in what appeared to be the hardware section. Metal rods, long wooden slabs, and axes extended out into the road, pushing us into a small clump in the middle. It was one of those moments where much more then our pale skin distinguished us as foreigners. We were skittish, both excited and excitable.
The hardware section continued on around the bend, nothing like what we intended to find. In my infinite wisdom I suggested a short cut to bring us back towards more interesting items. Sliding my back along a rough wooden wall and my hands on a storage crate in front of me I squeezed through a constricted opening between booths. Emily and Ross moaned as they attempted to follow me through a tiny ally that ran behind rows of poorly constructed shanties. Once again a trickle of mostly stagnant muck ran down the center of the “path” that I attempted to follow. I straddled it awkwardly, smiling brightly as I stumbled past men lazily seated on crates. Either they had been warned of the presence of a blonde or they heard our anxious laughter as we struggled through the labyrinth of people and shops because men soon began poking their heads behind their booths, greeting us in broken English. Although slightly flustered with the small deviation I had taken we were quite satisfied with our adventuring and when we reached the main road through the market we quickly left it again.
Piles of wood boards, chain links, tools. Turn around. Axes. Turn back. Fish. Stop. Don’t breath. Change direction. Fish. Shit. Change direction. Restaurant? Confusion. Food? is always acceptable. Continue. We followed a dirt trail through what appeared to be some rendition of a food court, lined with small shops marketing baked goods and fried sausages. Women sat to the side rolling nsima and dipping it messily into a green relish. A young man sat in front of a tray of small yellow cakes. A mix of exhaustion and curiosity brought me closer and for fifty kwacha I purchased a small square of sweet corn bread. The path ended where it began and we stopped to reassess. Ahead a set of wooden stairs led down to baskets of produce and the general direction in which we started.
Our haphazard journey surprised us all. It is not that we expected to be mugged or stolen away in one of the many dark corners; we simply had anticipated some level of irritation. We were clearly tourists, undoubtedly carrying a substantial sum of money, and lost in a very secluded, unenforced area. Instead of exploiting a potentially dangerous situation, every Malawian man and woman that we encountered either smiled politely and guided us on our way, or simply ignored our presence. Occasionally they prodded us for business, but never to an extent that we felt uncomfortable. It seemed that most were simply baffled by our audacity and good nature. We walked with confidence as we returned to the hotel, convinced that we had tackled a daunting challenge with relative grace. It was in this comfortable mindset that we responded to an offer of marriage on Emily’s behalf.
A Real Malawian Woman
As we emerged from one of small ally ways that lead from the market back to the main road running into Old Town a young Malawian man called out to us, addressing us as “sister.” Amused, we turned around to find a decently attractive man eyeing up Emily with little discretion. He spoke to Ross, “Your sister, your sister, I would like to marry her, I love her.” I opened my mouth, in part to laugh and partially offended that the offer was not directed towards me. Fortunately for Emily’s future love interests, Ross quickly deflected the situation, calmly suggesting to the man that he could have her hand in marriage for the price of twelve cows. Such great quantities of livestock would surely be an impressive dowry if one could afford it. Luckily Emily had not caught the eye of a particularly wealthy man and his unadorned response was “I will not have her.” Simple and true. We departed without another word on the matter.
^ That was our market adventure on Friday, followed up by watching the Man. U/Barcelona game in a packed bar in Lilongwe! It was a relaxing and exciting day!
Lauren
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Sunday, May 29, 2011
May 26, 2011
Chikondi “love”
“Chikondi” was just one new word of many that we learned from our new friend, Alex Mkabe, today. Alex is an orphan from outside of Lilongwe who is assisted by our community organization of the day, Mwana Wamzako. They pay the school fees of Alex and 53 other orphans between the ages of 14 and 18. As we all know, these years can be full of confusion and angst, especially when, like Alex, the most impressive fourteen year old I’ve ever had the privilege to meet, they are being faced all alone. As a result, Mwana Wamzako also works to offer their kids not only some financial and health support, but also psychosocial support.
I do not think the importance of such support to these youths can be overstated. Alex, who shared his story with us, became an orphan at only five years old. After the death of his parents, he moved in with his uncle for a period of time. His uncle, however, did not place much value on education. So, at seven, Alex left his uncle’s home and began picking up odd jobs for places to stay, until he created a home of his own at only age eleven. This fourteen year old man takes his challenges in stride; meanwhile, a B on an exam crushes me until a weekend pick-me-up. He hopes to go to university to be a doctor or a politician in Malawi so that he can help others in his country. I hope he goes too.
After seeing all the good Mwana Wamzako and its affiliate, Lukuni Parish, do for these kids, the group gained a second wind in its fight against ESCOM, the evil electric company that has been screwing Mchenga and Mwana Wamzako out of their much needed and already-paid-for electricity. Unfortunately, much of our energy wained over the course of the hour we waited for one copy of a receipt to be made. The six of us and our translator of anger, Mirriam, ate peanuts and napped as we sat alone in the manager's office. Upon his return, I wiped the drool from my mouth and excitedly asked to see the receipt that would prove ESCOM inadequate and mismanaged. However, he instead brought us a copy of the wrong receipt, and they were closing, which can apparently be done at any arbitrary time of the day. Frustrated, I informed this manager that ESCOM's customer service is "the worst," to which he could only passively respond with, "yes, I know."
We left with a new passion to defeat ESCOM and their terrible inefficencies, but first we needed to regroup and find some peace. We found said peace in the boxed wine of a local Italian eatery, where we also refueled with pizza and sandwiches.
While our interactions with ESCOM have been less than pleasant, they stand a stark contrast to the rest of our Malawian experience. The chikondi in Malawi is palpable. The people here not only express a refreshing level of affection toward one another, but have also been completely welcoming of us as visitors.
“Chikondi” was just one new word of many that we learned from our new friend, Alex Mkabe, today. Alex is an orphan from outside of Lilongwe who is assisted by our community organization of the day, Mwana Wamzako. They pay the school fees of Alex and 53 other orphans between the ages of 14 and 18. As we all know, these years can be full of confusion and angst, especially when, like Alex, the most impressive fourteen year old I’ve ever had the privilege to meet, they are being faced all alone. As a result, Mwana Wamzako also works to offer their kids not only some financial and health support, but also psychosocial support.
I do not think the importance of such support to these youths can be overstated. Alex, who shared his story with us, became an orphan at only five years old. After the death of his parents, he moved in with his uncle for a period of time. His uncle, however, did not place much value on education. So, at seven, Alex left his uncle’s home and began picking up odd jobs for places to stay, until he created a home of his own at only age eleven. This fourteen year old man takes his challenges in stride; meanwhile, a B on an exam crushes me until a weekend pick-me-up. He hopes to go to university to be a doctor or a politician in Malawi so that he can help others in his country. I hope he goes too.
After seeing all the good Mwana Wamzako and its affiliate, Lukuni Parish, do for these kids, the group gained a second wind in its fight against ESCOM, the evil electric company that has been screwing Mchenga and Mwana Wamzako out of their much needed and already-paid-for electricity. Unfortunately, much of our energy wained over the course of the hour we waited for one copy of a receipt to be made. The six of us and our translator of anger, Mirriam, ate peanuts and napped as we sat alone in the manager's office. Upon his return, I wiped the drool from my mouth and excitedly asked to see the receipt that would prove ESCOM inadequate and mismanaged. However, he instead brought us a copy of the wrong receipt, and they were closing, which can apparently be done at any arbitrary time of the day. Frustrated, I informed this manager that ESCOM's customer service is "the worst," to which he could only passively respond with, "yes, I know."
