I left WR on Thursday with Deborah, the Child Development coordinator for Lilongwe. Originally I had hoped to leave on Friday (didn't want to spend 2 days doing nothing, waiting to fly out of Malawi), but that wasn't possible, so we left Embangweni and the training in Mtuzuzu on Thursday and went to Nkotakota, by Lake Malawi, and Salima on Friday. It turned out to be an ok thing, because I got to do some shopping for my family, but still sad to say goodbye to my friends!
The night before I left we had a goodbye get together at Mr.Nyirongo's house with all of the WR staff (all three and Abraham) and their families. It was nice to see everyone and eat together the usual feast of (drum roll please) the basic carbs - nsima, rice, chips (my fave), spaghetti**, then chicken, beef, some other meat, vegetables, more... And then for dessert, I made a surprise chocolate cake(I used a boxed mix a wonderful thing to bring abroad for long stays abroad btw, if you tend to miss sweets)which went over well. AND the highlight of my evening/end of my Malawi experience was when I was presented with a traditional Malawian outfit as my going away gift from the office! I love it and it was so sweet of them to chip and buy something so special! Ask me whenever, I will show you, the outfit is a top and a skirt, bright green and blue design with flowers. Nothing could be better and it will remind me so well of my time in Malawi. Mr.Nyirongo, Mr.Kaunda, Mr.Tembo, Owen, and Abraham, were wonderful friends and the best colleagues one could ask for in a workplace, so friendly and they helped me so much over the summer. Even if I couldn't speak Tumbuka or understand what they were saying all of the time, seeing their smiles and hearing their laughter (which was 99% of our time in the office) always made my day amazing. I could go on about how I loved the people I met in Malawi, but you'll have to just ask me sometime. Overall, I was where I was supposed to be and was very blessed to have this experience. I have learned so much and don't it for granted that I was given the opportunity to go to Malawi and do all that I did. Thanks for reading, I hope that it has been meaningful, interesting, and/or entertaining! Bye for now, friends : )
Maddie
*After leaving Embangweni, I did visit the lake and go back to Lilongwe for the last couple of days. In Lilongwe, I stayed with the same family I stayed with at the beginning of my trip - the Lumunga's - which was wonderful, before leaving on Sunday. My flight from Malawi to Ethiopia and then to Washington DC went smoothly, and I arrived home safely Monday morning.
**The spaghetti was cooked in my honor, it's my comfort food you could say, and I told them that it was the only thing that I could cook back home, so we always had it during our dinners : )
Thursday, August 6, 2009
The last two weeks at WR
If Monday was any indication of the rest of the week (which it was) than both Owen and I were in trouble. The training of the new caregivers was being facilitated by the government, or people from the Mzimba district, so WR was basically just managing the logistics and making sure everything ran smoothly, aka doing nothing. Was it frustrated to do nothing for my last two weeks at WR? Yes. But, at least it was Owen AND me doing nothing, so I got to spend quality time with him. Over the summer, Owen and I grew to be very close friends, talking about pretty much anything and everything very openly, so I enjoyed his company a lot. It's good to like a person when you work with them just about every day from 2 and a half months.
Back to Monday. We were at the office early because it takes about an hour to get to Mtuzuzu, where the last training and this training were to take place. Well, we ended up sitting at the office (or more specifically outside of the office, on the grass) for more than 2 hours, doing nothing. Talking, complaining, and doing nothing, while waiting for the district people and knowing that the caregivers at Mtuzuzu would be waiting for over 3 hours. What would you do if you were waiting for something for 3 hours? LEAVE? Yes, we (Americans) would probably leave after a half hour of waiting for a meeting, and then come back maybe. Oh my goodness, so frustrating. But Owen and I chatted, which was what we did mostly for the two weeks of us not really working. We were both frustrated about waiting and the boredom of the whole two weeks, but at least we were spending it together in boredom, gaining quality time before I had to leave. So by the end of the week, we were a little more lackadaisical about timing, letting the trainers go ahead of us, catching up eventually...etc. Training was also taking place in Embangweni, but the trainers there were even more boring! So Owen and I stayed at Mtuzuzu for most of the 2nd week. AND training also took place on Saturday and Sunday all day. I was surprised that the caregivers actually showed up on Sunday, they came all of the 10 days with no pay. By the end of the two weeks and the former training, I was pretty familiar with all of the caregivers at Mtuzuzu, and at least we were spending the boring days with friends in Malawi. Better than being bored anywhere else I guess. But it was good, despite the boredom and lack of work, I would not trade spending time with friends for much!
Back to Monday. We were at the office early because it takes about an hour to get to Mtuzuzu, where the last training and this training were to take place. Well, we ended up sitting at the office (or more specifically outside of the office, on the grass) for more than 2 hours, doing nothing. Talking, complaining, and doing nothing, while waiting for the district people and knowing that the caregivers at Mtuzuzu would be waiting for over 3 hours. What would you do if you were waiting for something for 3 hours? LEAVE? Yes, we (Americans) would probably leave after a half hour of waiting for a meeting, and then come back maybe. Oh my goodness, so frustrating. But Owen and I chatted, which was what we did mostly for the two weeks of us not really working. We were both frustrated about waiting and the boredom of the whole two weeks, but at least we were spending it together in boredom, gaining quality time before I had to leave. So by the end of the week, we were a little more lackadaisical about timing, letting the trainers go ahead of us, catching up eventually...etc. Training was also taking place in Embangweni, but the trainers there were even more boring! So Owen and I stayed at Mtuzuzu for most of the 2nd week. AND training also took place on Saturday and Sunday all day. I was surprised that the caregivers actually showed up on Sunday, they came all of the 10 days with no pay. By the end of the two weeks and the former training, I was pretty familiar with all of the caregivers at Mtuzuzu, and at least we were spending the boring days with friends in Malawi. Better than being bored anywhere else I guess. But it was good, despite the boredom and lack of work, I would not trade spending time with friends for much!
The Weekend (July 18th - 19th)
So...I didn't end up going to the bridal shower. Over the weekend I visited the homes and villages of two of my friends from World Relief. On Saturday, I went to the village of Van'galala, a village about an hour away (driving) from the town of Embangweni, meaning Mr.Tembo, the security guard at WR, has to walk more than an hour every day to work. Owen drove and dropped me off. The day was a very cold and cloudy one, so I think that kind of put me in a down mood. I got the feeling that I was being dropped off in the middle of nowhere, and was hoping not to stay too long that day because I was tired and "eh" feeling. You know, the kind of day you just want to spend doing nothing instead of meeting new people and being outgoing, even that sounds horrible of me to say when I have gone to a whole new country, so of course I am going to be meeting new people.
The morning went ok, we had chips (fried potatoes) and tea for breakfast and talked and I met the kids, one, Rabbi, who persisted to run away every time I got near (so of course I chased after him just to make myself more scary) and the other, a girl, who went silent every time I was in close proximity. : ) But it was fun. I ended up staying over Mr.Tembo's house until 5pm. Owen came around 12pm to check in, and I was kind of surprised when he left me there for another 5 hours, but looking back it was a really nice afternoon, we made fresh popcorn and the best donuts I think I had in Malawi. The day showed how important it is to try and change your mindset and enjoy the day, even if you would much rather be doing something else. I wish my disposition on this day had been easier to change, but still it was good, and so kind of the family to open up their home to me. It's a big deal because even though the family cannot afford much, they are still so generous to guests and welcoming, so I am very thankful that they opened their home to me, and hope I was able to show that.
Sunday, I went with my other friend at WR (who is also a security guard)to his village, which was closer by. His name is Abraham Ziba, and I don't know if I have mentioned this in a former post, but he has basically kept me sane on the days in the office when I have had nothing to do. Because he usually has nothing to do either, besides guarding the office, which in mid-day, means nothing but sitting and listening to music and talking to whoever is nearby. This summer that was me. So to keep ourselves busy we basically talked about everything under the sun, especially "muzungus," which was mostly laughter, and other issues, like cultural differences, differences between black and white people...etc. I think I may have broke the mold for Abraham's vision of white people, I have no idea why, besides that I walked places (apparently muzungus rarely do, they drive) and talked to Malawians, or didn't mind visiting the villages. He was a funny guy and besides or with Owen, he was the guy I could just about any question to, regarding culture or other issues, and not feel awkward. A very chill and fun guy, I will miss his friendship in the US.
Anyway, I visited Abrahams's house, which was basically two rooms, together making up about the size of my kitchen at home, or the dorms at Furman, maybe smaller. No chairs, just one stool. Puts things into perspective, yes? I met his wife and 6 month old son, the cutest little boy ever! I have never seen him once stop laughing or smiling, no kidding. No crying or crankiness, just smiling and laughter. His name is innocent. I then met Abraham's brother, and uncles, father, cousins (they all live in the same village) and then visited their garden, where I was given some fresh maize and sugar cane. Sugar cane = amazing, but I am somewhat incapable of managing it. I get impatient with peeling off the layers to get the sugary part, and am somewhat uncomfortable with the whole chewing it and then spitting it back out...but it is good! Anything that is pure sugar cannot be bad in my book :)
Tomorrow begins the training for new caregivers. Two weeks of doing nothing to be discussed next.
The morning went ok, we had chips (fried potatoes) and tea for breakfast and talked and I met the kids, one, Rabbi, who persisted to run away every time I got near (so of course I chased after him just to make myself more scary) and the other, a girl, who went silent every time I was in close proximity. : ) But it was fun. I ended up staying over Mr.Tembo's house until 5pm. Owen came around 12pm to check in, and I was kind of surprised when he left me there for another 5 hours, but looking back it was a really nice afternoon, we made fresh popcorn and the best donuts I think I had in Malawi. The day showed how important it is to try and change your mindset and enjoy the day, even if you would much rather be doing something else. I wish my disposition on this day had been easier to change, but still it was good, and so kind of the family to open up their home to me. It's a big deal because even though the family cannot afford much, they are still so generous to guests and welcoming, so I am very thankful that they opened their home to me, and hope I was able to show that.
Sunday, I went with my other friend at WR (who is also a security guard)to his village, which was closer by. His name is Abraham Ziba, and I don't know if I have mentioned this in a former post, but he has basically kept me sane on the days in the office when I have had nothing to do. Because he usually has nothing to do either, besides guarding the office, which in mid-day, means nothing but sitting and listening to music and talking to whoever is nearby. This summer that was me. So to keep ourselves busy we basically talked about everything under the sun, especially "muzungus," which was mostly laughter, and other issues, like cultural differences, differences between black and white people...etc. I think I may have broke the mold for Abraham's vision of white people, I have no idea why, besides that I walked places (apparently muzungus rarely do, they drive) and talked to Malawians, or didn't mind visiting the villages. He was a funny guy and besides or with Owen, he was the guy I could just about any question to, regarding culture or other issues, and not feel awkward. A very chill and fun guy, I will miss his friendship in the US.
Anyway, I visited Abrahams's house, which was basically two rooms, together making up about the size of my kitchen at home, or the dorms at Furman, maybe smaller. No chairs, just one stool. Puts things into perspective, yes? I met his wife and 6 month old son, the cutest little boy ever! I have never seen him once stop laughing or smiling, no kidding. No crying or crankiness, just smiling and laughter. His name is innocent. I then met Abraham's brother, and uncles, father, cousins (they all live in the same village) and then visited their garden, where I was given some fresh maize and sugar cane. Sugar cane = amazing, but I am somewhat incapable of managing it. I get impatient with peeling off the layers to get the sugary part, and am somewhat uncomfortable with the whole chewing it and then spitting it back out...but it is good! Anything that is pure sugar cannot be bad in my book :)
Tomorrow begins the training for new caregivers. Two weeks of doing nothing to be discussed next.
Monday, August 3, 2009
The week continued (mid-July)
Tuesday – today was to be another day of doing nothing, but instead of sitting around the office, I ended up going to Embangweni Community of Christ nursery school to observe the class and well, do something other besides sit around the office. This nursery school was the first I visited in Malawi, and in my mind it is one of the most difficult, because it is without a chalkboard and the kids can almost perfectly recite their letters and numbers, but can not recognize them in written form. The kids even recited the 12 months of the year, yet they are only repeating what the teacher says, so even though it is impressive, it’s not like they actually are understanding or comprehending what they are saying. But they used some good songs and even used the toys they had really well, so A+ for that.
Wednesday – today we managed to visit two nursery schools and teach the caregivers how to use the new teaching resources (play toys) they will be receiving soon from the US group. They will be getting a bag of puzzles, a bag of building blocks, and a bag with balls, a pump (very in-demand), puppets, a hula hoop, and a book that is translated into Tumbuka from English, something which does not exist here, since school is taught in English or Chichewa, Tumbuka is mostly spoken, even though they have a Bible in Tumbuka and most business letters or written words in the field are in Tumbuka as well. It’s really cool that the centers are getting all this stuff, I only hope that the caregivers will use them and have fun with them, because it truly is a different way of teaching than they are used to. It takes some doing to go from just rote teaching – stand up, recite such and such, sit down, etc. – to using toys and teaching things to kids’ different learning styles and interacting with them on a completely different level. Even reading a book to kids, making sure that they are participating, takes some effort. But yeah, it was a good day I thought, we had to rush back to the office because someone was selling life insurance, something that rarely Malawian people have, and at first I was skeptical that it was legitimate, but after Mr. Nyirongo confirmed it, I thought it was cool that everyone was able to have that chance for their kids and such. Then, when we went to run errands at a print shop, I was invited to a bridal shower for a friend of a friend this Saturday, so I’ve been debating about going...since I don’t really have a good gift, and I really have no idea what I am getting into, but we’ll see! It would probably be a good experience, and worth the possible awkwardness, since she was kind enough to give me an invitation and all : )
Wednesday – today we managed to visit two nursery schools and teach the caregivers how to use the new teaching resources (play toys) they will be receiving soon from the US group. They will be getting a bag of puzzles, a bag of building blocks, and a bag with balls, a pump (very in-demand), puppets, a hula hoop, and a book that is translated into Tumbuka from English, something which does not exist here, since school is taught in English or Chichewa, Tumbuka is mostly spoken, even though they have a Bible in Tumbuka and most business letters or written words in the field are in Tumbuka as well. It’s really cool that the centers are getting all this stuff, I only hope that the caregivers will use them and have fun with them, because it truly is a different way of teaching than they are used to. It takes some doing to go from just rote teaching – stand up, recite such and such, sit down, etc. – to using toys and teaching things to kids’ different learning styles and interacting with them on a completely different level. Even reading a book to kids, making sure that they are participating, takes some effort. But yeah, it was a good day I thought, we had to rush back to the office because someone was selling life insurance, something that rarely Malawian people have, and at first I was skeptical that it was legitimate, but after Mr. Nyirongo confirmed it, I thought it was cool that everyone was able to have that chance for their kids and such. Then, when we went to run errands at a print shop, I was invited to a bridal shower for a friend of a friend this Saturday, so I’ve been debating about going...since I don’t really have a good gift, and I really have no idea what I am getting into, but we’ll see! It would probably be a good experience, and worth the possible awkwardness, since she was kind enough to give me an invitation and all : )
The Week-End (July 10th-13th)
After saying goodbye to the caregivers on Friday, the next event was a goodbye ceremony/dinner for the US group/Malawi WR staff. It was nice, the US group gave the WR staff gave gifts to the US guests and in turn, the US group gave gifts to the WR staff, and I got a pack of Hershey’s chocolate which should be lasting longer than it is : ) it’s a pack of 6 bars and after 3 days, there’s only 2 bars left, but to be fair, I’ve given 2 away. For someone who doesn’t like too much chocolate, being in a foreign country gives you a certain appreciation for anything remotely sweet or chocolate-y. I’ve also taken to eat bananas, which I usually don’t eat in the States, though they are much fresher here. Back to the dinner, one of the best parts of the meal, I thought, was that we were all eating together, the US group, the WR staff from both Lilongwe and Mzimba, and of course, me. I like being around the staff from Lilongwe in addition to the staff here in Mzimba, everyone is really nice.