We left with a new passion to defeat ESCOM and their terrible inefficencies, but first we needed to regroup and find some peace. We found said peace in the boxed wine of a local Italian eatery, where we also refueled with pizza and sandwiches.
While our interactions with ESCOM have been less than pleasant, they stand a stark contrast to the rest of our Malawian experience. The chikondi in Malawi is palpable. The people here not only express a refreshing level of affection toward one another, but have also been completely welcoming of us as visitors.
Wokongola Malawi, Wednesday, May 25 2011
Wednesday, May 25 2011
Wokongola: Beautiful. The word that describes the CBO we were lucky enough to visit today, Luzi, but can be pretty easily applied to Malawi in general.
Let me start off by saying that for the past week and a half I have been comparing every environment we are in to the scenery in the Lion King. Luzi takes the cake by scoring about a 8.5 (9 if you ask Ross) on the Lion King similarity scale. There was even some sort of mountain-like rock that could be considered Pride Rock.
The gorgeous landscape was happily followed by the best welcome anyone could ask for: song, dance, and smiling. I really think it’s a habit the U.S. should pick up; there is absolutely no better way to make a person feel welcome. We were ushered into a building with a huge amount of charts and diagrams and pictures on the wall. It was easy to see by the sheer magnitude of materials that Luzi was doing a heck of a lot. Such an impression was confirmed when one of the CBO volunteers was kind enough to point out one chart in particular to me. It explained that Luzi was responsible for over 1000 orphans and vulnerable children, over 100 elderly people, almost 300 youths, and over 2000 students. Most astounding was that there were over 1000 volunteers in this CBO. We were all amazed when other CBOs managed to include maybe 30 people willing to dedicate their time and energy to help others, let along 1000. All these volunteers have family and friends to take care of, all of them have their own problems and worries and concerns. Yet when you ask them “why are you a volunteer for this CBO” they all answer by stating that they wanted to help all the orphans or they didn’t want anyone else to die from HIV/AIDS, etc. It is as if they are compelled to help. They treat selflessness as if it is the most obvious thing in the world.
Not only are Luzi’s sheer numbers astounding, but their programs are equally impressive. They have departments and activities that include training youths so they can find employment, income generating projects, adult literacy, and more. One particularly striking program under “Luzi’s Activities” was “human rights and gender” where community members are reminded to maintain their dignity and humanity even through daily troubles.
After this look at Luzi’s main building, we, as is tradition here, danced. The four of us ladies were paired off with a volunteer from Luzi. Either my partner gave up or could no longer dance for laughing so hard at my attempts that I ended up pairing with Emily instead. I suppose two silly uzungus dancing together is better than one
The dancing was followed by beautiful singing by the youth choir and a sort of comedy meant to educate others about the importance of knowing your HIV status. I’m going to go ahead and say it was quite funny based on others’ laughter, but I’m still not quite fluent enough in Chichewa to really know.
At one point the children came and sat down and as I looked up I realized I was staring at three groups, one of men, one of women, and one of children. They were the pieces of the community, the beneficiaries of Luzi and the volunteers, the young and the old. All looking at the six of us from SLIM. And I wondered what we could possibly give to them. To these people who are constantly giving, to the volunteers who devote their time, to the youths who devote their focus, to even the children who take care of each other, the 8 year olds carrying the 1 year olds as if they were mother and child. It was yet another moment, one of many in Malawi, where I realized I would never be able to give these people anything to equal what they have given me, what they have given us SLIMers. But we shall try.
After the delightful time we had at Luzi, we went on our way but were stopped by a pleasant refreshment break that the director of Luzi, Mr. Banda, had arranged for us. It included these sort of roll/donut like things which Ross was super pumped about because his Grandma used to make them. Further proof that street food is the best food there is.
Finally the night ended with an evening with Mara, Fred, and Gogodas. Mara, the unbelievable woman who started Paradiso, her son Fred, and her mother, Gogodas (grandma) who is basically the most awesome woman in the world (excluding my own mother) were kind enough to allow us to cook dinner. I refer to this as a kindness seeing as how everything we’ve eaten in Malawi is amazing and we were simply planning to make guacamole and a pasta dish. Luckily it turned out okay, and everyone seemed to enjoy it.
Dessert included pineapple and a wedding proposal Fred made to Alexis. We all approve, yet discussions are still being held on how many cows Fred should have to give for the honor of marrying Alexis.
Did I mention Lauren, Ross, and Nick held a chicken? Needless to say I will no longer come into physical contact with any of them anymore.
The night concluded with a sky filled with more stars than I have ever seen in my life. Zikomo Malawi.
Ash
Wokongola: Beautiful. The word that describes the CBO we were lucky enough to visit today, Luzi, but can be pretty easily applied to Malawi in general.
Let me start off by saying that for the past week and a half I have been comparing every environment we are in to the scenery in the Lion King. Luzi takes the cake by scoring about a 8.5 (9 if you ask Ross) on the Lion King similarity scale. There was even some sort of mountain-like rock that could be considered Pride Rock.
The gorgeous landscape was happily followed by the best welcome anyone could ask for: song, dance, and smiling. I really think it’s a habit the U.S. should pick up; there is absolutely no better way to make a person feel welcome. We were ushered into a building with a huge amount of charts and diagrams and pictures on the wall. It was easy to see by the sheer magnitude of materials that Luzi was doing a heck of a lot. Such an impression was confirmed when one of the CBO volunteers was kind enough to point out one chart in particular to me. It explained that Luzi was responsible for over 1000 orphans and vulnerable children, over 100 elderly people, almost 300 youths, and over 2000 students. Most astounding was that there were over 1000 volunteers in this CBO. We were all amazed when other CBOs managed to include maybe 30 people willing to dedicate their time and energy to help others, let along 1000. All these volunteers have family and friends to take care of, all of them have their own problems and worries and concerns. Yet when you ask them “why are you a volunteer for this CBO” they all answer by stating that they wanted to help all the orphans or they didn’t want anyone else to die from HIV/AIDS, etc. It is as if they are compelled to help. They treat selflessness as if it is the most obvious thing in the world.
Not only are Luzi’s sheer numbers astounding, but their programs are equally impressive. They have departments and activities that include training youths so they can find employment, income generating projects, adult literacy, and more. One particularly striking program under “Luzi’s Activities” was “human rights and gender” where community members are reminded to maintain their dignity and humanity even through daily troubles.
After this look at Luzi’s main building, we, as is tradition here, danced. The four of us ladies were paired off with a volunteer from Luzi. Either my partner gave up or could no longer dance for laughing so hard at my attempts that I ended up pairing with Emily instead. I suppose two silly uzungus dancing together is better than one
The dancing was followed by beautiful singing by the youth choir and a sort of comedy meant to educate others about the importance of knowing your HIV status. I’m going to go ahead and say it was quite funny based on others’ laughter, but I’m still not quite fluent enough in Chichewa to really know.
At one point the children came and sat down and as I looked up I realized I was staring at three groups, one of men, one of women, and one of children. They were the pieces of the community, the beneficiaries of Luzi and the volunteers, the young and the old. All looking at the six of us from SLIM. And I wondered what we could possibly give to them. To these people who are constantly giving, to the volunteers who devote their time, to the youths who devote their focus, to even the children who take care of each other, the 8 year olds carrying the 1 year olds as if they were mother and child. It was yet another moment, one of many in Malawi, where I realized I would never be able to give these people anything to equal what they have given me, what they have given us SLIMers. But we shall try.
After the delightful time we had at Luzi, we went on our way but were stopped by a pleasant refreshment break that the director of Luzi, Mr. Banda, had arranged for us. It included these sort of roll/donut like things which Ross was super pumped about because his Grandma used to make them. Further proof that street food is the best food there is.
Finally the night ended with an evening with Mara, Fred, and Gogodas. Mara, the unbelievable woman who started Paradiso, her son Fred, and her mother, Gogodas (grandma) who is basically the most awesome woman in the world (excluding my own mother) were kind enough to allow us to cook dinner. I refer to this as a kindness seeing as how everything we’ve eaten in Malawi is amazing and we were simply planning to make guacamole and a pasta dish. Luckily it turned out okay, and everyone seemed to enjoy it.
Dessert included pineapple and a wedding proposal Fred made to Alexis. We all approve, yet discussions are still being held on how many cows Fred should have to give for the honor of marrying Alexis.
Did I mention Lauren, Ross, and Nick held a chicken? Needless to say I will no longer come into physical contact with any of them anymore.
The night concluded with a sky filled with more stars than I have ever seen in my life. Zikomo Malawi.
Ash
Saturday, May 28, 2011
May 24, 2011
Today was a very emotional day for all of us, and I personally felt like I experienced the entire spectrum of emotions throughout the course of the day.
We started out at Tilerane Orphan Care, where we were greeted with so many smiling little faces it made my heart sing. All the kids were so receptive to us, with every age group from infant to teenager running up to see the Azungu. Meeting with the volunteers, it was clear that there are ways in which SLIM can help in the future. One interesting IGA that I had never thought of was chairs. Yes, chairs. Tilerane wants to rent out their space for weddings, receptions, and meetings to various community members, and having a large amount of chairs at their disposal will allow them to accommodate such events. This is a simple endeavor that I hope SLIM can consider in the future to help support a great CBO that provides wonderful support to their orphans. We were also impressed at all the handmade goods the volunteers were selling. AIDS awareness beaded pins and bracelets, along with wristlets and bags made from chitenje material were being sold. We naturally had to pick up a few things for ourselves and souvenirs for our loved ones back home. We all bought some extra pins to sell back in the States and hopefully make Tilerane a nice little profit.
We all naturally fell into our various play areas and provided the kids with much entertainment. I broke out my secret weapon: bubbles, which the kids loved to catch and pop, their little hands reaching up and over one another’s. Ross discovered his talent for jump rope, and got a little too into the game when he landed on the side of his ankle (don’t worry Mamma Ross, all is well). Emily broke in the new soccer ball with the little ones, and quickly learned that maybe barefoot soccer isn’t the best idea from now on. Lauren and Ashley worked diligently collecting research before joining in the fun with the rest of the group. Nick tried to resist the bubbles, but eventually got caught in the action, and wandered around the grounds playing with all the children.
Paulina, one of the volunteers, led the kids in song and dance, with one of the tunes sounding familiar as I did the motions to “I’m a little teapot”. One of the little girls looked just like Nia, my partner child from Jumpstart back in Pittsburgh, and I was nearly brought to tears. Just thinking of the differences in education and other opportunities little Augusta would have compared to Nia was a little heartbreaking, but I know the volunteers are providing her with all the resources they can to help her have a successful future.
Our good mood from Tilerane was quickly dampened when we had to travel over to ESCOM, the Malawian electric company (the only electric company I might add), to sort out some service issues for Mchenga and Mwana WaZako. The shifty little man that met us was a little too jolly for my liking, so I sat up nice and tall next to him to make all six feet of me as intimidating as possible (I think it worked). Sadly, even though customers are still paying for installation of transformers and connection of service, the electric company does not have enough materials to supply all the customers. The man told us that while Mchenga has waited a year and Mwana WaZako almost 3, the government is still connecting customers who paid in 2008. It was disgusting to listen to the circumstances surrounding this situation, and I couldn’t help but think of the “structural violence” Paul Farmer describes many oppressive governments inflict on its people. Ross gave the gentleman a good piece of his mind and a new orifice or two might have been torn, but we still felt a little defeated after leaving the office.
However, no time to feel sorry for ourselves, as we had a Board of Directors meeting to attend with the Trustees of MPALUTI. Mr. Francis of the Ministry of Social Welfare and Ms. Irene from the REACH trust attended, and it was very encouraging to hear their kind words for the network. Francis echoed SLIM’s goals with MPALUTI saying that, “We must conceive solutions with the people as we are moving with them.” Better words couldn't be spoken. He mentioned how our yearly visits to the CBO's boosts their morale and encourages them to keep working hard at what they are doing. As he said this, all I could think of is how the CBO's do the exact thing for us when we visit them. He also remarked on the importance of psychosocial well-being of not only children within CBO’s, but the volunteers as well. This made the psych major within me giddy with delight. We discussed plans for training sessions for MPALUTI volunteers in the near future, led by Miriam, and she seemed quite happy with how things turned out. The icing on the cake was when Nick brought up our ESCOM situation and Francis nonchalantly mentioned his close relationship with the head of the Ministry of Energy, and how he would like to pull some strings to get this issue resolved for us. We were all so happy and thankful, I thought I would cry. I really didn’t even know how to react. I'm very hopeful that things will come through, but really can't believe it til I see it.
After getting back to Budget Lodge, our mental exhaustion kicked in and we relaxed, getting in a good night’s sleep to help decompress after the day. It’s on days like this that I feel the fire start to burn inside me, and I hope I can continue to help these people in their fight against the challenges that no individual or group should have to endure.
Love you Mom, Dad, Zac, and as always…
Peace and love
Alexis
We started out at Tilerane Orphan Care, where we were greeted with so many smiling little faces it made my heart sing. All the kids were so receptive to us, with every age group from infant to teenager running up to see the Azungu. Meeting with the volunteers, it was clear that there are ways in which SLIM can help in the future. One interesting IGA that I had never thought of was chairs. Yes, chairs. Tilerane wants to rent out their space for weddings, receptions, and meetings to various community members, and having a large amount of chairs at their disposal will allow them to accommodate such events. This is a simple endeavor that I hope SLIM can consider in the future to help support a great CBO that provides wonderful support to their orphans. We were also impressed at all the handmade goods the volunteers were selling. AIDS awareness beaded pins and bracelets, along with wristlets and bags made from chitenje material were being sold. We naturally had to pick up a few things for ourselves and souvenirs for our loved ones back home. We all bought some extra pins to sell back in the States and hopefully make Tilerane a nice little profit.
We all naturally fell into our various play areas and provided the kids with much entertainment. I broke out my secret weapon: bubbles, which the kids loved to catch and pop, their little hands reaching up and over one another’s. Ross discovered his talent for jump rope, and got a little too into the game when he landed on the side of his ankle (don’t worry Mamma Ross, all is well). Emily broke in the new soccer ball with the little ones, and quickly learned that maybe barefoot soccer isn’t the best idea from now on. Lauren and Ashley worked diligently collecting research before joining in the fun with the rest of the group. Nick tried to resist the bubbles, but eventually got caught in the action, and wandered around the grounds playing with all the children.
Paulina, one of the volunteers, led the kids in song and dance, with one of the tunes sounding familiar as I did the motions to “I’m a little teapot”. One of the little girls looked just like Nia, my partner child from Jumpstart back in Pittsburgh, and I was nearly brought to tears. Just thinking of the differences in education and other opportunities little Augusta would have compared to Nia was a little heartbreaking, but I know the volunteers are providing her with all the resources they can to help her have a successful future.