Then on Saturday morning, we said goodbye to the US group and Lilongwe staff and I chilled for the rest of the morning until I met up with Owen and we played some games throughout the afternoon and then went to his house for some sweet potatoes, one of my favorite things to eat in Malawi : ) The US group left some board games for the after school clubs, including games like Monopoly Junior, Checkers/Chess, Chutes and Ladders, Set, and UNO, all of which I have to teach Owen, which really means that we get to play a lot of games in the next couple weeks when we have time. On Monday, the games also served to be much of my entertainment for the day. I had nothing to do, so Abraham, who works as the security guard at the WR office, and is possibly the only other person who gets as bored as me at the office, and I basically played every game that is stashed in the closet. So yeah, good day Saturday.
Sunday = a good church service, a friend preached John 17, a passage I have been very interested in, and there was some great singing. After church I went to a youth forum group with a friend, and loved the meeting, it was good fellowship and I loved the more casual atmosphere this week. Later in the evening, 3 friends (Fiona, Divina, and Matt) and I decided to go for a hike to Kalanguru, a mountain which is a little ways away, the trip takes about 3 hours walking, and usually is done by driving there and then climbing the mountain (more of a big hill actually) and then driving back, or walking with a guide....we did neither. We decided just to go for it at about 4pm, ended up walking through a couple of fields, on small foot paths through trees (Matt climbed one), which we hoped were in the general direction of the mountain. Every now and then we caught a glimpse of the mountain, which gave us a good boost of confidence, though most of the time, we weren’t convinced we were getting any closer even though we were walking at quite a pace. The sun sets here at about 6, and once it starts to set, about 4:45pm, it starts going down rather fast. BUT, despite us not really knowing where it was, or having a real path to get there, we made it, climbed Kalanguru, saw a beautiful sunset, and climbed back down, and ended up in a completely different place than we started from, lol. So we started walking again, kind of guessing, kind of knowing the general direction....and it kept getting darker and darker...but eventually, after turning around once and catching glimpse of the cell phone tower lights in Embangweni, we found a man who was heading in the same direction, and led us the rest of the way. Lucky for us because it was pitch black (no moon either) at the time! And it was only 6:30pm. Malawians can walk in complete darkness and know where they are going, we all had flash lights. The power was off all day at the guest house, but the second we stepped onto the porch, the lights came on! (angelic singing taking place) And at 6:45pm we sat down for a hot dinner, completely on schedule. How worried we were (I was maybe) about getting lost by the end, and how nice of an adventure it was! Happy end of the weekend : )
Monday: played games at the office all day, left off early, absolutely nothing to do tomorrow, sigh...back to being bored!
Then on Saturday morning, we said goodbye to the US group and Lilongwe staff and I chilled for the rest of the morning until I met up with Owen and we played some games throughout the afternoon and then went to his house for some sweet potatoes, one of my favorite things to eat in Malawi : ) The US group left some board games for the after school clubs, including games like Monopoly Junior, Checkers/Chess, Chutes and Ladders, Set, and UNO, all of which I have to teach Owen, which really means that we get to play a lot of games in the next couple weeks when we have time. On Monday, the games also served to be much of my entertainment for the day. I had nothing to do, so Abraham, who works as the security guard at the WR office, and is possibly the only other person who gets as bored as me at the office, and I basically played every game that is stashed in the closet. So yeah, good day Saturday.
Sunday = a good church service, a friend preached John 17, a passage I have been very interested in, and there was some great singing. After church I went to a youth forum group with a friend, and loved the meeting, it was good fellowship and I loved the more casual atmosphere this week. Later in the evening, 3 friends (Fiona, Divina, and Matt) and I decided to go for a hike to Kalanguru, a mountain which is a little ways away, the trip takes about 3 hours walking, and usually is done by driving there and then climbing the mountain (more of a big hill actually) and then driving back, or walking with a guide....we did neither. We decided just to go for it at about 4pm, ended up walking through a couple of fields, on small foot paths through trees (Matt climbed one), which we hoped were in the general direction of the mountain. Every now and then we caught a glimpse of the mountain, which gave us a good boost of confidence, though most of the time, we weren’t convinced we were getting any closer even though we were walking at quite a pace. The sun sets here at about 6, and once it starts to set, about 4:45pm, it starts going down rather fast. BUT, despite us not really knowing where it was, or having a real path to get there, we made it, climbed Kalanguru, saw a beautiful sunset, and climbed back down, and ended up in a completely different place than we started from, lol. So we started walking again, kind of guessing, kind of knowing the general direction....and it kept getting darker and darker...but eventually, after turning around once and catching glimpse of the cell phone tower lights in Embangweni, we found a man who was heading in the same direction, and led us the rest of the way. Lucky for us because it was pitch black (no moon either) at the time! And it was only 6:30pm. Malawians can walk in complete darkness and know where they are going, we all had flash lights. The power was off all day at the guest house, but the second we stepped onto the porch, the lights came on! (angelic singing taking place) And at 6:45pm we sat down for a hot dinner, completely on schedule. How worried we were (I was maybe) about getting lost by the end, and how nice of an adventure it was! Happy end of the weekend : )
Monday: played games at the office all day, left off early, absolutely nothing to do tomorrow, sigh...back to being bored!
Mission Week Summary (1st week of July)
So I slacked majorly about writing journals during mission week. I was going to try and write one every day or at least try to recap each day, but I realize now that at this point the days have begin to blend and doing a summary might be much more feasible. So summary it is. In the beginning of the week, it was a bit of an adjustment getting used to being with a larger group for most of the day, and I wasn’t sure how much I was going to like the week. I didn’t do much besides observe and take part in minor activities, like leading a game or passing out papers, fun fun! I was not doing much of anything, yet Owen, the other WR staff, and the US group were working very hard. I was even tired by the end of the week even though I didn’t do near as much! But it turned out to be alright and a good experience. The highlights were in the middle of the day when we (all the WR staff, US people, and caregivers) all went outside and played games and sang songs, and danced the day away... :) All the caregivers and staff would join together and play games like Red Light, Green Light, Duck Duck Goose, and Simon Says. These three games were my absolute favorite because everybody (all of them adults) participated and had an amazing time. Mothers with babies on their backs were chasing eachother around the circle in duck duck goose and in simon says everyone loved being tricked into following a wrong direction. I led red light, green light, and it was so fun seeing all the adults race towards the finish line, though kinda scary when you think of thirty adults all charging in your direction lol. After learning these games, the caregivers would lead us in Malawian songs and dances, most of which I actually participated in! The singing is beautiful here, and everyone sings in wonderful and perfect harmony. Seriously, what was remarkable about this group was that the caregivers neither the staff, including WR and the US people, nor the caregivers, all knew eachother, we all just came together this week and had fun. All, or most, of the caregivers came from centers that were far apart from eachother. Some caregivers got up at 5 am to walk the 4 hours to get to the meeting place, others rode their bike for 2 hours. Serious dedication, 4 hours is a long time....especially when the women are in charge of cooking and taking care of the home, and some are caring babies on their backs!
One of the Malawian dances was a version of the limbo, with a much better song (beeko, beeko, beekoko...) which Owen loved, and then a line dance where you hop across with one foot hooked across another person’s, and then circle dances, where people sing and call out your name to come and dance, with amazing songs that tell you to come and “shake it.” Great fun, except my love for being in the middle of circles has not grown in the least I would say :) Loved the singing and dancing and playing games together, great memories, and great pictures of people running all over the place. Also, at the end of the week the caregivers all sang to us, “we will never forget you...” and added all our names, singing we will meet again, and it was so beautiful and wonderful, and all the adults were touched, if not crying. : )
It was also a fun week because all of the caregivers got a chance to play with the toys which they were learning how to use and practice using more activity-based and engaging teaching methods. So they got to play with hand puppets, building blocks, read stories, and play with puzzles in small groups. Again, that was a lot of fun. The lessons that the US group to the caregivers were about forming relationships with children and caring for them, setting up lesson plans and structuring a class, teaching kids according to their developmental level, different learning styles, and discipline, all very important subjects and the caregivers seemed to be soaking it up, all very appreciative of the information they were getting, so it was a very worthwhile and great week all around.
One of the Malawian dances was a version of the limbo, with a much better song (beeko, beeko, beekoko...) which Owen loved, and then a line dance where you hop across with one foot hooked across another person’s, and then circle dances, where people sing and call out your name to come and dance, with amazing songs that tell you to come and “shake it.” Great fun, except my love for being in the middle of circles has not grown in the least I would say :) Loved the singing and dancing and playing games together, great memories, and great pictures of people running all over the place. Also, at the end of the week the caregivers all sang to us, “we will never forget you...” and added all our names, singing we will meet again, and it was so beautiful and wonderful, and all the adults were touched, if not crying. : )
It was also a fun week because all of the caregivers got a chance to play with the toys which they were learning how to use and practice using more activity-based and engaging teaching methods. So they got to play with hand puppets, building blocks, read stories, and play with puzzles in small groups. Again, that was a lot of fun. The lessons that the US group to the caregivers were about forming relationships with children and caring for them, setting up lesson plans and structuring a class, teaching kids according to their developmental level, different learning styles, and discipline, all very important subjects and the caregivers seemed to be soaking it up, all very appreciative of the information they were getting, so it was a very worthwhile and great week all around.
Day 1 of mission week (July 6th)
Today the US group arrived in Embangweni. They pulled up to the guest house in about 5 SUVs, nicer than the majority of vehicles in all of Embangweni I would say, so I don’t think we will be riding the motorbike as much this week : ) There are about 20 people, including some staff from WR Malawi, so it’s nice to see some familiar faces from the office as well. First thing to happen when they arrived was to unload the luggage, but no room for their stuff, soo...my room it was! Seriously, the luggage of 20 people in my room, it was a little overcrowded lol
The people I have gotten to know so far are the 3 that are working with the child development program here, or who I will be around for most of the week. Owen, Deborah, and a couple other WR people are also in the bunch, so we’ll be together for training the caregivers. Today we just observed at the childcare center at Mtuzuzu, one of the nicer and well-equipped centers that WR works with. It was different getting there in a car, a very packed car, than on a motorbike, seemed to go a bit slower, but it was fun to get to know people and spend a little more time looking around : ) but overall I would say I prefer the motorbike out of the two. When we finally arrived at Mtuzuzu class hadn’t started yet, so we spent some time playing with all the kids and talking. After that we observed the class and returned to the guest house with the other group members. This week there are four groups – our childcare group, a group working on building a pig house, a pastor’s training group, and a bible study group. I think our group is one of the best : ) of course. Reflecting on this day, I was a bit skeptical about the week, but through God’s grace it has been absolutely wonderful and a great learning opportunity and time for fellowship. Now onto day 2!
The people I have gotten to know so far are the 3 that are working with the child development program here, or who I will be around for most of the week. Owen, Deborah, and a couple other WR people are also in the bunch, so we’ll be together for training the caregivers. Today we just observed at the childcare center at Mtuzuzu, one of the nicer and well-equipped centers that WR works with. It was different getting there in a car, a very packed car, than on a motorbike, seemed to go a bit slower, but it was fun to get to know people and spend a little more time looking around : ) but overall I would say I prefer the motorbike out of the two. When we finally arrived at Mtuzuzu class hadn’t started yet, so we spent some time playing with all the kids and talking. After that we observed the class and returned to the guest house with the other group members. This week there are four groups – our childcare group, a group working on building a pig house, a pastor’s training group, and a bible study group. I think our group is one of the best : ) of course. Reflecting on this day, I was a bit skeptical about the week, but through God’s grace it has been absolutely wonderful and a great learning opportunity and time for fellowship. Now onto day 2!
To Kunsungu
This weekend (July 3rd and 4th) I took a trip with two girls, Fiona and Davina who are also staying at the guest house to Kusungu National Park, a place about 4 hours south of Embangweni. We started off on Friday early afternoon from Embangweni, going to Jenda, then to Kusungu, then to the park, taking public transportation all the way. Now, public transportation here is different from public transportation back home, needless to say. When I say public transportation I mean buses, and any other vehicle that can hold people or whose driver is willing to except paying passengers. To Jenda, public transporation meant a matola, a kind of a ghetto pick-up truck I would say, the back of the truck is longer with wooden boards as the bottom. A friend found us the ride and we climbed on to join about 15 others who were hitching the ride. We ended up sitting nearer to the back of the truck or away from the cab, which ended up being a little rough. With dirt roads and a bit of wind, we were....a little less than perfectly clean by the end of the trip. To be more exact, each of us was a different skin color by the time we reached Jenda, a deeper tinge of brown. Adding to the dust and wind were the huge bumps a long the way that made it a bit less than comfortable for our bottoms, but hey, it’s all an experience, right? Our friend for the ride was a poor goat, who was unfortunate enough to be tied close to the side where his head hit it every time a bump came along, but it survived and seemed to find more comfortable positions seeing as it just about head-butted Fiona before she moved away. But despite the dust and the mile high (just a small overstatement) bumps, we made it to Jenda to catch a bus. Luckily we found one that actually looked like it could afford the journey (some buses, minibuses to be exact, don’t make it, or not without some part of it falling off along the way, like a door) and made it to Kusungu at a reasonable hour, around 4:30 I think, from leaving Embangweni at 1:30pm. We got a taxi from the bus station, for which much haggling was required. Haggling, bartering, arguing for money, etc. is not my strength. Thankfully, the other girls took charge, because I would’ve caved. We managed to get a ride for 5,000 kwacha (about $30) instead of 7,000 kwacha, which was good. However, the ride was a little longer than we expected, or at least I, expected. And of course all Malawians drive on empty. And by all I mean every Malawian I have been in a car with have driven on less than a quarter tank or in most cases, with the needle below the empty marker. So in this instance, it just added to the suspense of whether or not we would actually make it to the park, with its windy roads and our own lack of knowledge about where exactly in the park we were heading to.
When we got the lodge, it was pitch dark, about 6pm. Someone came out to meet us, and though the place looked quite nice it the dark, it was a little hard to tell what was happening with no lights. Fiona had called earlier in the week to make sure there were spaces available in the lodge, and was told that there was plenty. Well, that was because we were the only ones there. The ONLY ones, at this lodge where, when we entered the eating area, there was a full bar seating area, a balcony over looking a lake, and an outside seating area that sat at least 50 people. It was beautiful, or at least from what we could tell in the dark. Of course, we were just happy to have finally made it. We sat and talked while dinner was prepared for us, we were supposed to have ordered it by 4, but we didn’t even have reservations at all, oops. But we had a lovely meal of meatballs and chicken skewers out by the lake, lighted by candle lanterns. After dinner we headed off to the dormitory, the cheapest place to stay besides a tent. The dorm was a little less lovely than the lodge. We walked quite a bit to find a building in the middle of woods by a bath house, kind of like a camping area I would say. The beds at least had mosquito nets, but that was about all the positives I could see, besides that the beds were off the floor and there were walls, and maybe a candle to use. There were some little critters, or signs of little critters that I’m sure were around somewhere spending the night with us, but oh well. It was FREEZING. Yes, freezing in Africa. It has actually been cold here for the better part of the week, especially since July is in the beginning/middle of the cold season in Malawi. But we survived, it was fine for one night. Though I can honestly say we were glad that we were only there for one night, it was a part of the experience, and we didn’t wake up to any mad wildlife trying to eat us or anything. We left the dorm at around 6am to head to the lodge.