Our good mood from Tilerane was quickly dampened when we had to travel over to ESCOM, the Malawian electric company (the only electric company I might add), to sort out some service issues for Mchenga and Mwana WaZako. The shifty little man that met us was a little too jolly for my liking, so I sat up nice and tall next to him to make all six feet of me as intimidating as possible (I think it worked). Sadly, even though customers are still paying for installation of transformers and connection of service, the electric company does not have enough materials to supply all the customers. The man told us that while Mchenga has waited a year and Mwana WaZako almost 3, the government is still connecting customers who paid in 2008. It was disgusting to listen to the circumstances surrounding this situation, and I couldn’t help but think of the “structural violence” Paul Farmer describes many oppressive governments inflict on its people. Ross gave the gentleman a good piece of his mind and a new orifice or two might have been torn, but we still felt a little defeated after leaving the office.
However, no time to feel sorry for ourselves, as we had a Board of Directors meeting to attend with the Trustees of MPALUTI. Mr. Francis of the Ministry of Social Welfare and Ms. Irene from the REACH trust attended, and it was very encouraging to hear their kind words for the network. Francis echoed SLIM’s goals with MPALUTI saying that, “We must conceive solutions with the people as we are moving with them.” Better words couldn't be spoken. He mentioned how our yearly visits to the CBO's boosts their morale and encourages them to keep working hard at what they are doing. As he said this, all I could think of is how the CBO's do the exact thing for us when we visit them. He also remarked on the importance of psychosocial well-being of not only children within CBO’s, but the volunteers as well. This made the psych major within me giddy with delight. We discussed plans for training sessions for MPALUTI volunteers in the near future, led by Miriam, and she seemed quite happy with how things turned out. The icing on the cake was when Nick brought up our ESCOM situation and Francis nonchalantly mentioned his close relationship with the head of the Ministry of Energy, and how he would like to pull some strings to get this issue resolved for us. We were all so happy and thankful, I thought I would cry. I really didn’t even know how to react. I'm very hopeful that things will come through, but really can't believe it til I see it.
After getting back to Budget Lodge, our mental exhaustion kicked in and we relaxed, getting in a good night’s sleep to help decompress after the day. It’s on days like this that I feel the fire start to burn inside me, and I hope I can continue to help these people in their fight against the challenges that no individual or group should have to endure.
Love you Mom, Dad, Zac, and as always…
Peace and love
Alexis
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
May 23
Ndimakonda Malawi (I like Malawi, I think?)
Boy oh boy oh boy. Standing there. Silly, tall uzungu, staring into thirty sets of white eyeballs, curiously looking us from head to toe. Maybe they are hoping we do something silly, or maybe they are just curious about the six white people who drove up with bubbles and plastic disks that they hav e never seen before. Frisbee is only entertaining for about 30 minutes in which at the end of those 30 minutes, we are left once again, standing there, hoping that little girl is crying because the other little boy kicked her or something, not because she is hungry. Ross and I couldn’t have felt more useful, kicking balls away from the children, spilling bubbles, attempting a little football...the usual.
Mchenga is directed by a tall jolly Malawian named Arnold who was more than hospitable with the overwelming portions of pumkin, sweet potatoe, and nsima that he offered. They have progressed immensely since last year, says Nicholas. And I say Pow kabam to that news. The floors in the CCBC are no longer dirt and the volunteers there seem incredibly dedicated to preparing the catchment area’s youth for primary school.
“Tomorrow you do business. Today you eat. Like you are home.” Thank you Arnold.
Ashley and Lauren are kicking butt on the research side of things, interviewing like crazy, something we were all anxious about getting started for them. Alexis shook her booty in the dance circle today, impressively I may add, considering this is the third day we have been pulled into the dance mix, pressured to gyrate and pop it like the Malawian women. Nick looked fitting dancing with that baby in the cheetah dress, grrrrrowl big papa.
Though it was enjoyable to watch the group of 40 or so volunteers share in our donated clothes and shoes, it also left me pondering the scene. I took a picture of the distribution of booty that reflects an image of desperation, of hands reaching and begging for the one or two shirts left in our suitcase. Yes these people are grateful, as acknowledged by the amount of zikomo kwambini’s you hear around the room. But I find it difficult to feel fulfilled...
The children are so cute and excited, it isn’t hard to lose track of time before you realize how tired and exhausted you have become. We hopped into the pick-up truck to make our way over to see the maize mill and the electricity, oh wait, excuse me, malawi electricity company has failed for the third month now to connect the power from the power line about 400 meters from the mill in order for the mill to actually function and serve a purpose. This electricity company does not know what is coming to them. Mzungu magic maybe? Alliteration maybe?
All in all, everything is fine. We are “sef,” thank you Morris. The bugs are a’ bitin, the journals are being written, and SLIM is getting it done. Oh! And I got to wash my underpants by hand wearing a chtenge, which was somewhat awesome.
Boy oh boy oh boy. Standing there. Silly, tall uzungu, staring into thirty sets of white eyeballs, curiously looking us from head to toe. Maybe they are hoping we do something silly, or maybe they are just curious about the six white people who drove up with bubbles and plastic disks that they hav e never seen before. Frisbee is only entertaining for about 30 minutes in which at the end of those 30 minutes, we are left once again, standing there, hoping that little girl is crying because the other little boy kicked her or something, not because she is hungry. Ross and I couldn’t have felt more useful, kicking balls away from the children, spilling bubbles, attempting a little football...the usual.
Mchenga is directed by a tall jolly Malawian named Arnold who was more than hospitable with the overwelming portions of pumkin, sweet potatoe, and nsima that he offered. They have progressed immensely since last year, says Nicholas. And I say Pow kabam to that news. The floors in the CCBC are no longer dirt and the volunteers there seem incredibly dedicated to preparing the catchment area’s youth for primary school.
“Tomorrow you do business. Today you eat. Like you are home.” Thank you Arnold.
Ashley and Lauren are kicking butt on the research side of things, interviewing like crazy, something we were all anxious about getting started for them. Alexis shook her booty in the dance circle today, impressively I may add, considering this is the third day we have been pulled into the dance mix, pressured to gyrate and pop it like the Malawian women. Nick looked fitting dancing with that baby in the cheetah dress, grrrrrowl big papa.
Though it was enjoyable to watch the group of 40 or so volunteers share in our donated clothes and shoes, it also left me pondering the scene. I took a picture of the distribution of booty that reflects an image of desperation, of hands reaching and begging for the one or two shirts left in our suitcase. Yes these people are grateful, as acknowledged by the amount of zikomo kwambini’s you hear around the room. But I find it difficult to feel fulfilled...
The children are so cute and excited, it isn’t hard to lose track of time before you realize how tired and exhausted you have become. We hopped into the pick-up truck to make our way over to see the maize mill and the electricity, oh wait, excuse me, malawi electricity company has failed for the third month now to connect the power from the power line about 400 meters from the mill in order for the mill to actually function and serve a purpose. This electricity company does not know what is coming to them. Mzungu magic maybe? Alliteration maybe?
All in all, everything is fine. We are “sef,” thank you Morris. The bugs are a’ bitin, the journals are being written, and SLIM is getting it done. Oh! And I got to wash my underpants by hand wearing a chtenge, which was somewhat awesome.
Zuka Bueno
Simply put: today was amazing. Being our day off from visiting CBO’s, we spent it resting and relaxing with friends.
After a much needed morning sleeping in, Alf picked us up in a Subaru (Alexis’ favourite), and took us on a joy ride ‘round town. He showed us the new parliament building, giant convention center, and the “grand” new hotel (all being built by the Chinese). Mixed feelings anyone? Yes. Having so many friends who work so hard in rural impoverished areas, it’s difficult to see the government spending so much time, effort, and resources on opulent buildings for the government to use. The other side of the coin: will this help the economy and invest in the future of Malawi? One can only hope.
In any case, our afternoon with Alf was lovely. He and his witty wife MaryAnn shared lunch and drinks with us on their back porch overlooking their yard full of flowering shrubs and fruit trees. Gypsy their black lab, and Lady their “naughty” dog ran around adding to the fun, as we talked about life, Malawi, and how good Alf looks in his Tchenge pajamas.
Along with learning about Alf’s numerous hobbies, and his lovely family, we also began to peer into more problems with Malawi. Problems like Malawi’s empty Reserve Bank, or the questionable practices and investments that their president has been implementing since his second term started: a new flag that no one seems to like, permission of a huge influx of Chinese workers building the huge opulent government buildings who also sell products that are of such low price and quality its laughable, and a port for ships in the Shire River in a landlocked Malawi which only has worsened tensions with neighboring Mozambique. The frustration is palpable when these subjects come up. Thankfully the bliss of Alf and MaryAnn’s oasis home kept our blood pressures down and spirits high.
After picking lemons, eating fresh lemons which caused our faces to pinch so hard our jaws cramped, and discussing how we all should camp out in Alf’s back yard, we had to leave.
But there’s more…
We ate at a Chinese restaurant (more mixed feelings). It had giant lazy susans, delicious dumplings, and … wait for it….. Bie Joau (fire water). (shout out to my Heinz Chapel Choir China friends).
All in all, it was a good day.
Zuka Bueno.
After a much needed morning sleeping in, Alf picked us up in a Subaru (Alexis’ favourite), and took us on a joy ride ‘round town. He showed us the new parliament building, giant convention center, and the “grand” new hotel (all being built by the Chinese). Mixed feelings anyone? Yes. Having so many friends who work so hard in rural impoverished areas, it’s difficult to see the government spending so much time, effort, and resources on opulent buildings for the government to use. The other side of the coin: will this help the economy and invest in the future of Malawi? One can only hope.
In any case, our afternoon with Alf was lovely. He and his witty wife MaryAnn shared lunch and drinks with us on their back porch overlooking their yard full of flowering shrubs and fruit trees. Gypsy their black lab, and Lady their “naughty” dog ran around adding to the fun, as we talked about life, Malawi, and how good Alf looks in his Tchenge pajamas.
Along with learning about Alf’s numerous hobbies, and his lovely family, we also began to peer into more problems with Malawi. Problems like Malawi’s empty Reserve Bank, or the questionable practices and investments that their president has been implementing since his second term started: a new flag that no one seems to like, permission of a huge influx of Chinese workers building the huge opulent government buildings who also sell products that are of such low price and quality its laughable, and a port for ships in the Shire River in a landlocked Malawi which only has worsened tensions with neighboring Mozambique. The frustration is palpable when these subjects come up. Thankfully the bliss of Alf and MaryAnn’s oasis home kept our blood pressures down and spirits high.
After picking lemons, eating fresh lemons which caused our faces to pinch so hard our jaws cramped, and discussing how we all should camp out in Alf’s back yard, we had to leave.
But there’s more…
We ate at a Chinese restaurant (more mixed feelings). It had giant lazy susans, delicious dumplings, and … wait for it….. Bie Joau (fire water). (shout out to my Heinz Chapel Choir China friends).
All in all, it was a good day.
Zuka Bueno.
Monday, May 23, 2011
May 21, 2011
Muya Kaoma = life is good
Muoh Kaoma = beer is good
Why are been and life so closely related in this culture?
Hey all,
We began touring the CBOs (Community Based Organizations!) on Saturday with Paradiso. It is very appropriately named; the place is a small Malawian paradise. A small dirt road winds you up the side of a mountain/hill where people are breaking rocks into gravel with small hammers and deposit them into small heeps. As you turn the corner a small teal building emerges, poised at the heighest residental point. There is a small structure to one side where a cow grazes (and occassionally harasses the kids) and a porch that is always filled with women. Paradiso's success can be contributed to the strenght and determination of its director, Mirriam. She is quite possibly the most amazing woman I have ever met. She has transformed the lives of so many people and continues to improve her own. Shes quite the bundle of energy and takes charge no matter where she goes. The solidarity of the women who work at Paradiso is unmatched anywhere else we have seen. They are all so friendly and full of life. They also preform traditional Malawian dance and make sure to include us all. Man can they move their hips... All the kids laugh at us azungos because we aren't nearly as capable!
We spent the day entertaining the hoards of children that came flocking to Paradiso. We first encountered the youth group which consisted mostly of orphans and meet every other week. We got the opportunity to watch Mirriam interact with them all (a side of her I had yet to see!) and play games outside. There was also a few older kids who came by. I shouldn't say kids since they were nearly all older then me.... Woops... I thought it would be a great idea to play football (soccer) with them all before realizing that i've never played in my life an they are all just naturally talented. It ended up being the azungo females against the Malawian guys. We scored two goals! (thanks soley to Emily and Alexis...I contributed absolutely nothing...) But I think they were just humoring us and we most definitely lost.
It was an absolutely lovely day spent with amazing individuals!
- Lauren
Muoh Kaoma = beer is good
Why are been and life so closely related in this culture?
Hey all,
We began touring the CBOs (Community Based Organizations!) on Saturday with Paradiso. It is very appropriately named; the place is a small Malawian paradise. A small dirt road winds you up the side of a mountain/hill where people are breaking rocks into gravel with small hammers and deposit them into small heeps. As you turn the corner a small teal building emerges, poised at the heighest residental point. There is a small structure to one side where a cow grazes (and occassionally harasses the kids) and a porch that is always filled with women. Paradiso's success can be contributed to the strenght and determination of its director, Mirriam. She is quite possibly the most amazing woman I have ever met. She has transformed the lives of so many people and continues to improve her own. Shes quite the bundle of energy and takes charge no matter where she goes. The solidarity of the women who work at Paradiso is unmatched anywhere else we have seen. They are all so friendly and full of life. They also preform traditional Malawian dance and make sure to include us all. Man can they move their hips... All the kids laugh at us azungos because we aren't nearly as capable!
We spent the day entertaining the hoards of children that came flocking to Paradiso. We first encountered the youth group which consisted mostly of orphans and meet every other week. We got the opportunity to watch Mirriam interact with them all (a side of her I had yet to see!) and play games outside. There was also a few older kids who came by. I shouldn't say kids since they were nearly all older then me.... Woops... I thought it would be a great idea to play football (soccer) with them all before realizing that i've never played in my life an they are all just naturally talented. It ended up being the azungo females against the Malawian guys. We scored two goals! (thanks soley to Emily and Alexis...I contributed absolutely nothing...) But I think they were just humoring us and we most definitely lost.
It was an absolutely lovely day spent with amazing individuals!
- Lauren
Saturday, May 21, 2011
May 20, 2011 Kuupeza in Malawi
Kuupeza
Kuupeza, “chillin” in Chechewa, is more than a vague description of a current action; it is a philosophy of life. Malawi moves to its own leisurely pace, a far cry from the spastic speed of American life. The benefits to such a life are obvious. We all know stress is bad for our health. Ashley and I, however, did find that this indifference to urgency can cause some inconveniences when a busy day is planned.
After our usual breakfast of Irish potates, cased beet-colored meat, white bread, and eggs (to be fair the eggs were dippy, which was a pleasant surprise), Ashley and I arrived at a local internet café almost exactly at the time specified by the sign out front. Despite the supposed opening of the café, the lights were off, the door was locked, no one was to be seen. After about a half hour, two men nonchalantly walked passed, unlocked the doors, said nothing, and flicked on the lights. I guess they were now open. Must be nice to come to work whenever you want.