After finding our way back, we headed to the porch to watch a beautiful sunrise over the lake while drinking tea and eating biscuits (aka cookies). At around 7am we headed of for a game drive around the park, which is lead by a German man who stays at the park. Almost right away we saw some hippos, followed by some different kinds of deer and birds. Kusungu is a brush park, meaning it’s filled with a bunch of trees and high grasses, which makes it difficult to see wildlife at times. After the hippos, we went on the hunt for the elusive elephant. After another hour or so, and following the tell-tale signs, we found one! We actually only saw its behind, but it was still an elephant. We tried to catch up to it, but they’re really quite fast, considering their steps our much larger than ours. We waded through grasses that were taller than all three of us, the guide asked us if we could see it, but we just looked at eachother and decided that no, we were all definitely too short to see the elephant over the grasses that were a good few inches above our heads. So in total, we saw hippos, many dear, birds, different species of plants, and the behind of an elephant. It was a great drive and we all enjoyed it. Afterwards at the lodge we had a light breakfast of tea and toast, with real butter (they only have margarine at Embangweni guest house) and different types of spread, or jellies, all of which were delicious.
We spent the rest of the morning lounging at the lodge, taking pictures and relaxing by the lake, though it was a bit cold to be too close to the lake. We spent time talking to one employee who told us that he worked for 15,000 kwacha. That’s about $25 a month, pretty hard to imagine, and no, that’s not enough to live on and sustain a productive lifestyle, even if it is Malawi with cheaper costs.
We left the lodge at about 2pm, getting to Kusungu about 4, from there we took a bus. This bus was not as speedy as the last, the driver believed in taking as many people as possible in the bus, so we stopped, packed in more people, overfilling the bus, then stopped again, let out about 2 people, let in about 5 people, and so on until we finally reached Jenda in like forever it seemed. But we got to Jenda, and managed to find a ride, though to be honest, I was a little worried. But the ride back from Jenda was actually one of my favorite parts of the trip. It was on a pick-up truck. Yes, a normal pick-up truck that you would see from the US, but not the new huge ones, just a normal one. When we looked at, we were almost positive there would be no room, it as packed with people and luggage. Oh, us Westerners. Of course, there was more room! There is ALWAYS room in or on vehicles in Malawi. So we climbed in. I was sitting on top of some luggage near the cab of the truck, facing towards one of the sides, while the other girls were more towards the back in the bed of the truck, and I think they were a bit more uncomfortable, though I don’t think any of us were perfectly comfortable for any of our rides... But it was great I thought, got a great view of the sunset with less dust than the matola, and reaching Embangweni just in time for dinner. Wonderful! Like the last three days before we left, there was no water at the guest house, but we all had a nice warm bucket bath, managing to wash more than 3 days of dirt out of our hair. You would not imagine how much dirt can get stuck in hair, my brush is brown...and my hair is supposed to be blond...lol. But don’t worry, I promise I am clean now, and I still look like a normal human being. It was a great weekend trip and were back by Saturday to be at church on Sunday.
After a great nights’ sleep and church, I went to a Christian meeting which was fun and then went back to the guest house to enjoy the sun that was finally beginning to come out. Later in the afternoon, I went to a gospel festival fundraiser with a friend AND (drum roll) I actually got up and danced...or was made to by random people...who doesn’t want to see a muzungu dance. But it was fun. And I even sang to my friend to show him that yes, I can sing. He’s actually asked me if I was a Christian twice, just checking, and asking more specifically if I was a born-again Christian. Normally, if asked if I was a born-again Christian in the States I would say no, or not exactly, because my experience as a Christian has been a bit different, but here in Malawi, I think it is a term more generally used as if you are a Christian. Last time he asked at the first church service after I left confused mid-service before communion and this time because I didn’t bring my bible to church...but I think I have convinced him maybe by singing and dancing? lol My faith practices or religious practices are definitely different from some of those practiced by Malawians. I tend not to sing or pray as loud, maybe, or maybe be as forward, or talk as much. Here they do a lot of individual praying out loud, but all at the same time, while I tend to pray silently, which is just one of the minor differences. On the whole, I would say my journey to Malawi has been a very big experience for me as a Christian, involving a lot of growth, opportunities, challenges (many, many challenges) and blessings, some of which are yet to come. I think here I am become a little more able to actively talk about my faith, whereas at home, I think at times it becomes reserved for special times and places, not really purposefully, but as routines and life happens. And if you pray, if you could just say a prayer for me : ) that God would be present with me here and guide me in my words and actions here in Malawi, specifically for guidance in a situation with a friend from Malawi. Maybe by the time I have sent this post the need will have passed, but for now, there it is: a prayer for guidance and help here with the friends I meet and the people I spend time with in Malawi.
Oh, and off topic : ) my friends who I traveled with made me a small American flag for our (the US one) independence day on Saturday! It was so nice, and great to come back to the guest house and have a funny little toast to the special day and our safe return to Embangweni : ) And see the familiar faces at the guest house. A couple from the US that have been at the guest house for the past week actually graduated from Davidson...kind of near Furman, or at least related to it in some ways...so, small world!
Tomorrow (July 6th) is the start of mission week at World Relief Mzimba, so a big group of people from Massachusetts in the US are coming to work with the programs here, the caregivers are getting trained, as well as pastors, and ministry team members, so it will be a pretty big, busy week here! Owen and Damaseko have already started working today, so tomorrow is my first day to experience the great busy happenings of the foretold mission week, so we’ll see how it goes!
When we got the lodge, it was pitch dark, about 6pm. Someone came out to meet us, and though the place looked quite nice it the dark, it was a little hard to tell what was happening with no lights. Fiona had called earlier in the week to make sure there were spaces available in the lodge, and was told that there was plenty. Well, that was because we were the only ones there. The ONLY ones, at this lodge where, when we entered the eating area, there was a full bar seating area, a balcony over looking a lake, and an outside seating area that sat at least 50 people. It was beautiful, or at least from what we could tell in the dark. Of course, we were just happy to have finally made it. We sat and talked while dinner was prepared for us, we were supposed to have ordered it by 4, but we didn’t even have reservations at all, oops. But we had a lovely meal of meatballs and chicken skewers out by the lake, lighted by candle lanterns. After dinner we headed off to the dormitory, the cheapest place to stay besides a tent. The dorm was a little less lovely than the lodge. We walked quite a bit to find a building in the middle of woods by a bath house, kind of like a camping area I would say. The beds at least had mosquito nets, but that was about all the positives I could see, besides that the beds were off the floor and there were walls, and maybe a candle to use. There were some little critters, or signs of little critters that I’m sure were around somewhere spending the night with us, but oh well. It was FREEZING. Yes, freezing in Africa. It has actually been cold here for the better part of the week, especially since July is in the beginning/middle of the cold season in Malawi. But we survived, it was fine for one night. Though I can honestly say we were glad that we were only there for one night, it was a part of the experience, and we didn’t wake up to any mad wildlife trying to eat us or anything. We left the dorm at around 6am to head to the lodge.
After finding our way back, we headed to the porch to watch a beautiful sunrise over the lake while drinking tea and eating biscuits (aka cookies). At around 7am we headed of for a game drive around the park, which is lead by a German man who stays at the park. Almost right away we saw some hippos, followed by some different kinds of deer and birds. Kusungu is a brush park, meaning it’s filled with a bunch of trees and high grasses, which makes it difficult to see wildlife at times. After the hippos, we went on the hunt for the elusive elephant. After another hour or so, and following the tell-tale signs, we found one! We actually only saw its behind, but it was still an elephant. We tried to catch up to it, but they’re really quite fast, considering their steps our much larger than ours. We waded through grasses that were taller than all three of us, the guide asked us if we could see it, but we just looked at eachother and decided that no, we were all definitely too short to see the elephant over the grasses that were a good few inches above our heads. So in total, we saw hippos, many dear, birds, different species of plants, and the behind of an elephant. It was a great drive and we all enjoyed it. Afterwards at the lodge we had a light breakfast of tea and toast, with real butter (they only have margarine at Embangweni guest house) and different types of spread, or jellies, all of which were delicious.
We spent the rest of the morning lounging at the lodge, taking pictures and relaxing by the lake, though it was a bit cold to be too close to the lake. We spent time talking to one employee who told us that he worked for 15,000 kwacha. That’s about $25 a month, pretty hard to imagine, and no, that’s not enough to live on and sustain a productive lifestyle, even if it is Malawi with cheaper costs.
We left the lodge at about 2pm, getting to Kusungu about 4, from there we took a bus. This bus was not as speedy as the last, the driver believed in taking as many people as possible in the bus, so we stopped, packed in more people, overfilling the bus, then stopped again, let out about 2 people, let in about 5 people, and so on until we finally reached Jenda in like forever it seemed. But we got to Jenda, and managed to find a ride, though to be honest, I was a little worried. But the ride back from Jenda was actually one of my favorite parts of the trip. It was on a pick-up truck. Yes, a normal pick-up truck that you would see from the US, but not the new huge ones, just a normal one. When we looked at, we were almost positive there would be no room, it as packed with people and luggage. Oh, us Westerners. Of course, there was more room! There is ALWAYS room in or on vehicles in Malawi. So we climbed in. I was sitting on top of some luggage near the cab of the truck, facing towards one of the sides, while the other girls were more towards the back in the bed of the truck, and I think they were a bit more uncomfortable, though I don’t think any of us were perfectly comfortable for any of our rides... But it was great I thought, got a great view of the sunset with less dust than the matola, and reaching Embangweni just in time for dinner. Wonderful! Like the last three days before we left, there was no water at the guest house, but we all had a nice warm bucket bath, managing to wash more than 3 days of dirt out of our hair. You would not imagine how much dirt can get stuck in hair, my brush is brown...and my hair is supposed to be blond...lol. But don’t worry, I promise I am clean now, and I still look like a normal human being. It was a great weekend trip and were back by Saturday to be at church on Sunday.
After a great nights’ sleep and church, I went to a Christian meeting which was fun and then went back to the guest house to enjoy the sun that was finally beginning to come out. Later in the afternoon, I went to a gospel festival fundraiser with a friend AND (drum roll) I actually got up and danced...or was made to by random people...who doesn’t want to see a muzungu dance. But it was fun. And I even sang to my friend to show him that yes, I can sing. He’s actually asked me if I was a Christian twice, just checking, and asking more specifically if I was a born-again Christian. Normally, if asked if I was a born-again Christian in the States I would say no, or not exactly, because my experience as a Christian has been a bit different, but here in Malawi, I think it is a term more generally used as if you are a Christian. Last time he asked at the first church service after I left confused mid-service before communion and this time because I didn’t bring my bible to church...but I think I have convinced him maybe by singing and dancing? lol My faith practices or religious practices are definitely different from some of those practiced by Malawians. I tend not to sing or pray as loud, maybe, or maybe be as forward, or talk as much. Here they do a lot of individual praying out loud, but all at the same time, while I tend to pray silently, which is just one of the minor differences. On the whole, I would say my journey to Malawi has been a very big experience for me as a Christian, involving a lot of growth, opportunities, challenges (many, many challenges) and blessings, some of which are yet to come. I think here I am become a little more able to actively talk about my faith, whereas at home, I think at times it becomes reserved for special times and places, not really purposefully, but as routines and life happens. And if you pray, if you could just say a prayer for me : ) that God would be present with me here and guide me in my words and actions here in Malawi, specifically for guidance in a situation with a friend from Malawi. Maybe by the time I have sent this post the need will have passed, but for now, there it is: a prayer for guidance and help here with the friends I meet and the people I spend time with in Malawi.
Oh, and off topic : ) my friends who I traveled with made me a small American flag for our (the US one) independence day on Saturday! It was so nice, and great to come back to the guest house and have a funny little toast to the special day and our safe return to Embangweni : ) And see the familiar faces at the guest house. A couple from the US that have been at the guest house for the past week actually graduated from Davidson...kind of near Furman, or at least related to it in some ways...so, small world!
Tomorrow (July 6th) is the start of mission week at World Relief Mzimba, so a big group of people from Massachusetts in the US are coming to work with the programs here, the caregivers are getting trained, as well as pastors, and ministry team members, so it will be a pretty big, busy week here! Owen and Damaseko have already started working today, so tomorrow is my first day to experience the great busy happenings of the foretold mission week, so we’ll see how it goes!
Friday, June 26, 2009
Poverty in Malawi Post #2
World Relief Mzimba is working with 30 nursery schools (CBCC’s – community based childcare centers), so there a wide variety and diverse range of communities and schools we are working with. The differences between them are obvious. While some are eager to pair with World Relief and work to better their nursery schools, others are less eager for various reasons. While some communities accept the conditions that WR has, and are eager to receive the resources and training, embracing us with open arms and thanking us for helping them, others are less welcoming and less open to working with WR to meet the conditions. The conditions for receiving WR training and support are that the community should 1) build a separate building for the nursery school 2) dig toilets for the kids 3) make a kitchen or storeroom to feed the kids one meal a day 4) have a garden to help sustain the school and the community. Because Malawi (I think I may be repeating myself) is an agriculture society, making the bricks and the building, fulfilling the requirements are not that difficult, as shown by many groups who are already on their way, constructing the building and very happy to take part in the programs that WR is providing. Others, however, are less convinced that they need WR or should take part in the child development program. Reasons for this are that some people are receiving donations from other organizations, so they feel as if the donations are enough to maybe sustain their programs, they don’t need their own self-sufficient programs, if money and education are coming for free, why do the work themselves? Also, many expect WR to do more work, provide building materials or pay the workers to teach the kids, it’s misunderstood that WR provides the development ideas and basic resources (chalkboards, caregiver training) in order to encourage the community to provide a sustainable system for themselves. But after hearing from those groups, we hear from a group who gives thanks for those who are lazy, because then it gives them the chance to work with organizations like WR and get the offered resources. Lol, I think Owen was a little amused that the one group was specifically giving thanks for the laziness of others.
Laziness – this is one of the main points of this writing. In my work here in Malawi, I have seen communities who are hard-working, eager to make progress and work out of poverty, and others who are lazy, who don’t necessary seek progress and don’t necessary see the need to go beyond the status quo. Yes, this point maybe a little controversial – that people can be poor because they are lazy.
If I heard this argument coming from someone else, I would refute it immediately, saying, “wait a minute, what about all the circumstances, problems, etc. etc.” However, please hear me out. A colleague whom I work with brought this up, that some think that Malawians are poor because they are lazy, and another colleague, confirmed it, that in some cases this is true. And I think he is right, based on what we see at WR, some people are just fine with where they are in life, whether or not they are living with nothing or not. Now, this can be good, Malawians are always very kind and warm and generous, despite if they are living in the most desperate of circumstances. This kind of contentment or grace is not what I am talking against. But in any case of community development or when trying to help people to live a life out of poverty so their children may have clothes with no holes and families may have food on the table three meals a day, the satisfaction with a low status quo can be discouraging. Laziness in working out of poverty is evident in WR’s agribusiness program, where some communities can take a crop or livestock program and see the potential profit and benefits, others are easily discouraged. They complain about not seeing results fast enough, give up after one successful crop, or fail to get ready or take care of the animals they are given. So WR has to work really hard to motivate the communities and say, “no, this will work, just give it time and invest in the programs.” Like one community was going to receive a delivery of piglets to jumpstart their farming program. The piglets were arriving on Saturday, on Wednesday we visited, and no construction had started on the pig pen. Where were they planning to keep the pigs until the pigpen was constructed? In someone’s house. : ) And the concept of agribusiness here is new, so it’s not easy understandably, it’s not just changing a person’s method of gaining income, but a person’s way of thinking and their lifestyle, so needless to say, the job can be a little trying at times. For child development, it comes down to whether the committees have gotten the school buildings built in time for training in July or not. Some committees have their building done, some have their bricks all ready, others....they’re thinking about it...they may start thinking harder about it...hmmm. Also, right now is the time for harvesting, so some teachers/caregivers will go out in the gardens to harvest instead of showing up for school, also if there is a funeral, the caregivers might not show. This gets hard when harvest last for a whole season and when funerals are frequent, which is very sad to say. But if the caregivers don’t show up, then the kids don’t learn, and then the kids don’t show up for class either. Lesson planning, or a schedule, is something we’re talking about with the caregivers, but this week alone, we visited one center, 45 minutes away, 3 times before we found the kids and the caregivers at the center. A couple of days we have visited 3 different centers and at each we have not found the caregivers or the kids, the kids sometimes show up and there’s no teachers, sooo back home they go! No school, sometimes for days at a time...woohoo!