We quickly checked emails and performed other unimportant internet-related tasks before rushing out. We had a festival to attend. The Road Authority was hosting a private festival to promote AIDS education and awareness. They brought in Partners in Hope to provide free HIV testing to those invited and their partners. (To anyone reading this: I’m sure, by virtue of reading this blog, you support AIDS awareness and testing. If you, like myself, have never been tested, you should get on that because you’re a hypocrite, as am I.) The festival was full of rousing speeches and plenty of comedic relief. At least, that is what we gathered as nearly all of it was in Chechewa.
A few times during the festival the Paradiso dance troupe performed. They sang; they danced; they eventually got Alexis, Ashley, Lauren, and Emily to join them. Nick and I, along with a crowd of probably 70 others, were surprised by the skills of the gyrating azungus. Alas, they were apparently not good enough, as the four girls from the states were asked to dance in the back for the following number. HAHAHA
By the end of the festival, we were all exhausted; it had been a long day. We just wanted to relax. To our dismay, this was actually an option. With the exception of one or two small tasks, our planner was empty for the rest of the day. We could just chill. The girls were taught a new game by some our local friends, while I sat down to write out some postcards to send home. This was only cut a little short due to rolling blackouts that frequent the Old Town district of Lilongwe. The dark, however, did serve to make the stars over Malawi shine even brighter.
Our day eventually came to an end with some food, the discovery of American ketchup and Malawian rum, some music, and shoulder massages. What can I say; it was another great day in Malawi.
Ross “Valentino” Morgan
Kuupeza, “chillin” in Chechewa, is more than a vague description of a current action; it is a philosophy of life. Malawi moves to its own leisurely pace, a far cry from the spastic speed of American life. The benefits to such a life are obvious. We all know stress is bad for our health. Ashley and I, however, did find that this indifference to urgency can cause some inconveniences when a busy day is planned.
After our usual breakfast of Irish potates, cased beet-colored meat, white bread, and eggs (to be fair the eggs were dippy, which was a pleasant surprise), Ashley and I arrived at a local internet café almost exactly at the time specified by the sign out front. Despite the supposed opening of the café, the lights were off, the door was locked, no one was to be seen. After about a half hour, two men nonchalantly walked passed, unlocked the doors, said nothing, and flicked on the lights. I guess they were now open. Must be nice to come to work whenever you want.
We quickly checked emails and performed other unimportant internet-related tasks before rushing out. We had a festival to attend. The Road Authority was hosting a private festival to promote AIDS education and awareness. They brought in Partners in Hope to provide free HIV testing to those invited and their partners. (To anyone reading this: I’m sure, by virtue of reading this blog, you support AIDS awareness and testing. If you, like myself, have never been tested, you should get on that because you’re a hypocrite, as am I.) The festival was full of rousing speeches and plenty of comedic relief. At least, that is what we gathered as nearly all of it was in Chechewa.
A few times during the festival the Paradiso dance troupe performed. They sang; they danced; they eventually got Alexis, Ashley, Lauren, and Emily to join them. Nick and I, along with a crowd of probably 70 others, were surprised by the skills of the gyrating azungus. Alas, they were apparently not good enough, as the four girls from the states were asked to dance in the back for the following number. HAHAHA
By the end of the festival, we were all exhausted; it had been a long day. We just wanted to relax. To our dismay, this was actually an option. With the exception of one or two small tasks, our planner was empty for the rest of the day. We could just chill. The girls were taught a new game by some our local friends, while I sat down to write out some postcards to send home. This was only cut a little short due to rolling blackouts that frequent the Old Town district of Lilongwe. The dark, however, did serve to make the stars over Malawi shine even brighter.
Our day eventually came to an end with some food, the discovery of American ketchup and Malawian rum, some music, and shoulder massages. What can I say; it was another great day in Malawi.
Ross “Valentino” Morgan
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Moyo Kukoma! May 19, 2011
Moyo Kukoma!
Today was a very important day for us SLIMers in Malawi because we met with a representative from all the CBOs in MPALUTI, i.e. Mchenga, Paradiso, Luzi, Tilerane, and Mwana Wa Mzako. The directors for Mchenga (Arnold), Luzi(Mr.Banda), and Paradiso(Miriam) were all there while there were representives for Tilerane(Cecilia) and Mwana Wa Mzako (Pauline). We began the meeting with brief introductions into each CBO, including updates, followed by a recap from the meeting minutes from last year. Mchenga has started a very exciting pig IGA (income generating activity) while Luzi is busy revising the number of its beneficiaries. Tilerane hosts a vibrant garden that is useful to its HIV/AIDS patients, beneficieries, and orphans, while Mwana Wz Mzako continues to support over 50 children with their academic careers. Paradiso continues to astound us by conducting numerous IGAs, sponsoring a student in medical school, continuing to educate the Paradiso catchment area and more.
These directors and CBO staff members are sincerely some of the most impressive people I have ever met. It is truly difficult to describe just how unbelievable it is to be in the room with people who are responsible for so much good. Many of them are responsible for literally thousands of men, women, children, elders, and sick people. And they were kind enough to share their programs with us, their hopes for the future, their areas that could use improvement as well as their successess. Every director had at least two or three new ideas, and we look forward to doing what we can to help while we are here for the next few weeks. Such tasks include trying to obtain electricity for Mwana Wa Mzako and Mchenga, purchasing some chairs for Mwana Wa Mzako, and looking into internet for many of the CBOs including Luzi. In addition, we focused a good portion of the meeting on transparency, and look forward to working with the CBOs with excel training, ledger reviews, and receipt organization. This will be super useful because it will make the MPALUTI network look professional, and will both attract donors and encourage respect of the network.
After the meeting we were rewarded with the most glorious of Malawian foods, NSIMA! Fear not those of you stuck in the states, we have been promised real Malawian maize flour and will attempt to make the delicious food upon our return. I’m not sure if Nsima has been explained yet, but it’s basically maize flour mixed into hot water and it becomes quite thick. You eat it with your hands with some kind of “relish” which is like a vegetable mix or meat with some sort of sauce...bascially the most tasty thing you can imagine. It’s the staple food of Malawi, which explains why we all think it’s extremely exciting even though Malawians don’t quite agree.
We spent the rest of the night working with our schedule for the rest of the trip (HOW HAVE WE ALREADY BEEN HERE 5 DAYS???) and practicing putting on our Tchenge (ignore the spelling). Tchenges are a piece of garment often worn like a skirt that women wear here in Malawi. All us ladies picked up one in the market the other day, and will wear them to the government-sponsored parade event tomorrow that Paradiso traditional dancers will be performing in. We haven’t stopped talking about dancing since we arrived in this country (really since we got on the plane) so we’re excited to say the least.
It was truly lovely to dig right into MPALUTI objectives and we are all looking forward to doing what ever we can to support these amazing programs. These CBOs are truly magical to us. The way they aid their communities, the way volunteers apply themselves so selflessly and new projects are constantly being considered, the growth they provide for their communities and accomadations these organizations make is truly phenomenal.
And for thos e of you who are still wondering what in the world Moyo Kukoma means?
The sweet life. That’s what is is to come to a country full of warmth, with people you adore, respect, and trust, and to work with truly inspiring individuals. Accept the cheese people, we’re all a bit mushy in Malawi.