Again, not saying that Malawians don’t work hard in all circumstances and that they aren’t absolutely wonderful people, they are so nice and I would not want to be anywhere else, it’s really wonderful here, just some food for thought I guess. The question might be then, why help people that might not want the help? And that may not be the case, and others may have a clearer picture on this issue than me...but community development is important, and especially child development, when it comes to helping kids have the chance to have a good education and perform better in school, I think it matters to persist and try hard to help caregivers and communities to meet the needs of the kids.
There is a confirmed difference between kids who attend nursery school before primary school and with those who don’t. The skills that they are learning in school are not only their ABC’s or 123’s, but how to interact with others and interact within a classroom atmosphere. Teachers say that the biggest difference between kids who attend nursery school and those who don’t before entering primary school, is not only their academic performance, but their ability to interact with others and communicate well in the classroom, basic skills necessary to do well in any schooling. The primary school principals and teachers we have talked to have said exactly these things, that nursery school is important and that there is a world of difference between those that attend the schools and those that don’t.
Yeah, so...that’s it for now. Comments?
Laziness – this is one of the main points of this writing. In my work here in Malawi, I have seen communities who are hard-working, eager to make progress and work out of poverty, and others who are lazy, who don’t necessary seek progress and don’t necessary see the need to go beyond the status quo. Yes, this point maybe a little controversial – that people can be poor because they are lazy.
If I heard this argument coming from someone else, I would refute it immediately, saying, “wait a minute, what about all the circumstances, problems, etc. etc.” However, please hear me out. A colleague whom I work with brought this up, that some think that Malawians are poor because they are lazy, and another colleague, confirmed it, that in some cases this is true. And I think he is right, based on what we see at WR, some people are just fine with where they are in life, whether or not they are living with nothing or not. Now, this can be good, Malawians are always very kind and warm and generous, despite if they are living in the most desperate of circumstances. This kind of contentment or grace is not what I am talking against. But in any case of community development or when trying to help people to live a life out of poverty so their children may have clothes with no holes and families may have food on the table three meals a day, the satisfaction with a low status quo can be discouraging. Laziness in working out of poverty is evident in WR’s agribusiness program, where some communities can take a crop or livestock program and see the potential profit and benefits, others are easily discouraged. They complain about not seeing results fast enough, give up after one successful crop, or fail to get ready or take care of the animals they are given. So WR has to work really hard to motivate the communities and say, “no, this will work, just give it time and invest in the programs.” Like one community was going to receive a delivery of piglets to jumpstart their farming program. The piglets were arriving on Saturday, on Wednesday we visited, and no construction had started on the pig pen. Where were they planning to keep the pigs until the pigpen was constructed? In someone’s house. : ) And the concept of agribusiness here is new, so it’s not easy understandably, it’s not just changing a person’s method of gaining income, but a person’s way of thinking and their lifestyle, so needless to say, the job can be a little trying at times. For child development, it comes down to whether the committees have gotten the school buildings built in time for training in July or not. Some committees have their building done, some have their bricks all ready, others....they’re thinking about it...they may start thinking harder about it...hmmm. Also, right now is the time for harvesting, so some teachers/caregivers will go out in the gardens to harvest instead of showing up for school, also if there is a funeral, the caregivers might not show. This gets hard when harvest last for a whole season and when funerals are frequent, which is very sad to say. But if the caregivers don’t show up, then the kids don’t learn, and then the kids don’t show up for class either. Lesson planning, or a schedule, is something we’re talking about with the caregivers, but this week alone, we visited one center, 45 minutes away, 3 times before we found the kids and the caregivers at the center. A couple of days we have visited 3 different centers and at each we have not found the caregivers or the kids, the kids sometimes show up and there’s no teachers, sooo back home they go! No school, sometimes for days at a time...woohoo!
Again, not saying that Malawians don’t work hard in all circumstances and that they aren’t absolutely wonderful people, they are so nice and I would not want to be anywhere else, it’s really wonderful here, just some food for thought I guess. The question might be then, why help people that might not want the help? And that may not be the case, and others may have a clearer picture on this issue than me...but community development is important, and especially child development, when it comes to helping kids have the chance to have a good education and perform better in school, I think it matters to persist and try hard to help caregivers and communities to meet the needs of the kids.
There is a confirmed difference between kids who attend nursery school before primary school and with those who don’t. The skills that they are learning in school are not only their ABC’s or 123’s, but how to interact with others and interact within a classroom atmosphere. Teachers say that the biggest difference between kids who attend nursery school and those who don’t before entering primary school, is not only their academic performance, but their ability to interact with others and communicate well in the classroom, basic skills necessary to do well in any schooling. The primary school principals and teachers we have talked to have said exactly these things, that nursery school is important and that there is a world of difference between those that attend the schools and those that don’t.
Yeah, so...that’s it for now. Comments?
Poverty in Malawi Post #1
Studying poverty in Malawi is interesting because it is so different and multi-faceted, as poverty is in most circumstances. To start off, Malawi is one of the most impoverished countries in the world, and while maybe what I am experiencing in Mzimba can be applied to the whole country, it is Mzimba that I am drawing my observations and ideas from, so my observations may be unique to this area, or they may not be.
Not only is poverty in Malawi different as a country, as well as in different areas, but it is different from a local perspective as well. For example, I am staying in a guest house, where mostly white people come to stay while they are working in the surrounding hospital, schools, and ministries. Most of the people have brought things to give away or have gifts of service or money to benefit the community close to the guest house. Therefore, many (many, not all) of the children here are well-clothed and have more resources than others. Now, understand that more may be a very small difference to us, the living conditions at the school are still pretty horrible and food is still less than desirable. But the children here I would say are very familiar with white people, and receiving things from white people, they will often come up to me and say:
1. “give me money”
2. “give me candy”
3. “give me a pen”
4. “give me your bottle” (my water bottle they see)
5. “give me your bag” <- this one creeps me out the most because it sounds like they would steal it maybe
In the past, I have been told, kids did not do this in Embangweni and it was much less of a problem. It is clear that kids here have learned or grown to think that white people automatically come with money or have things that they will give away. This is expected I guess, but the problem has gotten really bad, or worse, since even I’ve been here I think, maybe just because it’s our summer season when many groups travel from Europe and the US. But I was, I would say, harassed by a group of primary (elementary) school kids walking to work one day, just repetitively and continuously asking for money and making obnoxious and rude sounds while I was walking, very unpleasant. It’s not very good when they hang around the guest house either, especially after a long day, it’s not very nice to come back to demands from kids you would normally expect to be nice and fun, who then instead of saying hi and waving, say “give me money,” or “give me your bag.” It’s also interesting that it is just the kids here, no adults in Embangweni have asked me for anything, it’s just the kids, and mostly from around the guest house. Groups will come and work in the schools and give things away, or do fundraisers, and then the kids will come around looking for handouts. I am not suggesting that people stop bringing things to give to kids or stop helping, only pointing out that there are some negative consequences that go with the good ones. I’ve seen this problem answered when the groups at the guest house know to discourage kids from hanging around and even the security guards and manager of the guest house sometimes help to maintain the peace.
Another interesting aspect about poverty in the area around the guest house and Embangweni, is that even though there is such a presence of mission groups at the hospital and surrounding schools, the areas that are pretty close, maybe a mile away, are just as needy as those that are miles away. The hospital and schools (primary, secondary, and deaf schools) are in need of a lot of help themselves – no running water for students, bad living environments, only rice and beans for food, lack of medications in the hospital, lack of beds, etc. – so the help is needed there, but sometimes it’s hard to see all the work that is going on near the guest house, when somewhere I visit right down the road is suffering just as much or more. I wish that the clothes that get dropped off to the kids near to the guest house would reach the kids who are 20 miles farther away who are wearing clothes that have holes in them and might as well not be there at all. A nursery school that is literally right next to the primary school does not even have its own building or a chalk board.
Not only is poverty in Malawi different as a country, as well as in different areas, but it is different from a local perspective as well. For example, I am staying in a guest house, where mostly white people come to stay while they are working in the surrounding hospital, schools, and ministries. Most of the people have brought things to give away or have gifts of service or money to benefit the community close to the guest house. Therefore, many (many, not all) of the children here are well-clothed and have more resources than others. Now, understand that more may be a very small difference to us, the living conditions at the school are still pretty horrible and food is still less than desirable. But the children here I would say are very familiar with white people, and receiving things from white people, they will often come up to me and say:
1. “give me money”
2. “give me candy”
3. “give me a pen”
4. “give me your bottle” (my water bottle they see)
5. “give me your bag” <- this one creeps me out the most because it sounds like they would steal it maybe
In the past, I have been told, kids did not do this in Embangweni and it was much less of a problem. It is clear that kids here have learned or grown to think that white people automatically come with money or have things that they will give away. This is expected I guess, but the problem has gotten really bad, or worse, since even I’ve been here I think, maybe just because it’s our summer season when many groups travel from Europe and the US. But I was, I would say, harassed by a group of primary (elementary) school kids walking to work one day, just repetitively and continuously asking for money and making obnoxious and rude sounds while I was walking, very unpleasant. It’s not very good when they hang around the guest house either, especially after a long day, it’s not very nice to come back to demands from kids you would normally expect to be nice and fun, who then instead of saying hi and waving, say “give me money,” or “give me your bag.” It’s also interesting that it is just the kids here, no adults in Embangweni have asked me for anything, it’s just the kids, and mostly from around the guest house. Groups will come and work in the schools and give things away, or do fundraisers, and then the kids will come around looking for handouts. I am not suggesting that people stop bringing things to give to kids or stop helping, only pointing out that there are some negative consequences that go with the good ones. I’ve seen this problem answered when the groups at the guest house know to discourage kids from hanging around and even the security guards and manager of the guest house sometimes help to maintain the peace.
Another interesting aspect about poverty in the area around the guest house and Embangweni, is that even though there is such a presence of mission groups at the hospital and surrounding schools, the areas that are pretty close, maybe a mile away, are just as needy as those that are miles away. The hospital and schools (primary, secondary, and deaf schools) are in need of a lot of help themselves – no running water for students, bad living environments, only rice and beans for food, lack of medications in the hospital, lack of beds, etc. – so the help is needed there, but sometimes it’s hard to see all the work that is going on near the guest house, when somewhere I visit right down the road is suffering just as much or more. I wish that the clothes that get dropped off to the kids near to the guest house would reach the kids who are 20 miles farther away who are wearing clothes that have holes in them and might as well not be there at all. A nursery school that is literally right next to the primary school does not even have its own building or a chalk board.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
The Irish group that had been staying at the guest house left today. They were a fun bunch to be around and were really welcoming to me and two other girls that just arrived from England, who are also staying in Malawi until early August. The two girls, Divina and Fiona, are medical students working at the Embangwane hospital, which is next door to the guest house. Most people who come work in the hospital, the secondary school, and the deaf school, all which are very close by to the guest house. Since Divina and Fiona are staying here almost the exact amount of time I am, I am sure we’ll get to be good friends, already we are having a good time. Yesterday, the one day I ate lunch out in the field, two girls from the US who work for the Peace Corps stopped by to find me. The one day I am not there...figures.
Saying goodbye to the Irish group involved lots of hugs and words of encouragement. It was nice getting the hugs and feeling that kind of closeness of friends, especially being a place where hugs aren’t really exchanged so much. They were all so friendly and kind : ) sharing their time and fellowship with me and the others staying here. I said last night when we had time to share that when you are traveling alone and independent, you soon find out that you are neither alone nor independent. When you are working for God and following His way, the Bible says that He will hold your hand (Isaiah 42:6). I think He does through His presence, but also through providing us with a community of fellow believers, friends, to keep us company and encourage us. And in being independent, we are actually dependent; dependent on the kindness, love, generosity, and caring of others around us, because there are somethings we cannot do on our own. It can be much harder to enjoy a meal after a long day when you’re alone, or understand that everyone has hard days and faces tough situations. You can’t really laugh the same or about the same things, or get the same perspective. I think God has met this need that maybe I didn’t think of or at least didn’t worry about, and it’s turned out to be one of the best parts of my trip, meeting people both from Malawi and from other places that have meant so much to my growth as a person and as a Christian.
Yesterday, we visited a childcare center in Mtuzuzu to observe the class and talk to the caregivers. Usually when guests visit, they are invited to a meal. In the past we’ve said no because it usually takes a long time when we have places to be, but this time I felt bad refusing and why not? I kinda wanted to avoid feeling like that random white person who comes into your class just to tell what to do, what you’re doing wrong, and how to do it right. It was nice, and I felt much more like a friend or accepted at least by the caregivers after accepting their invitation, even if the meal was a little awkward. Usually, when there are guests, they eat alone in the house after being served. However, since Owen doesn’t usually eat lunch after 12, one of the caregivers was eating with me, and I could kind of sense the out-of-the-ordinariness of the situation, I probably didn’t help the awkwardness...but it was good, at least we left on very good terms, even I missed the girls from the Peace Corps and made us leave hours later than usual. It’s good sometimes to take the extra time to get to know some people, even if it might take away from other things...
Saying goodbye to the Irish group involved lots of hugs and words of encouragement. It was nice getting the hugs and feeling that kind of closeness of friends, especially being a place where hugs aren’t really exchanged so much. They were all so friendly and kind : ) sharing their time and fellowship with me and the others staying here. I said last night when we had time to share that when you are traveling alone and independent, you soon find out that you are neither alone nor independent. When you are working for God and following His way, the Bible says that He will hold your hand (Isaiah 42:6). I think He does through His presence, but also through providing us with a community of fellow believers, friends, to keep us company and encourage us. And in being independent, we are actually dependent; dependent on the kindness, love, generosity, and caring of others around us, because there are somethings we cannot do on our own. It can be much harder to enjoy a meal after a long day when you’re alone, or understand that everyone has hard days and faces tough situations. You can’t really laugh the same or about the same things, or get the same perspective. I think God has met this need that maybe I didn’t think of or at least didn’t worry about, and it’s turned out to be one of the best parts of my trip, meeting people both from Malawi and from other places that have meant so much to my growth as a person and as a Christian.
Yesterday, we visited a childcare center in Mtuzuzu to observe the class and talk to the caregivers. Usually when guests visit, they are invited to a meal. In the past we’ve said no because it usually takes a long time when we have places to be, but this time I felt bad refusing and why not? I kinda wanted to avoid feeling like that random white person who comes into your class just to tell what to do, what you’re doing wrong, and how to do it right. It was nice, and I felt much more like a friend or accepted at least by the caregivers after accepting their invitation, even if the meal was a little awkward. Usually, when there are guests, they eat alone in the house after being served. However, since Owen doesn’t usually eat lunch after 12, one of the caregivers was eating with me, and I could kind of sense the out-of-the-ordinariness of the situation, I probably didn’t help the awkwardness...but it was good, at least we left on very good terms, even I missed the girls from the Peace Corps and made us leave hours later than usual. It’s good sometimes to take the extra time to get to know some people, even if it might take away from other things...