Ash
Today was a very important day for us SLIMers in Malawi because we met with a representative from all the CBOs in MPALUTI, i.e. Mchenga, Paradiso, Luzi, Tilerane, and Mwana Wa Mzako. The directors for Mchenga (Arnold), Luzi(Mr.Banda), and Paradiso(Miriam) were all there while there were representives for Tilerane(Cecilia) and Mwana Wa Mzako (Pauline). We began the meeting with brief introductions into each CBO, including updates, followed by a recap from the meeting minutes from last year. Mchenga has started a very exciting pig IGA (income generating activity) while Luzi is busy revising the number of its beneficiaries. Tilerane hosts a vibrant garden that is useful to its HIV/AIDS patients, beneficieries, and orphans, while Mwana Wz Mzako continues to support over 50 children with their academic careers. Paradiso continues to astound us by conducting numerous IGAs, sponsoring a student in medical school, continuing to educate the Paradiso catchment area and more.
These directors and CBO staff members are sincerely some of the most impressive people I have ever met. It is truly difficult to describe just how unbelievable it is to be in the room with people who are responsible for so much good. Many of them are responsible for literally thousands of men, women, children, elders, and sick people. And they were kind enough to share their programs with us, their hopes for the future, their areas that could use improvement as well as their successess. Every director had at least two or three new ideas, and we look forward to doing what we can to help while we are here for the next few weeks. Such tasks include trying to obtain electricity for Mwana Wa Mzako and Mchenga, purchasing some chairs for Mwana Wa Mzako, and looking into internet for many of the CBOs including Luzi. In addition, we focused a good portion of the meeting on transparency, and look forward to working with the CBOs with excel training, ledger reviews, and receipt organization. This will be super useful because it will make the MPALUTI network look professional, and will both attract donors and encourage respect of the network.
After the meeting we were rewarded with the most glorious of Malawian foods, NSIMA! Fear not those of you stuck in the states, we have been promised real Malawian maize flour and will attempt to make the delicious food upon our return. I’m not sure if Nsima has been explained yet, but it’s basically maize flour mixed into hot water and it becomes quite thick. You eat it with your hands with some kind of “relish” which is like a vegetable mix or meat with some sort of sauce...bascially the most tasty thing you can imagine. It’s the staple food of Malawi, which explains why we all think it’s extremely exciting even though Malawians don’t quite agree.
We spent the rest of the night working with our schedule for the rest of the trip (HOW HAVE WE ALREADY BEEN HERE 5 DAYS???) and practicing putting on our Tchenge (ignore the spelling). Tchenges are a piece of garment often worn like a skirt that women wear here in Malawi. All us ladies picked up one in the market the other day, and will wear them to the government-sponsored parade event tomorrow that Paradiso traditional dancers will be performing in. We haven’t stopped talking about dancing since we arrived in this country (really since we got on the plane) so we’re excited to say the least.
It was truly lovely to dig right into MPALUTI objectives and we are all looking forward to doing what ever we can to support these amazing programs. These CBOs are truly magical to us. The way they aid their communities, the way volunteers apply themselves so selflessly and new projects are constantly being considered, the growth they provide for their communities and accomadations these organizations make is truly phenomenal.
And for thos e of you who are still wondering what in the world Moyo Kukoma means?
The sweet life. That’s what is is to come to a country full of warmth, with people you adore, respect, and trust, and to work with truly inspiring individuals. Accept the cheese people, we’re all a bit mushy in Malawi.
Ash
May 18, 2011
Zabbo!
Today we had a very productive day with multiple meetings. First off, we connected with an MPALUTI CBO, Mwana Wazako, to invite them to the directors meeting the following day and check up with them in general. We met with Polimwani, the director of Mwana Wazako, whose main goals are to assist orphans in secondary school education. Currently Mwana Wazako supports 54 orphans, growing from 43 in 2010. Sadly they are experiencing trouble with the electric company, so as Mirriam put it, we are to use our “Azungu magic” to help them sort things out.
After our meeting with Mwana Wazako, we traveled to City Center in Lilongwe and had lunch at the AfriCAN café, an income generating activity implemented by Paradiso Home Based Health. The AfriCAN café provides jobs to women in the Paradiso catchment area. We had a wonderful lunch of nsima, relish, chicken, beans, and of course Fanta and Cokes. It was good to see the girls were doing well and business was booming. After lunch, we traveled across the street to the Pendulums office, an NGO we have been working with in the past that supports local CBO’s. There we met with our friend Mike, who is now the director of the Pendulum Project. He explained the food security, scholarship, and malaria and HIV/AIDS education programs being implemented within local CBO’s.
We later walked back into town (we stay in Old Towne), which was a much longer and hotter trip than we had anticipated. We all got quite sweaty and dirty. So much so, that Emily at one point during our walk looked at Ross’s feet and announced, “Your feet kind of make me want to hate you.” Needless to say we were glad to get back into town. We then met our market friends to take us chitenge shopping. Let me tell you, that was an experience. We went to the REAL market, with winding corridors and narrow alleyways. Us girls picked out the most beautiful chitenges (the colorful fabric Malawian women wear as skirts and to carry their babies) in an attempt to fit in with the locals.
For dinner we met with Alf, another friend of ours, for dinner. He is a lovely elderly Indian man with plenty of stories to keep us entertained. My favorite is his concept of food, which goes something like this: We are all born with a certain amount of food we can eat in a lifetime. When we eat our quota, we die. No one knows how much food they are allotted, but if we make sure to eat slowly, we will live a long life. Alf will definitely live forever.
With our bellies and minds full, we were all exhausted by the end of our day, and made sure to have a long night’s sleep in preparation for our big meeting with MPALUTI the next day.
Samala,
Alexis and the Project Malawi Team
Chichewa for the day:
Sinde kufuna – I don’t like it.
Mowa masana – tomorrow afternoon
Usiku wa bwino – goodnight
Samala – take care
Maswela bwanje – How are you? (in the afternoon)
Chi bwino – I’m ok
Muo kukoma – life is sweet
Muo wa bwino – life is good
Sinde convasa – I don’t know
Today we had a very productive day with multiple meetings. First off, we connected with an MPALUTI CBO, Mwana Wazako, to invite them to the directors meeting the following day and check up with them in general. We met with Polimwani, the director of Mwana Wazako, whose main goals are to assist orphans in secondary school education. Currently Mwana Wazako supports 54 orphans, growing from 43 in 2010. Sadly they are experiencing trouble with the electric company, so as Mirriam put it, we are to use our “Azungu magic” to help them sort things out.
After our meeting with Mwana Wazako, we traveled to City Center in Lilongwe and had lunch at the AfriCAN café, an income generating activity implemented by Paradiso Home Based Health. The AfriCAN café provides jobs to women in the Paradiso catchment area. We had a wonderful lunch of nsima, relish, chicken, beans, and of course Fanta and Cokes. It was good to see the girls were doing well and business was booming. After lunch, we traveled across the street to the Pendulums office, an NGO we have been working with in the past that supports local CBO’s. There we met with our friend Mike, who is now the director of the Pendulum Project. He explained the food security, scholarship, and malaria and HIV/AIDS education programs being implemented within local CBO’s.
We later walked back into town (we stay in Old Towne), which was a much longer and hotter trip than we had anticipated. We all got quite sweaty and dirty. So much so, that Emily at one point during our walk looked at Ross’s feet and announced, “Your feet kind of make me want to hate you.” Needless to say we were glad to get back into town. We then met our market friends to take us chitenge shopping. Let me tell you, that was an experience. We went to the REAL market, with winding corridors and narrow alleyways. Us girls picked out the most beautiful chitenges (the colorful fabric Malawian women wear as skirts and to carry their babies) in an attempt to fit in with the locals.