Thursday, June 11, 2009
This weekend (June 5-7th)
On Friday evening, I went over a member of WR staff’s house to help prepare dinner and then share it with the fellow WR staff. So at about 3:30 I left the office to join the women of the family in preparing dinner – nzima, rice, spaghetti, chicken, etc. to be cooked over a fire. I was in charge of the spaghetti...not too hard to handle. They didn’t think that I had ever seen anyone cook over a fire, but I explained camping, which is a bit different than cooking over a fire for every meal, but least I had seen it before... Hudson Kureunda (sp?), who works at WR, has eight children, I was cooking with I think his 3 eldest daughters, I know there were more children there than eight, so I am not quite sure who was who. Anyway, first thing I was handed a cucumber to eat. The cucumbers here are different than in the US, they are yellow and green striped and more round, with spikes. Inside they are more seeds then rind and a bit sour even, not bad, but I had a hard time eating a whole one by myself and made the biggest mess. During dinner, we had a quick dance lesson or show...aka time for embarrassing Maddie and proving the point that I CAN’T DANCE. Plus the women here move their hips or whatever muscle in a way I have never seen. But I think we all spent a good solid 15 minutes laughing at the fact I really cannot dance, all in good fun. Then we proceeded to the well and I was given a small bucket, half full, to carry on my head. : )
After dinner was ready and the rest of the WR staff arrived, all men, I came inside where we watched some Michael Bolton classic ‘80s music videos and then some classic Malawian dance music videos, which kind of resemble a music video that maybe you would record at home with some added effects on the computer. Then we sat down and had dinner, just the WR staff and the wife of Mr. Kureunda. What is different in Malawian family structure is that the men are always served first and the women and children often eat separately. In this case, Mrs. Kureunda ate with us, but his mother ate outside with his children, maybe because there weren’t enough seats at the table? I felt kind of odds eating the food that had been prepared by the women and that I had helped make (a little) with the men at the table, while the women were outside in the dark. Maybe that is what they are used to, but it was a bit hard for me to take, sitting inside while the women I had spent time with and made friends with were outside behind a closed door...definitely a cultural change. I almost felt like I should be serving and helping clean up with Mrs. Kureunda and then going outside to join the others... But I guess I am not really accustomed to be treated as such the guest, I am used to being active in helping, or being amidst a group where everyone eats together for the most part. It was a good evening, and the family is really nice and very kind, I enjoyed it very much. Of course, when I went to take pictures, my battery died at the very instant, so I will have to go back to get pics of the fam.
On Saturday, Owen was kind enough to take me to a gospel concert fundraiser that his friends were putting on. It was supposed to be at 1pm, but instead started maybe around 3:30pm, which is not too uncommon in Malawi, though usually delays are not that long I think. But it was fun, some sang along with popular recordings of gospel songs, or added their own words and dances, and every one danced along and had a good time, the best was seeing all of the kids. I pulled out a camera and its magical magnetic force made about 50 children come out of the woodwork, of course I had to take a picture of as many of them as I could possibly fit in a picture frame : )
Sunday, the group that I had been hanging around at the guest house with departed, and later in the evening a group arrived from Ireland : ) So now I am in the minority as an American and am surrounded by Irish accents and Malawians.
After dinner was ready and the rest of the WR staff arrived, all men, I came inside where we watched some Michael Bolton classic ‘80s music videos and then some classic Malawian dance music videos, which kind of resemble a music video that maybe you would record at home with some added effects on the computer. Then we sat down and had dinner, just the WR staff and the wife of Mr. Kureunda. What is different in Malawian family structure is that the men are always served first and the women and children often eat separately. In this case, Mrs. Kureunda ate with us, but his mother ate outside with his children, maybe because there weren’t enough seats at the table? I felt kind of odds eating the food that had been prepared by the women and that I had helped make (a little) with the men at the table, while the women were outside in the dark. Maybe that is what they are used to, but it was a bit hard for me to take, sitting inside while the women I had spent time with and made friends with were outside behind a closed door...definitely a cultural change. I almost felt like I should be serving and helping clean up with Mrs. Kureunda and then going outside to join the others... But I guess I am not really accustomed to be treated as such the guest, I am used to being active in helping, or being amidst a group where everyone eats together for the most part. It was a good evening, and the family is really nice and very kind, I enjoyed it very much. Of course, when I went to take pictures, my battery died at the very instant, so I will have to go back to get pics of the fam.
On Saturday, Owen was kind enough to take me to a gospel concert fundraiser that his friends were putting on. It was supposed to be at 1pm, but instead started maybe around 3:30pm, which is not too uncommon in Malawi, though usually delays are not that long I think. But it was fun, some sang along with popular recordings of gospel songs, or added their own words and dances, and every one danced along and had a good time, the best was seeing all of the kids. I pulled out a camera and its magical magnetic force made about 50 children come out of the woodwork, of course I had to take a picture of as many of them as I could possibly fit in a picture frame : )
Sunday, the group that I had been hanging around at the guest house with departed, and later in the evening a group arrived from Ireland : ) So now I am in the minority as an American and am surrounded by Irish accents and Malawians.
Weekend Activities
First on the agenda for Saturday was a joint SCOM meeting. SCOM stands for Student Christians of Malawi. The meeting started at 8am. Owen, who I work with at World Relief, is actually a SCOM associate, so he invited me and the group staying at the guest house was going as well, so I knew some people involved already. SCOM takes place at individual high schools (secondary schools) as well as some universities and colleges, the joint meeting was with the schools from our local district and was basically a prayer meeting and bible study. The people staying with me at the guest house are actually very large financial supporters of SCOM, so one individual in the group gave a lesson. After the SCOM meeting, a friend and I went to a football game (soccer), which was supposed to start at 2:30pm, didn’t really start until 3:30pm (African time) so we walked around for an hour, found some friends, then watched the game, then walked to the market for some Fanta aka orange soda, very good. I think I will buy a case of that when I get home... For dinner, I went with the group from the guest house to the local secondary school principal’s house for dinner, we had nzima and I got to meet Rose (the principal’s wife) who went to Oxford before coming back to Malawi to raise a family (she stopped mid-way through her schooling), and Martha, the doctor at the local hospital, who is from the US and has been in Malawi for 10 years, with only a few trips back to the US. She is (I think) the only full-time, fully trained doctor in the hospital. They have an orthopedic doctor and nurses, but Martha’s name gets mentioned a lot as the main doctor, so I am pretty sure she is it.
On Sunday, I went to church. English service was supposed to be at 8am, knew where the church was, easy as pie. Well, it was holy communion Sunday. Let’s just leave it there.
Haha, no big deal, it just means that the service was in a different location, all in Tumbuka, and totally disorienting than what I am used to, of course. So while going to the church, a woman was nice enough to stop me and tell that it was communion Sunday and the service was moved to a different location. She then proceeded to yell across the field to multiple of people (around my age), asking people to take me to the place where the service was being held. I have no idea what she was really saying...but I do know that they kept on walking after shouting back, perhaps something like NO. But finally one group was willing to endure my presence
: ) and we walked over. So the service went well, all in Tumbuka, but I got the cues to sit and stand and pray, etc. I should of asked about how they do communion, because, well, they do it differently. Before I know it, in the service, half of the congregation is getting up to leave, some of whom I know, so I am thinking do I stay, go, what? Then the girl I came with made a motion with her hand which I took to be a go ahead and leave....so I left. Walked away not really knowing where I was going or what I was doing...yes, rather confused. Hehe, a learning experience. Then, luckily, thankfully, again thankfully, a friend I had met a SCOM caught up with me, asked if I usually took holy communion, we had some conversation clarifying what he meant, what I meant, how they do it in Malawi, and after visiting his house for about two minutes (don’t know why we went there, but it is the friendly thing to do, invite people over), we turned around and went back to the service and took communion. From this point on it went very well and very smoothly. I didn’t get up and leave any more unless I was supposed to, though I could have stayed for the next service. But 8:30am to 11am was good for me. It was a good experience, the singing was good, the service was meaningful to me, and once again I was made to go in front of an audience and introduce myself. For not liking all the attention, and usually being one to try and blend in....I have a feeling this might not be the right place.
Anyways, if you ever find yourself in front of a crowd in Mzimba, Malawi, say “monire mosse” with an accent over both the e’s, that means “hi everyone” and will make everyone pretty happy, the response is “yewo” which is a word of thanks, or hello, or other greeting. “Monere” is “greetings” and the response to that is “yewo,” “muli uli?” is “how are you?” and the response to this is “nili makola, kwali imwe?” Nili = I am, Makola = fine. Imwe is a word of respect and with kwali it asks how are you back. Makola has taken me the longest time to learn. I still forget or say it wrong. I say it wrong or my mind blanks the second I am asked....I take too long to think, I believe.
After church on Sunday, another football game (they had loudspeakers!), a local SCOM meeting, and dinner...the end of my weekend!
On Sunday, I went to church. English service was supposed to be at 8am, knew where the church was, easy as pie. Well, it was holy communion Sunday. Let’s just leave it there.
Haha, no big deal, it just means that the service was in a different location, all in Tumbuka, and totally disorienting than what I am used to, of course. So while going to the church, a woman was nice enough to stop me and tell that it was communion Sunday and the service was moved to a different location. She then proceeded to yell across the field to multiple of people (around my age), asking people to take me to the place where the service was being held. I have no idea what she was really saying...but I do know that they kept on walking after shouting back, perhaps something like NO. But finally one group was willing to endure my presence
: ) and we walked over. So the service went well, all in Tumbuka, but I got the cues to sit and stand and pray, etc. I should of asked about how they do communion, because, well, they do it differently. Before I know it, in the service, half of the congregation is getting up to leave, some of whom I know, so I am thinking do I stay, go, what? Then the girl I came with made a motion with her hand which I took to be a go ahead and leave....so I left. Walked away not really knowing where I was going or what I was doing...yes, rather confused. Hehe, a learning experience. Then, luckily, thankfully, again thankfully, a friend I had met a SCOM caught up with me, asked if I usually took holy communion, we had some conversation clarifying what he meant, what I meant, how they do it in Malawi, and after visiting his house for about two minutes (don’t know why we went there, but it is the friendly thing to do, invite people over), we turned around and went back to the service and took communion. From this point on it went very well and very smoothly. I didn’t get up and leave any more unless I was supposed to, though I could have stayed for the next service. But 8:30am to 11am was good for me. It was a good experience, the singing was good, the service was meaningful to me, and once again I was made to go in front of an audience and introduce myself. For not liking all the attention, and usually being one to try and blend in....I have a feeling this might not be the right place.
Anyways, if you ever find yourself in front of a crowd in Mzimba, Malawi, say “monire mosse” with an accent over both the e’s, that means “hi everyone” and will make everyone pretty happy, the response is “yewo” which is a word of thanks, or hello, or other greeting. “Monere” is “greetings” and the response to that is “yewo,” “muli uli?” is “how are you?” and the response to this is “nili makola, kwali imwe?” Nili = I am, Makola = fine. Imwe is a word of respect and with kwali it asks how are you back. Makola has taken me the longest time to learn. I still forget or say it wrong. I say it wrong or my mind blanks the second I am asked....I take too long to think, I believe.
After church on Sunday, another football game (they had loudspeakers!), a local SCOM meeting, and dinner...the end of my weekend!
Summary of my work at World Relief
Okay, it has been a while since I said anything about what I have been doing at World Relief in Mzimba (Embangwane to be more exact), and a lot has happened since then. Since last Wednesday (it is now a week from then) my perception about teaching and going about my work has changed and Owen and I, I think, have worked out most of the kinks so our time teaching flows better. Owen translates my accented English into Tumbuka, so I think he is ending up with a lot of the work and I am very thankful that he is sooo patient and very kind. So basically, every day Owen and I will travel on a motorbike (Yamaha something-or-other) to various rural, very rural, places around Mzimba. One day this week we covered 85 kilometers, you can translate that into miles, I haven’t done that yet : ) At first we will go to talk to the caregivers at the learning centers to introduce them to the idea of more participatory and engaging ways of teaching young children and then sometimes, if we don’t do it the same day, we will come back and do a presentation to the class, or an example lesson, with a few games so far.
This is the part of my perception that has changed: at first, I was thinking that I would be teaching the kids, meaning they would be learning, and not that they aren’t when I am doing the lesson, but it is a little for me to expect kids to take away something from a lesson when 1) they might never have seen a white person before (me=distraction) 2) some of them have never seen written letters before 3) they’re 2-5 year olds 4) we speak a different language....the list goes on. So, by thinking of it as a presentation, there is a little less pressure for me and it tends to run a little smoothly. Also, we are doing the same lesson plan over and over again, which I didn’t expect, so that has also helped things to go a little smoother, since I think Owen has gotten the hang of explaining it from English and Tumbuka and I am more at ease with it and can engage the students more. The games we have done? Simon says (I’m not very good at leading this one), duck, duck, goose (usually this goes very well), relays...those have worked pretty well. We tried what time is it, mr.fox (aka mr.mosquito), and a form of team relays, and I want to introduce “tag” but some of the kids are so young, age two and three) that the time it takes to explain and do examples takes away a lot of our play time. But, generally it has been going well. I would tell you all the names of the places we visit (sometimes 2 or more per day and very spread out), but I haven’t been quite able to master remembering them all or much less how to spell them. I am figuring out quickly how much of a visual learner I am, I need to ask someone to write all the names and some Tumbuka words out for me so I can actually see what I am trying to say. Even learning the greetings has been kind of slow for me...
But yeah, we ride on a motor bike to very remote areas at times, traveling on dirt roads, crossing streams, up mountains....haha, ok maybe just very large hills, but serious cross country. I really enjoy it and it’s a great way to see Mzimba, it gets to be a little much after the 85th kilometer and I know Owen gets very tired from driving so much every day (hours and hours), more than I do with him, but it’s mostly a good experience for me. I am hoping Owen will teach me : ) although it does take some talent with all of the dust and potholes here, and they can’t afford to lose a bike, maybe they will take a chance : ) and if you are wondering, no big animals yet. Apparently, Zambia, whose border is very, very close, likes the herd most of the animals over onto their land into the reserves to attract the tourists... so I think I will be mostly out of luck in that department, sorry to disappoint. However, if you want to hear about very large cattle and marriage arrangements, large, plentiful, and loud crows at 5pm and 5am, obnoxiously loud cranes at 4am, or numerous chickens, goats, bugs, let me know.
On Monday we met with the village elders, or village heads, and CBCC (community-based childcare center) committee and caregivers for one village. Here, education is taken very seriously, teachers and pastors are some of the most respected and highest paid individuals in the communities. It impressed me that for each childcare center there was a full committee, made up of the village leaders and respected individuals from each area. In order to receive training and resources from World Relief and training and recognition by the Malawian government as a full childcare center, each center must make certain requirements. They must have their own building, many of them operate out of churches, which are sometimes just brick or mud walls with a thatched roof, sometimes not even that. The center we visited on Tuesday, June 2nd, was just made up of branches tied together with a thatched roof, it was so windy that we just bypassed the lesson plan and played games, and even then the field that we were playing in was so rocky, that it was a little worrisome to be playing running games. This is when duck, duck, goose comes into play, not a lot of surface area needed. For schooling, it’s hard to teach letter and number recognition when there is not a chalkboard or hard surface to work with! Just a roof and a dirt floor with some chairs to sit in. Though there are centers that do really well without training or many resources, the caregivers teach the kids songs to sing the ABC’s and 123’s and have the kids come up and point out the numbers and letters (if they have a chalkboard or other surface).
Back to the requirements: own building and area for playing, toilets for the kids (pit latrines at least), only some centers have these, and a kitchen or a way to give the children one meal (porridge). It is also recommended that the childcare center have its own garden to provide food for the kids. Because Malawi is largely an agricultural country, starting a garden is not a problem; it’s just harvesting and tending to it. Today we visited another village that is receiving some pigs from World Relief to start its own business. The pigs are arriving on Saturday, they were told a while back, and when we visited today, the pen that they were going to keep them in was virtually nonexistent, no foundation and just a stacking of bricks. So some villages are going full-force with the notion of childcare centers and training, etc., but others need some more encouragement. African time... : )
So daily schedule: get up 5:30-6am, have breakfast, work at 8am, devotions at WR, motorbiking to a CBCC, motorbiking back or to another CBCC, then lunch, out again, or hanging around the office...till 4:30 or 5pm when I go back to the guesthouse and chat with people, till dinner at 6pm, then bed pretty much right after that, 7:30-8pm. Tonight is late (9pm). Some friends of the other group brought their kids and we were entertaining them for the evening, running around and wearing ourselves out more than them of course : )
This is the part of my perception that has changed: at first, I was thinking that I would be teaching the kids, meaning they would be learning, and not that they aren’t when I am doing the lesson, but it is a little for me to expect kids to take away something from a lesson when 1) they might never have seen a white person before (me=distraction) 2) some of them have never seen written letters before 3) they’re 2-5 year olds 4) we speak a different language....the list goes on. So, by thinking of it as a presentation, there is a little less pressure for me and it tends to run a little smoothly. Also, we are doing the same lesson plan over and over again, which I didn’t expect, so that has also helped things to go a little smoother, since I think Owen has gotten the hang of explaining it from English and Tumbuka and I am more at ease with it and can engage the students more. The games we have done? Simon says (I’m not very good at leading this one), duck, duck, goose (usually this goes very well), relays...those have worked pretty well. We tried what time is it, mr.fox (aka mr.mosquito), and a form of team relays, and I want to introduce “tag” but some of the kids are so young, age two and three) that the time it takes to explain and do examples takes away a lot of our play time. But, generally it has been going well. I would tell you all the names of the places we visit (sometimes 2 or more per day and very spread out), but I haven’t been quite able to master remembering them all or much less how to spell them. I am figuring out quickly how much of a visual learner I am, I need to ask someone to write all the names and some Tumbuka words out for me so I can actually see what I am trying to say. Even learning the greetings has been kind of slow for me...