For dinner we met with Alf, another friend of ours, for dinner. He is a lovely elderly Indian man with plenty of stories to keep us entertained. My favorite is his concept of food, which goes something like this: We are all born with a certain amount of food we can eat in a lifetime. When we eat our quota, we die. No one knows how much food they are allotted, but if we make sure to eat slowly, we will live a long life. Alf will definitely live forever.
With our bellies and minds full, we were all exhausted by the end of our day, and made sure to have a long night’s sleep in preparation for our big meeting with MPALUTI the next day.
Samala,
Alexis and the Project Malawi Team
Chichewa for the day:
Sinde kufuna – I don’t like it.
Mowa masana – tomorrow afternoon
Usiku wa bwino – goodnight
Samala – take care
Maswela bwanje – How are you? (in the afternoon)
Chi bwino – I’m ok
Muo kukoma – life is sweet
Muo wa bwino – life is good
Sinde convasa – I don’t know
Pangono Pangono. 17 May 2011
Pangono Pangono.
Little by little we are becoming more and more comfortable here in Malawi. I even heard Alexis say over a cold Carlsberg last night, “It feels like home.” But still, waking up and seeing the Malawian bright blue sky overhead each morning does not feel real quite yet.
Ross, Lauren, and I got to see our little block in Lilongwe by foot today with a quick jog in the morning which only begged for the locals to shout “azunga” a little louder. We didn’t mind.
After our delicious breakfast of freshly (but not so fresh) percolated coffee we joined Paradiso’s driver Botifa in the CBO’s brandnew white pick up truck on our first journey to the Paradiso office. Lauren and Ross braved the bed of the truck, and I assure you, once exiting the cities, the roads actually make Pittsburgh’s cracked and holed streets look like sheets of perfect pavement. But no bother, their bums remain unscathed from the bumpy, wild ride.
Once arriving, Miriam, the director of Paradiso, invited us into the main office where we were quickly offered the most delicious Coke and Fanta the world may have. Miriam turned out to be all of the amazing SUPER WOMAN that we heard she was. While feeding her year old neice in her arms, she explained all the relevant news that Paradiso had for us. Things are going great! Interestingly, she made a comment about the organization’s possible shift towards focusing more on TB in their catchment area.
“To be a happy Malawi, it needs to be TB free.” ~Miriam.
We caught the most breathtaking view of Area 24 today, where the children were more than happy to inundate around Lauren, literally howling at the sight of themselves on her digital camera. And even with the wind blowing, Alexis decided to climb a fairly daunting peak in order to capture the perfect picture, it was pretty perfect. Lauren tried as well, and uh, well let’s just say she tried.
The girls (even though Ross and Nick surely would have looked extra fancy with a baby on their backs) got to hold Miriam’s niece Malawian style in a Tchenge. Imagine a 15 pound baby on your back, a fifty pound basket of bananas on your head, another bucket of something or other in your left hand, and a 4 year old child holding the right. These women are incredible.
Once returning to Lilongwe from Paradiso, this time Alexis and Nick in the bed of the truck, naturally we wanted Nisima. “No can do,” said Ali Baba’s Restaurant, so we had pizza with plenty of hot sauce instead.
Osmalawi, Maurice, and Alan were quick to get our attention when they gave us each our first Malawian bracelets as presents and then took us to the closest pub to enjoy a much earned beer. What a treat.
All and all, the day was wonderful, like always. Should we begin to look at airplane prices for next May? (just kidding mom…kinda)
Emily “Still looking for a Chechewa nickname”
Little by little we are becoming more and more comfortable here in Malawi. I even heard Alexis say over a cold Carlsberg last night, “It feels like home.” But still, waking up and seeing the Malawian bright blue sky overhead each morning does not feel real quite yet.
Ross, Lauren, and I got to see our little block in Lilongwe by foot today with a quick jog in the morning which only begged for the locals to shout “azunga” a little louder. We didn’t mind.
After our delicious breakfast of freshly (but not so fresh) percolated coffee we joined Paradiso’s driver Botifa in the CBO’s brandnew white pick up truck on our first journey to the Paradiso office. Lauren and Ross braved the bed of the truck, and I assure you, once exiting the cities, the roads actually make Pittsburgh’s cracked and holed streets look like sheets of perfect pavement. But no bother, their bums remain unscathed from the bumpy, wild ride.
Once arriving, Miriam, the director of Paradiso, invited us into the main office where we were quickly offered the most delicious Coke and Fanta the world may have. Miriam turned out to be all of the amazing SUPER WOMAN that we heard she was. While feeding her year old neice in her arms, she explained all the relevant news that Paradiso had for us. Things are going great! Interestingly, she made a comment about the organization’s possible shift towards focusing more on TB in their catchment area.
“To be a happy Malawi, it needs to be TB free.” ~Miriam.
We caught the most breathtaking view of Area 24 today, where the children were more than happy to inundate around Lauren, literally howling at the sight of themselves on her digital camera. And even with the wind blowing, Alexis decided to climb a fairly daunting peak in order to capture the perfect picture, it was pretty perfect. Lauren tried as well, and uh, well let’s just say she tried.
The girls (even though Ross and Nick surely would have looked extra fancy with a baby on their backs) got to hold Miriam’s niece Malawian style in a Tchenge. Imagine a 15 pound baby on your back, a fifty pound basket of bananas on your head, another bucket of something or other in your left hand, and a 4 year old child holding the right. These women are incredible.
Once returning to Lilongwe from Paradiso, this time Alexis and Nick in the bed of the truck, naturally we wanted Nisima. “No can do,” said Ali Baba’s Restaurant, so we had pizza with plenty of hot sauce instead.
Osmalawi, Maurice, and Alan were quick to get our attention when they gave us each our first Malawian bracelets as presents and then took us to the closest pub to enjoy a much earned beer. What a treat.
All and all, the day was wonderful, like always. Should we begin to look at airplane prices for next May? (just kidding mom…kinda)
Emily “Still looking for a Chechewa nickname”
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
15 May 2011 Osadandaula
We couldn’t have asked for a better first day in Malawi. First thing in the morning we met up with our friends from the market, Maurice and Osman. They were nice enough to take us to go fix our Malawian cell phone, and then since we didn’t have any definite plans they took us to Osman’s village in district 24. It was so nice. I was really happy for the team that right off the bat they were able to be immerged into the culture.
Walking through the market we got shouts of “hey boss!” and “azungu!” as all the vendors noticed our light skin and beckoned us to look at their goods. We ended up meeting with Osman’s friend who had a newborn with him who he immediately gave Emily to hold. It never fails to amaze me how nice and inviting the Malawians are. They walked us to Osman’s house where we met some people and then walked to one of their friend’s gardens where they picked us nzimbe (sugar cane)! I couldn’t believe it! The first day of the trip and we were being invited into homes, gardens and the lives of such wonderful people.
We marched through the dusty streets, taking in the scene of the running children, intrigued looks of the adults, and even the goats and chickens marching around. All while we tried to learn how to rip away the outer bark of the cane with our teeth to get to the sweet flesh inside.
Once we arrived at Osman’s niece’s house we had an entourage of children all of which were too scared to come up and say hello. Eventually they warmed up to us. Lauren taught them all a game, we sang similar versions of songs and learned Chichewan phrases from the guys. And yes…We even taught the kids how to dance to Jump on It.
To top it all off Osman’s niece let us watch how to make the local staple Nsima and the side dishes (they refer to as relish). SLIM Potlucks will be even more authentic next year! It was great. We sat on straw mats on the compacted dirt floor of their house, ate with our hands, drank Shake-Shake and Green, and enjoyed the company of our friends. It was grand.
Osadandaula Malawi, No worries.
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