But yeah, we ride on a motor bike to very remote areas at times, traveling on dirt roads, crossing streams, up mountains....haha, ok maybe just very large hills, but serious cross country. I really enjoy it and it’s a great way to see Mzimba, it gets to be a little much after the 85th kilometer and I know Owen gets very tired from driving so much every day (hours and hours), more than I do with him, but it’s mostly a good experience for me. I am hoping Owen will teach me : ) although it does take some talent with all of the dust and potholes here, and they can’t afford to lose a bike, maybe they will take a chance : ) and if you are wondering, no big animals yet. Apparently, Zambia, whose border is very, very close, likes the herd most of the animals over onto their land into the reserves to attract the tourists... so I think I will be mostly out of luck in that department, sorry to disappoint. However, if you want to hear about very large cattle and marriage arrangements, large, plentiful, and loud crows at 5pm and 5am, obnoxiously loud cranes at 4am, or numerous chickens, goats, bugs, let me know.
On Monday we met with the village elders, or village heads, and CBCC (community-based childcare center) committee and caregivers for one village. Here, education is taken very seriously, teachers and pastors are some of the most respected and highest paid individuals in the communities. It impressed me that for each childcare center there was a full committee, made up of the village leaders and respected individuals from each area. In order to receive training and resources from World Relief and training and recognition by the Malawian government as a full childcare center, each center must make certain requirements. They must have their own building, many of them operate out of churches, which are sometimes just brick or mud walls with a thatched roof, sometimes not even that. The center we visited on Tuesday, June 2nd, was just made up of branches tied together with a thatched roof, it was so windy that we just bypassed the lesson plan and played games, and even then the field that we were playing in was so rocky, that it was a little worrisome to be playing running games. This is when duck, duck, goose comes into play, not a lot of surface area needed. For schooling, it’s hard to teach letter and number recognition when there is not a chalkboard or hard surface to work with! Just a roof and a dirt floor with some chairs to sit in. Though there are centers that do really well without training or many resources, the caregivers teach the kids songs to sing the ABC’s and 123’s and have the kids come up and point out the numbers and letters (if they have a chalkboard or other surface).
Back to the requirements: own building and area for playing, toilets for the kids (pit latrines at least), only some centers have these, and a kitchen or a way to give the children one meal (porridge). It is also recommended that the childcare center have its own garden to provide food for the kids. Because Malawi is largely an agricultural country, starting a garden is not a problem; it’s just harvesting and tending to it. Today we visited another village that is receiving some pigs from World Relief to start its own business. The pigs are arriving on Saturday, they were told a while back, and when we visited today, the pen that they were going to keep them in was virtually nonexistent, no foundation and just a stacking of bricks. So some villages are going full-force with the notion of childcare centers and training, etc., but others need some more encouragement. African time... : )
So daily schedule: get up 5:30-6am, have breakfast, work at 8am, devotions at WR, motorbiking to a CBCC, motorbiking back or to another CBCC, then lunch, out again, or hanging around the office...till 4:30 or 5pm when I go back to the guesthouse and chat with people, till dinner at 6pm, then bed pretty much right after that, 7:30-8pm. Tonight is late (9pm). Some friends of the other group brought their kids and we were entertaining them for the evening, running around and wearing ourselves out more than them of course : )
Embangwane Hospital
Mzimba Bug Homicide List
Squashed:
1. Gigantic Ant
2. Spider
3. Several unknown beetle-like creatures
4. Several small ants
One of the gentlemen, Mr. Roger Rogers, from the other group staying at the guest house was kind enough to give me a tour of the mission hospital tonight (Wednesday, May 27th). It was founded by the Presbyterians a while ago and is the only hospital in this region; people will walk for miles to come to this hospital. There is a women’s, men’s, maternity, and pediatric ward, as well as a dental, casualty (minor injury) ward and surgical theatre. The operating room is labeled the “theatre.” At first I thought it was strange that they would have a theatre right in the middle of a hospital, but it made more sense when Mr. Rogers explained that it is the operating room or surgical theatre.
Mr. Rogers is the “mr. fix-it” of the group and I think he may be a sort of electrical engineer, he fixes computers and made lamps (yes, made as in created) for the hospital that are battery-powered and rechargeable for the hospital during blackouts. He also has put together solar-powered lights in each of the wards and he and his son put in new water towers for the hospital just recently. He does a lot. Each person in that group are very specialized in one field, I know at least a couple are professors, doctors, I already mentioned this, etc. Anyways, tonight Mr. Rogers was checking the solar-powered lights and he offered to give me a tour, so we got to walk through all the wards and see some of the patients as we were passing through and he showed me some of the other rooms that were not in use for the evenings. One of his projects for the week is to fix an x-ray machine, the only one, that was made in 1972...and it’s German-made, so all of the manuals are in...you guessed it, German. Quite a task.
Not only will the patients have to walk for miles to get here, but they also have to bring someone to help them cook and take care of themselves. The hospital provides the beds (when they can) and the medical care. At first this may not seem right, and in extreme malnourishment cases or other special reasons, the hospital will provide food, but imagine if the hospital provided meals for all of its patients, how much extra money and staff that would cost with the little resources they already have. The hospital provides an outdoor cooking area and shelter for the “go-gos” as the patient caregivers are called. So that is one thing that is different, besides the x-ray machine from 1972.
In one room in the maternity ward, there are women literally back-to-back in a small space. These are expectant mothers who have come to stay at the hospital because they are having high-risk pregnancies and cannot make the long trek to the hospital when it gets closer to their due date. Back-to-back expecting women trying to sleep, literally no room, I can’t imagine falling asleep on the floor (no beds) surrounded by 30 other people (at least) so close together and with crying babies in the other room... In some hospitals in Malawi, the nurses are mean, they shout at the patients or expecting mothers, and do not allow any family to come near the mother while she is giving birth. It is a very unpleasant experience and in Malawian culture the family is always present at a baby’s birth, so many mothers choose not come to hospitals and instead stay home and give birth using untrained midwives and in unsanitary conditions. Usually having a baby is supposed to be a very joyous occasion, already painful enough, so why would you want to have someone shouting at you and keeping your family away? Not a very good way to encourage people to come to the hospital to get treatment...but it actually does happen in some hospitals.
Squashed:
1. Gigantic Ant
2. Spider
3. Several unknown beetle-like creatures
4. Several small ants
One of the gentlemen, Mr. Roger Rogers, from the other group staying at the guest house was kind enough to give me a tour of the mission hospital tonight (Wednesday, May 27th). It was founded by the Presbyterians a while ago and is the only hospital in this region; people will walk for miles to come to this hospital. There is a women’s, men’s, maternity, and pediatric ward, as well as a dental, casualty (minor injury) ward and surgical theatre. The operating room is labeled the “theatre.” At first I thought it was strange that they would have a theatre right in the middle of a hospital, but it made more sense when Mr. Rogers explained that it is the operating room or surgical theatre.
Mr. Rogers is the “mr. fix-it” of the group and I think he may be a sort of electrical engineer, he fixes computers and made lamps (yes, made as in created) for the hospital that are battery-powered and rechargeable for the hospital during blackouts. He also has put together solar-powered lights in each of the wards and he and his son put in new water towers for the hospital just recently. He does a lot. Each person in that group are very specialized in one field, I know at least a couple are professors, doctors, I already mentioned this, etc. Anyways, tonight Mr. Rogers was checking the solar-powered lights and he offered to give me a tour, so we got to walk through all the wards and see some of the patients as we were passing through and he showed me some of the other rooms that were not in use for the evenings. One of his projects for the week is to fix an x-ray machine, the only one, that was made in 1972...and it’s German-made, so all of the manuals are in...you guessed it, German. Quite a task.
Not only will the patients have to walk for miles to get here, but they also have to bring someone to help them cook and take care of themselves. The hospital provides the beds (when they can) and the medical care. At first this may not seem right, and in extreme malnourishment cases or other special reasons, the hospital will provide food, but imagine if the hospital provided meals for all of its patients, how much extra money and staff that would cost with the little resources they already have. The hospital provides an outdoor cooking area and shelter for the “go-gos” as the patient caregivers are called. So that is one thing that is different, besides the x-ray machine from 1972.
In one room in the maternity ward, there are women literally back-to-back in a small space. These are expectant mothers who have come to stay at the hospital because they are having high-risk pregnancies and cannot make the long trek to the hospital when it gets closer to their due date. Back-to-back expecting women trying to sleep, literally no room, I can’t imagine falling asleep on the floor (no beds) surrounded by 30 other people (at least) so close together and with crying babies in the other room... In some hospitals in Malawi, the nurses are mean, they shout at the patients or expecting mothers, and do not allow any family to come near the mother while she is giving birth. It is a very unpleasant experience and in Malawian culture the family is always present at a baby’s birth, so many mothers choose not come to hospitals and instead stay home and give birth using untrained midwives and in unsanitary conditions. Usually having a baby is supposed to be a very joyous occasion, already painful enough, so why would you want to have someone shouting at you and keeping your family away? Not a very good way to encourage people to come to the hospital to get treatment...but it actually does happen in some hospitals.
Bob Marley and Failed Lesson Plans
Right now (Wednesday, May 27th at 2:00pm) I am sitting in the World Relief office in Mzimba listening to Bob Marley singing “It’s going to be a bright, bright sun shiny day.” The WR office here has about 6 rooms, two are offices, one is the main entrance which is used to store the motorbikes, and the other two are storage rooms, with a room with benches around the walls used as a common room. That is where I am right now, thinking of ways to keep my self busy and ideas of how to teach 2 to 5 year olds at the same time how to understand letters and numbers. The kids that I met this morning can recite the alphabet and numbers (1-20) almost perfectly (it gets a bit hazy in the MNOP’s and 14,15,16,17’s), but they do not recognize the letter or number symbols when they see them, so that is what I am thinking of – fun activities to teach them letters and numbers with limited amounts of papers and no writing utensils (is that the right word?) for the kids. Today, after one day of observing the classrooms, which are held in church buildings, I presented a lesson plan in front of a class of about 50 kids and their two caregivers. Yeah, didn’t go so well... 2 year olds are at a way different place than 5 year olds. When the caregivers go through training in July, they will be told to divide the children into age groups, which I think will be really helpful... Not only do the kids not recognize the symbols for 1,2,3... they can’t really count yet, meaning when they see three objects they haven’t really gained the knowledge to be able to count them. We did an activity where you count the raindrops in a cloud, and it took long enough to get the point across about what we were doing much less how long it took them to figure out how to count...lol. I think they spent too much time staring at the “muzungu” to be able to think about the numbers, as is often the case when a white person talks : ) Yesterday I made two kids cry because they had never seen a white person before, they wouldn’t come in the building where I was, so far I think I have done more to inhibit learning than enhance it haha. I was forewarned about the crying thing, so it was ok. :)
When it came to the letter part of the lesson plan, I discovered quickly how difficult it was to teach the alphabet from one language to the next because words that begin with A in English do not start with A in Tumbuka, so it is hard for me to find examples or ways to connect the alphabet with something concrete. I am thinking of leaving the alphabet to the caregivers and asking to do shapes and colors, I have oodles of activities for those topics. So many lessons learned today...I think Owen, the child development staff member in Mzimba realized today I am learning as I go, I think he figured that out pretty quick by the disaster that was this morning. A positive thing about this morning would be that we got a couple games in and the caregivers were thankful for that, they only had a couple so they said they could really use the ones that we did today. Also, I found it easier to give ideas to the caregivers so that they could then implement the different strategies in their classroom, as they know the kids better. As Owen pointed out, one of the struggles the child centers face is that there will be, in this case, 63 kids and 2 caregivers. In a center I heard them talk about yesterday there were 200 kids (aged 2-5 remember) and 4 caregivers. In the US there are, what, 20 children per caregiver, if that? 20 versus 50 children is a lot when you are talking about a bunch of children who cry, don’t pay attention, and like to run around. Yeah.... . Tomorrow, after we go to the other center and speak to the caregivers and ask how much their students know the alphabet and numbers, I will be able to hone my lesson plan and plan better for when I present on Friday. Today, I need to rewrite my blurb for the caregivers about interactive learning.
Last night, instead of going over my lesson plan for the zillionth time, I went to sleep right after dinner. This means about 7:30pm, I don’t think I’ve gone to bed that early since...I have no idea. Maybe because I am not sleeping through the whole night yet, I swear there was a large animal outside last night making the weirdest noise (it ended up being a crane, there are LOTS here and VERY LOUD). I woke up to this weird clunk on the roof and listened to noises for the next hour...no, I didn’t get up to check, too tired and too worried about bugs to dare venture out from my net-covered bed.
There is another group here, one with children, who I haven’t met yet. The other group I think as kind of adopted me as an extended member of their group, which I don’t mind, they’re pretty nice and have helped me get adjusted pretty well. After my failed lesson plans they share their stories and let me know that it’s not just me...there are always challenges when you are teaching in a foreign country...like the fact that they want to stare at you (the “muzungu”) more than the lesson plan you are teaching : )
When it came to the letter part of the lesson plan, I discovered quickly how difficult it was to teach the alphabet from one language to the next because words that begin with A in English do not start with A in Tumbuka, so it is hard for me to find examples or ways to connect the alphabet with something concrete. I am thinking of leaving the alphabet to the caregivers and asking to do shapes and colors, I have oodles of activities for those topics. So many lessons learned today...I think Owen, the child development staff member in Mzimba realized today I am learning as I go, I think he figured that out pretty quick by the disaster that was this morning. A positive thing about this morning would be that we got a couple games in and the caregivers were thankful for that, they only had a couple so they said they could really use the ones that we did today. Also, I found it easier to give ideas to the caregivers so that they could then implement the different strategies in their classroom, as they know the kids better. As Owen pointed out, one of the struggles the child centers face is that there will be, in this case, 63 kids and 2 caregivers. In a center I heard them talk about yesterday there were 200 kids (aged 2-5 remember) and 4 caregivers. In the US there are, what, 20 children per caregiver, if that? 20 versus 50 children is a lot when you are talking about a bunch of children who cry, don’t pay attention, and like to run around. Yeah.... . Tomorrow, after we go to the other center and speak to the caregivers and ask how much their students know the alphabet and numbers, I will be able to hone my lesson plan and plan better for when I present on Friday. Today, I need to rewrite my blurb for the caregivers about interactive learning.
Last night, instead of going over my lesson plan for the zillionth time, I went to sleep right after dinner. This means about 7:30pm, I don’t think I’ve gone to bed that early since...I have no idea. Maybe because I am not sleeping through the whole night yet, I swear there was a large animal outside last night making the weirdest noise (it ended up being a crane, there are LOTS here and VERY LOUD). I woke up to this weird clunk on the roof and listened to noises for the next hour...no, I didn’t get up to check, too tired and too worried about bugs to dare venture out from my net-covered bed.
There is another group here, one with children, who I haven’t met yet. The other group I think as kind of adopted me as an extended member of their group, which I don’t mind, they’re pretty nice and have helped me get adjusted pretty well. After my failed lesson plans they share their stories and let me know that it’s not just me...there are always challenges when you are teaching in a foreign country...like the fact that they want to stare at you (the “muzungu”) more than the lesson plan you are teaching : )
May 21st? Something like that...
I made it to Mzimba! After what seemed like the longest dirt road ever...you think I am exaggerating but this was no one lane small road, this was a dirt road, like York Road in MD or maybe one side of Poinsett in SC, minus all the cars, but made of dirt. Seriously, when a truck went by, plumes of dust or clouds of dust enveloped our car, which was a nisson pickup I think, not to mention the ones we left behind us. Driving up (north of Lilongwe) the three hours, we passed lots of small villages and lots of mountains. In Malawi its pretty flat or with only small hills and then there are big mountains, there is lots of brush, or grasses with small trees, multiple corn fields, and lots of cows. What? Cows and corn fields? No I am not talking about the Hereford Zone. Yes, there is a lot of corn and a lot of cows in Mzimba. Foster, who drove me up to Embangwane, explained that in the north, when someone wants to propose marriage, many times the husband to-be has to offer money to the wife-to-be’s family. However, if they don’t have the cash, they can give cows.... So there are many cows. But they don’t look like the ones in Hereford or the US, they have long horns. I meant to take more pictures, but we were driving kinda fast, so many of them were blurred. How much is 110 km/h in mph? Anyone? I will check. If it isn’t that fast, it seemed fast. The only time there was a posted speed limit was when we were passing through a town/village and then it was 50 k/h. I am going to have to learn the conversion rate for this and the conversion rate for temperature, too, it was 13 degrees Celsius this morning...
My welcoming to Embangwane were cries of “Uzungu!” from the children walking by the road. I expected it; in fact “uzungu” was the first word I really memorized. Uzungu = white person. However, I did not expect how LOUD they would scream it, haha. Then we went to the WR office in Em. and met the staff, who seem nice. Now, both offices I have visited in Malawi have a map of New Zealand in their office. When I asked Foster why this was, he said he didn’t know...so any guesses? Maybe because it is of similar size or shape to Malawi? I don’t know...But I like New Zealand, maybe I should go there next? Hmmm... I will find out. (turns out tearfund nz is a major donor to WR Mzimba)
So I am staying at a guest house, I forget the name, but it is not too far from the WR office. Ok, we are going to break down some expectations/misperceptions here, bear with me. #1 – when I heard you will be working out in the field, I pictured “the field,” you know (or maybe not), the middle of no where, not always running water, not always electricity...lol. ok, so maybe stupid, but whatever. Then (#2), I heard I will be staying at a guest house that is used as a retreat house for people traveling to Malawi for mission trips and such, people clean your room, always running water, and always electricity (which is true). My mind goes in the far opposite direction... very nice, like almost posh, because, hey, people coming from the US for retreats in Africa, they like tip-top conditions, right? *I am telling you this all in good humor, I am making fun of myself, too, maybe exaggerating....a little, but be nice, ok?* haha I was forgetting that usually when I have gone on retreats (as an American in America), it was not like the hotel I for some reason saw in my head. Hehe. So now I have settled into a place, with a very nice room, that is somewhere in the middle, maybe. Everything in real life is completely different than how you picture it in your head for the most part, it’s hard to see what you haven’t seen yet! This is all new to me : )
Ok, so now, here’s how to picture it. And if you don’t care, I’m just saying this is where I will be staying for the next couple months and it isn’t really important, but if you’re bored or do care...keep reading. At this point I am feeling like I am talking to myself...I will keep describing the guest house now.
I would liken it to going on a retreat and staying somewhere like River Valley Ranch for all the Marylanders and Asbury Hills for you in or around SC. But subtract the bunk beds and add mosquito nets. :) And I have my own room and bathroom.
The retreat house was built by the Presbyterians originally I think, but now as I said it is used for mission trips or retreats for “my friends” as Foster puts it, aka white people. Yes, I am pretty sure, 90%, that almost all the guests here are my white friends from the US (Virginia actually, and Presbyterian). To be fair, they are all on the same mission trip and have been here for a while and come back every year and are very nice people. At first I wasn’t sure how it would be to stay in the guest house, but I think it will be nice to talk to them and hear what they have to say, especially since they have been in the area longer than I have. The group works mostly in the hospital and schools nearby doing various projects. Many of them are experienced doctors, among them a neurologist, and a pediatrician, and engineers and such. I ate dinner and had devotions with them this evening and it was nice to be able to relax and do something other than stay in my room. I was worried about being bored after the day ends at WR, but now at least I know I will have company at dinner.
Tomorrow is my first day at World Relief in Mzimba, so I will be finding out more about what I will be doing exactly for the next few days and in the following weeks. Haha, this morning I didn’t even know who I was driving to Malawi with or when we were leaving... That kinda drove me crazy. I am learning to go with the flow and be relaxed about times and planning, or I am trying, kinda sorta...maybe. I will have to because apparently on Sunday, someone said church started 2 hours late...yeah that late and its not worth the anxiety about being on time for anything... not that that means I won’t show up for work on time, of course.
By the way, there are a lot of bugs in Africa, just saying. I would squash the ones in the corner of my room now, but more will probably just come back tomorrow so I am leaving them there for now. No worries, they are hopefully too far away from me to crawl on me (mosquito net protection) or hide in my suitcase...but ya never know. Not that there aren’t a lot of bugs in the US, but I am not in the US now, so therefore I am saying there are a lot of bugs here, where I am in Africa. And it is late (about 8:30pm), the sun has been set for about 3 hours, I think I am calling it a night. : )
My welcoming to Embangwane were cries of “Uzungu!” from the children walking by the road. I expected it; in fact “uzungu” was the first word I really memorized. Uzungu = white person. However, I did not expect how LOUD they would scream it, haha. Then we went to the WR office in Em. and met the staff, who seem nice. Now, both offices I have visited in Malawi have a map of New Zealand in their office. When I asked Foster why this was, he said he didn’t know...so any guesses? Maybe because it is of similar size or shape to Malawi? I don’t know...But I like New Zealand, maybe I should go there next? Hmmm... I will find out. (turns out tearfund nz is a major donor to WR Mzimba)
So I am staying at a guest house, I forget the name, but it is not too far from the WR office. Ok, we are going to break down some expectations/misperceptions here, bear with me. #1 – when I heard you will be working out in the field, I pictured “the field,” you know (or maybe not), the middle of no where, not always running water, not always electricity...lol. ok, so maybe stupid, but whatever. Then (#2), I heard I will be staying at a guest house that is used as a retreat house for people traveling to Malawi for mission trips and such, people clean your room, always running water, and always electricity (which is true). My mind goes in the far opposite direction... very nice, like almost posh, because, hey, people coming from the US for retreats in Africa, they like tip-top conditions, right? *I am telling you this all in good humor, I am making fun of myself, too, maybe exaggerating....a little, but be nice, ok?* haha I was forgetting that usually when I have gone on retreats (as an American in America), it was not like the hotel I for some reason saw in my head. Hehe. So now I have settled into a place, with a very nice room, that is somewhere in the middle, maybe. Everything in real life is completely different than how you picture it in your head for the most part, it’s hard to see what you haven’t seen yet! This is all new to me : )
Ok, so now, here’s how to picture it. And if you don’t care, I’m just saying this is where I will be staying for the next couple months and it isn’t really important, but if you’re bored or do care...keep reading. At this point I am feeling like I am talking to myself...I will keep describing the guest house now.
I would liken it to going on a retreat and staying somewhere like River Valley Ranch for all the Marylanders and Asbury Hills for you in or around SC. But subtract the bunk beds and add mosquito nets. :) And I have my own room and bathroom.
The retreat house was built by the Presbyterians originally I think, but now as I said it is used for mission trips or retreats for “my friends” as Foster puts it, aka white people. Yes, I am pretty sure, 90%, that almost all the guests here are my white friends from the US (Virginia actually, and Presbyterian). To be fair, they are all on the same mission trip and have been here for a while and come back every year and are very nice people. At first I wasn’t sure how it would be to stay in the guest house, but I think it will be nice to talk to them and hear what they have to say, especially since they have been in the area longer than I have. The group works mostly in the hospital and schools nearby doing various projects. Many of them are experienced doctors, among them a neurologist, and a pediatrician, and engineers and such. I ate dinner and had devotions with them this evening and it was nice to be able to relax and do something other than stay in my room. I was worried about being bored after the day ends at WR, but now at least I know I will have company at dinner.
Tomorrow is my first day at World Relief in Mzimba, so I will be finding out more about what I will be doing exactly for the next few days and in the following weeks. Haha, this morning I didn’t even know who I was driving to Malawi with or when we were leaving... That kinda drove me crazy. I am learning to go with the flow and be relaxed about times and planning, or I am trying, kinda sorta...maybe. I will have to because apparently on Sunday, someone said church started 2 hours late...yeah that late and its not worth the anxiety about being on time for anything... not that that means I won’t show up for work on time, of course.
By the way, there are a lot of bugs in Africa, just saying. I would squash the ones in the corner of my room now, but more will probably just come back tomorrow so I am leaving them there for now. No worries, they are hopefully too far away from me to crawl on me (mosquito net protection) or hide in my suitcase...but ya never know. Not that there aren’t a lot of bugs in the US, but I am not in the US now, so therefore I am saying there are a lot of bugs here, where I am in Africa. And it is late (about 8:30pm), the sun has been set for about 3 hours, I think I am calling it a night. : )
Monday, May 25, 2009
Church and Leaving for Mzimba
Ok, so I am not leaving for Mzimba quite yet, but in a couple of hours. So I have more time on the internet...what? I am pathetically attached to the internet you say? Yes, I might agree with that. Instead of helping me to get over my pathetic attachment I am afraid this trip might make me more pathetically attached when I get home, which may be impossible...but there is still time to get over this. Besides it is approximately 5am in the States so no one is really up...
So church yesterday... I went with my host family, the Lumunga's (I finally found out their last name) to their church which is an Assembly of God church. I have never been to this kind of church so it was a different experience for me altogether. There were two sermons or messages, separated by music, some of which I could understand, most of not. The messages were done in both Engish and Chichewa. The translator served I would say as a second pastor, and though he was speaking in Chichewa, I got the sense that he was adding to what the other pastor was saying and that is was more of a partnership than just a repetition of what the other was saying, which I thought was neat. The first message was about the journey of Paul as he was teaching in one of the cities and then stoned to death by some of his opposition (Acts 14:19). Instead of leaving that city after he was healed, Paul returned to the same city. Ok, if people stoned you and left you for dead, would you return to that city and try and talk to them some more? Or if people said hateful things towards you, physically fought you almost to death, would you go back and try and help them to be saved? umm...probably not, that wouldn't be smart, right? But, to extend this a bit further, are you (me) going to stay in your comfort zone and do what is easy? Or would you step out, challenge yourself, and do God's work for those who really need it, where you can make the most difference, even if it is the most challenging work ever? That is what I am asking myself, should I stay in my comfort zone, which I would rather do, or maybe pursue something that would be completely out of my comfort zone. I am talking mostly about after graduation, which is scarily close...
The second message was titled "From Zero to Hero" and was about living in default or by design and the power of prayer. It was based on this man in the bible who was named as someone who lived or was born into sorrow, he prayed and was relieved of his sorrow by God. In short, we can change our lives and decide not to live life by default, going along mindlessly, but to live by design, making powerful decisions and praying for God to be active in our lives... no one has to be a zero, everyone can be a hero, it is a choice.
Ok, now for the part of the service that was a bit out of my comfort zone...speaking of those. I don't know if this is a part of all Assembly of God churches and I don't mean to offend anyone, but the part of the service where people go up and pray and the elders lay their hands on them, and then some people fall over and lay on the floor in prayer...is hard for me to take, and makes me a little uncomfortable. It's just not in my faith practice and I tend to look for an escape route whenever I see this on tv or elsewhere. It was difficult for me to see it up close and I think this is one of the questions I face when thinking about my own faith and I don't really have defined position on it. There wasn't really a purpose to this paragraph, besides just to put it out there...
After the service, I enjoyed meeting everyone (not every one - that would be 300 people) and then going home and relaxing for the rest of the day.
I posted pictures on facebook, for some reason they wouldn't load on here because of the connection. :(
So church yesterday... I went with my host family, the Lumunga's (I finally found out their last name) to their church which is an Assembly of God church. I have never been to this kind of church so it was a different experience for me altogether. There were two sermons or messages, separated by music, some of which I could understand, most of not. The messages were done in both Engish and Chichewa. The translator served I would say as a second pastor, and though he was speaking in Chichewa, I got the sense that he was adding to what the other pastor was saying and that is was more of a partnership than just a repetition of what the other was saying, which I thought was neat. The first message was about the journey of Paul as he was teaching in one of the cities and then stoned to death by some of his opposition (Acts 14:19). Instead of leaving that city after he was healed, Paul returned to the same city. Ok, if people stoned you and left you for dead, would you return to that city and try and talk to them some more? Or if people said hateful things towards you, physically fought you almost to death, would you go back and try and help them to be saved? umm...probably not, that wouldn't be smart, right? But, to extend this a bit further, are you (me) going to stay in your comfort zone and do what is easy? Or would you step out, challenge yourself, and do God's work for those who really need it, where you can make the most difference, even if it is the most challenging work ever? That is what I am asking myself, should I stay in my comfort zone, which I would rather do, or maybe pursue something that would be completely out of my comfort zone. I am talking mostly about after graduation, which is scarily close...
The second message was titled "From Zero to Hero" and was about living in default or by design and the power of prayer. It was based on this man in the bible who was named as someone who lived or was born into sorrow, he prayed and was relieved of his sorrow by God. In short, we can change our lives and decide not to live life by default, going along mindlessly, but to live by design, making powerful decisions and praying for God to be active in our lives... no one has to be a zero, everyone can be a hero, it is a choice.
Ok, now for the part of the service that was a bit out of my comfort zone...speaking of those. I don't know if this is a part of all Assembly of God churches and I don't mean to offend anyone, but the part of the service where people go up and pray and the elders lay their hands on them, and then some people fall over and lay on the floor in prayer...is hard for me to take, and makes me a little uncomfortable. It's just not in my faith practice and I tend to look for an escape route whenever I see this on tv or elsewhere. It was difficult for me to see it up close and I think this is one of the questions I face when thinking about my own faith and I don't really have defined position on it. There wasn't really a purpose to this paragraph, besides just to put it out there...
After the service, I enjoyed meeting everyone (not every one - that would be 300 people) and then going home and relaxing for the rest of the day.
I posted pictures on facebook, for some reason they wouldn't load on here because of the connection. :(
The Market and Blackouts
Today (Saturday, May 23, 2009) my supervisor took me into Lilongwe to the old section of town. There I bought some cloth and walked around a little. The market was fun, very crammed with people and shops selling various items, from cloth, to accessories, to house wares. There was hardly any room for two people to pass in the alley ways and the smell in the air was a mix of a fish market and a wet dog, if you would like to imagine that, except for the fruit section which didn’t smell that bad. Picture a bunch of small shacks lined up side by side with wall-to-wall items for sale. A lot of thieves and beggars are in the city, some with an illness and some who look no different than anybody else. But it was good for me to see, and I don’t think I’ve seen anything quite parallel in the US, or at least up close.
Later in the evening when I got back, there was a blackout, meaning all the electricity went out in the city. Blackouts are common in Malawi and usually last for a couple hours, though the last few we’ve had here haven’t been that long. But it’s not that bad, I have a flashlight that has come in handy, and it just reminds me of when the power goes out at my house during a storm.
We have nzima a lot, I think it is getting harder for me to eat because we have it one or two times everyday for lunch and dinner. In Mzimba I will be staying at a guest house that serves as a retreat house and missions house, so I am looking forward to the new environment and maybe having a bit more independence. I have loved staying with my host family, but there is something to be said for having your own room. They are used to having people from all over coming to stay at the guest house, so maybe the menu will be a bit more varied. Also hoping to be able to do laundry, as I haven’t done any yet...
Later in the evening when I got back, there was a blackout, meaning all the electricity went out in the city. Blackouts are common in Malawi and usually last for a couple hours, though the last few we’ve had here haven’t been that long. But it’s not that bad, I have a flashlight that has come in handy, and it just reminds me of when the power goes out at my house during a storm.
We have nzima a lot, I think it is getting harder for me to eat because we have it one or two times everyday for lunch and dinner. In Mzimba I will be staying at a guest house that serves as a retreat house and missions house, so I am looking forward to the new environment and maybe having a bit more independence. I have loved staying with my host family, but there is something to be said for having your own room. They are used to having people from all over coming to stay at the guest house, so maybe the menu will be a bit more varied. Also hoping to be able to do laundry, as I haven’t done any yet...
Friday, May 22, 2009
Malawi Presidential Inauguration!!
Today the Malawi president was sworn in!! It is a day that has been long awaited with much anticipation by the Malawi people. The swearing in ceremony took place right before lunch so every one was coming in and watching, commenting on the what was going on. Lunch was very lively, needless to say, everyone was discussing and reacting to the president's speech and what he said or promised. This is the president's (Bingu) second term, each term in Malawi is 5 years. So the first part of his speech was about what had been accomplished in his last term. He said that Malawi was not a poor country because of its increasing economic growth, that it has been making fast progress. Bingu praised Malawi for its practice of democracy and said that it should continue to be a symbol of the country. He mentioned the treatment of HIV/AIDS, the importance of education in socioeconomic development, and emphasized the need for food security and self sufficiency. and all that interesting stuff that i am sure you all want to know about... The remarks were met with both enthusiasm and some skepticism but it was fun to hear everyone debate and have good conversation. : )
My last day with full internet access for a while!! I am leaving for Embangweni, Mzimba on Monday and they don't really have internet, or it doesn't work, rather. So today besides watching the inauguration I have basically just been on the computer soaking up what I can of life with internet. I supposed I could be doing something productive like school work that I need to do for the fall....but noooo, who in their right mind would choose that over doing nothing? Later. When I am realllly bored and have no internet.
Random: the currency here is called kwacha, right now the exchange rate is $1 = 178 kwacha
To greet people here you say "muli bwanji" which is how are you? and respond "ndili bwino" meaning I am fine. I remember the response because it sounds like the Spanish word for good, bueno, I think. And then you say "kaya inu" which is basically asking how are you back to the person who first did the asking. So practice, ready?
Me: Muli bwanji
You: Ndili bwino, kaya inu?
Me: Bwino, thank you
People speak a mix of Chichewa and English here as English is the business language and Chichewa is the conversational and national language. But in Mzimba they speak a completely different language called Tumbuka (I think). I don't know any words in Tumbuka at all...sooo maybe I'll learn! Later friends!
My last day with full internet access for a while!! I am leaving for Embangweni, Mzimba on Monday and they don't really have internet, or it doesn't work, rather. So today besides watching the inauguration I have basically just been on the computer soaking up what I can of life with internet. I supposed I could be doing something productive like school work that I need to do for the fall....but noooo, who in their right mind would choose that over doing nothing? Later. When I am realllly bored and have no internet.
Random: the currency here is called kwacha, right now the exchange rate is $1 = 178 kwacha
To greet people here you say "muli bwanji" which is how are you? and respond "ndili bwino" meaning I am fine. I remember the response because it sounds like the Spanish word for good, bueno, I think. And then you say "kaya inu" which is basically asking how are you back to the person who first did the asking. So practice, ready?
Me: Muli bwanji
You: Ndili bwino, kaya inu?
Me: Bwino, thank you
People speak a mix of Chichewa and English here as English is the business language and Chichewa is the conversational and national language. But in Mzimba they speak a completely different language called Tumbuka (I think). I don't know any words in Tumbuka at all...sooo maybe I'll learn! Later friends!
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Wednesday, May 20th
Yesterday was voting day in Malawi. Everyone was off work and school, so while the adults went to vote, I was at home with Freda, Jeremy, and Michael, just hanging out and relaxing. The anticipation and excitement about voting and the election in Malawi is great. Everyone was very excited to vote and sees it as very important in the future of their country. They are also very proud to vote. The prayer is that as the results are released there is no violence, that the winners can accept the results with humility, and that the losers can accept the results with tolerance and grace. The prayer is to avoid the violence that has been in seen in Kenya and other African countries, that Malawi will remain a peaceful country. So if you pray, pray for peace in Malawi during this time, and that the leader elected will do well for the Malawi people :)
In the afternoon, we took a walk around the area, through a couple of neighborhoods. The area I am staying in Lilongwe seems pretty nice, though I would not want to be out after dark, because as in any city, it is not the most safe. All houses here are surrounded by a wall, and all of the gardens look very well maintained, lots of flowers and bushes, as one would see in any nice US neighborhood. While we (Freda and I) walked, two women approached and shook hands. They apparently asked (they asked in Chichewa) if I was married or looking for a husband... not married yet, and probably not while I am in Malawi...
Last night for dinner we had spaghetti :) They asked my favorite food and prepared spaghetti after I listed it, which was extremely nice of them. My host family has been so kind, going out of their way to be hospitable, for which I am very thankful.
This morning (Wednesday) to start off at WR, we had bible study. After singing, they went around the circle of staff and shared about voting yesterday. It was fun hearing the different stories. Some people got up at 4am to get to the que (sp?) before the crowd came. Some people waited as long as 3 hours in line to vote, others it took only 15 minutes, depending on when and what voting station you went to. They vote by dipping their fingers in ink and then choose their presidential candidate as well as a member for parliament, so today many people have slightly stained fingers. They said that they were happy that so many people voted, the huge turnout was a surprise, and for many it was their first time voting, even if they had been able to before. The atmosphere here during the election time feels a lot like it did in the US last fall, with people voting who had never voted before and being excited about the future of their country. The choices are between the incumbent president and the opposition, which as seven candidates. The term for presidency is 5 years in Malawi, and I think the general feeling is that the incumbent president will win, but there is no way of knowing until the results come out in a couple of days.
Still no internet in the office; my wireless connection isn’t working for some reason. If you have noticed, I am writing most of these posts at an earlier date, and then posting them as soon as I have access. Right now, I am using my supervisor's ethernet cord, meaning she has no internet while I am using it :(
I am excited to get started in Mzimba. At times I am not sure whether I have the experience or the ability to work successfully and do well for World Relief, but now I feel equipped and ready to work, even if I may not be as prepared as if I was an education major. Nothing has changed except for my outlook. My hesitation has left, which is not to say it won’t come back, but that attitude and one’s perspective about any activity or objective plays a major role in one’s future success and ability to accomplish any action.
In the afternoon, we took a walk around the area, through a couple of neighborhoods. The area I am staying in Lilongwe seems pretty nice, though I would not want to be out after dark, because as in any city, it is not the most safe. All houses here are surrounded by a wall, and all of the gardens look very well maintained, lots of flowers and bushes, as one would see in any nice US neighborhood. While we (Freda and I) walked, two women approached and shook hands. They apparently asked (they asked in Chichewa) if I was married or looking for a husband... not married yet, and probably not while I am in Malawi...
Last night for dinner we had spaghetti :) They asked my favorite food and prepared spaghetti after I listed it, which was extremely nice of them. My host family has been so kind, going out of their way to be hospitable, for which I am very thankful.
This morning (Wednesday) to start off at WR, we had bible study. After singing, they went around the circle of staff and shared about voting yesterday. It was fun hearing the different stories. Some people got up at 4am to get to the que (sp?) before the crowd came. Some people waited as long as 3 hours in line to vote, others it took only 15 minutes, depending on when and what voting station you went to. They vote by dipping their fingers in ink and then choose their presidential candidate as well as a member for parliament, so today many people have slightly stained fingers. They said that they were happy that so many people voted, the huge turnout was a surprise, and for many it was their first time voting, even if they had been able to before. The atmosphere here during the election time feels a lot like it did in the US last fall, with people voting who had never voted before and being excited about the future of their country. The choices are between the incumbent president and the opposition, which as seven candidates. The term for presidency is 5 years in Malawi, and I think the general feeling is that the incumbent president will win, but there is no way of knowing until the results come out in a couple of days.
Still no internet in the office; my wireless connection isn’t working for some reason. If you have noticed, I am writing most of these posts at an earlier date, and then posting them as soon as I have access. Right now, I am using my supervisor's ethernet cord, meaning she has no internet while I am using it :(
I am excited to get started in Mzimba. At times I am not sure whether I have the experience or the ability to work successfully and do well for World Relief, but now I feel equipped and ready to work, even if I may not be as prepared as if I was an education major. Nothing has changed except for my outlook. My hesitation has left, which is not to say it won’t come back, but that attitude and one’s perspective about any activity or objective plays a major role in one’s future success and ability to accomplish any action.
Tuesday, May 19th
Host Family
While I am in Lilongwe, I am staying with a host family. There are 3 children – Freda, Jeremy, and Michael. Freda is 18 and we share a room. We get along well The younger two are 11 and 7 and are very nice, they like to play video games a lot. One of the games is Harry Potter, which I don’t think I’m all that bad at actually. It has been good so far. Everyone is really nice and they have gone out of their way to make my stay comfortable. For dinner last night, we had nzima, the staple food of Malawi. It is a mixture of corn flour, and is sort of like a thick kind of grits, but in a consistency that you can pick it up with your hands. It’s not bad, a little dry by itself, but ok when eaten with a sauce or other foods. Last night it was chicken. So far so good on the food front, haven’t gotten a stomachache, and I am hoping that I haven’t eaten or drank anything so far that will make me sick. We drink a lot of tea here which makes me happy The view out the back yard is wonderful, it’s a field with a lot of grasses and corn stalks. Jane, who works at WR, does a lot of gardening, so the landscaping here is beautiful.
Before going to bed, the family has a bible study in their living room led by the dad. The passage that we studied last night was Acts 11, followed by Acts 12. The chapters were about the apostle Peter and his visit to people who were unclean. When his actions were questioned by other believers, he answered that God had told him that he was not to call anything impure that God had made clean (Acts 11:9), meaning who are we to question or judge God’s creation or our fellow human beings? If God has given others the same gift that He has given us, how could we oppose Him and treat them differently? It speaks to me in that I know I need a constant reminder not to judge others, no matter how easy it might be to do so, and that we are all the children of God, no matter where we are in our lives, and what we do. It is only our job to love one another with a full heart and let God judge who has been good and bad. Acts chapter 3 tells of Peter’s arrest and then his rescue from prison by an angel of the Lord. As the dad described, God will always be with us, no matter where we are, and He will provide. In order to live, we need to depend on Him and live through Him, or else we will not have what we need to help others and be fulfilled in our lives. When Peter was in prison, he was being guarded by two soldiers and was chained to the wall. The angel woke him, his chains were broken, and the angel led him out of prison. It also said that Peter really had no idea what the angel was doing was actually happening to him, that the angel was actually freeing him from prison; he thought it was a dream. I think that many times, we do not know what the Lord is doing in our lives. We cannot see that what He is doing is real, that He is leading us through life in His way. For me, I think that going to Africa and working with WR has been a kind of a dream. When first thinking about going to Africa, I did not see it is as a reality or as a place where God was leading me. Though I do not know how God will use my trip to Malawi in the future, I know that He has led me here now. So that is where I am. Here, in Malawi, Africa.
While I am in Lilongwe, I am staying with a host family. There are 3 children – Freda, Jeremy, and Michael. Freda is 18 and we share a room. We get along well The younger two are 11 and 7 and are very nice, they like to play video games a lot. One of the games is Harry Potter, which I don’t think I’m all that bad at actually. It has been good so far. Everyone is really nice and they have gone out of their way to make my stay comfortable. For dinner last night, we had nzima, the staple food of Malawi. It is a mixture of corn flour, and is sort of like a thick kind of grits, but in a consistency that you can pick it up with your hands. It’s not bad, a little dry by itself, but ok when eaten with a sauce or other foods. Last night it was chicken. So far so good on the food front, haven’t gotten a stomachache, and I am hoping that I haven’t eaten or drank anything so far that will make me sick. We drink a lot of tea here which makes me happy The view out the back yard is wonderful, it’s a field with a lot of grasses and corn stalks. Jane, who works at WR, does a lot of gardening, so the landscaping here is beautiful.
Before going to bed, the family has a bible study in their living room led by the dad. The passage that we studied last night was Acts 11, followed by Acts 12. The chapters were about the apostle Peter and his visit to people who were unclean. When his actions were questioned by other believers, he answered that God had told him that he was not to call anything impure that God had made clean (Acts 11:9), meaning who are we to question or judge God’s creation or our fellow human beings? If God has given others the same gift that He has given us, how could we oppose Him and treat them differently? It speaks to me in that I know I need a constant reminder not to judge others, no matter how easy it might be to do so, and that we are all the children of God, no matter where we are in our lives, and what we do. It is only our job to love one another with a full heart and let God judge who has been good and bad. Acts chapter 3 tells of Peter’s arrest and then his rescue from prison by an angel of the Lord. As the dad described, God will always be with us, no matter where we are, and He will provide. In order to live, we need to depend on Him and live through Him, or else we will not have what we need to help others and be fulfilled in our lives. When Peter was in prison, he was being guarded by two soldiers and was chained to the wall. The angel woke him, his chains were broken, and the angel led him out of prison. It also said that Peter really had no idea what the angel was doing was actually happening to him, that the angel was actually freeing him from prison; he thought it was a dream. I think that many times, we do not know what the Lord is doing in our lives. We cannot see that what He is doing is real, that He is leading us through life in His way. For me, I think that going to Africa and working with WR has been a kind of a dream. When first thinking about going to Africa, I did not see it is as a reality or as a place where God was leading me. Though I do not know how God will use my trip to Malawi in the future, I know that He has led me here now. So that is where I am. Here, in Malawi, Africa.
Monday, May 18th
Yay, I made it to Malawi! No more falling off buses or anything like that. I am at the World Relief offices in Lilongwe, hanging out and doing my best without the internet (I wrote this blog ahead of time on 5/18). My suitcase is heavier than I thought it would it be; which I found out when my supervisor was trying to carry it for me. Note #1 – pack lighter suitcases in case someone offers to carry it for you. I can see it being a pain in the next couple weeks, but oh well. Everyone at the office seems pretty nice and friendly, though the language barrier makes it a bit harder to fit right in. But hopefully as I get to know more people at the office and am around more often, it will be easier.
On another note – this week is election week in Malawi, tomorrow is voting day! I will probably be in Lilongwe for the next week so I will be around to find out the results and such. It will be interesting to see how the city reacts. Deborah (my supervisor) says it is much different than the US in that the celebration is louder, or at least no matter where you are, you will be able to hear it. She compared it to when Malawi wins a soccer match against an opponent, and that really made me want to go watch a soccer game...sigh.
But so far, so good! I need to work on taking pictures and stop caring about looking like a tourist, which is probably unavoidable since I am obviously not from Malawi. I have two more months, so I am hoping that is enough time to stock up and use up all the memory on my camera and my computer
On another note – this week is election week in Malawi, tomorrow is voting day! I will probably be in Lilongwe for the next week so I will be around to find out the results and such. It will be interesting to see how the city reacts. Deborah (my supervisor) says it is much different than the US in that the celebration is louder, or at least no matter where you are, you will be able to hear it. She compared it to when Malawi wins a soccer match against an opponent, and that really made me want to go watch a soccer game...sigh.
But so far, so good! I need to work on taking pictures and stop caring about looking like a tourist, which is probably unavoidable since I am obviously not from Malawi. I have two more months, so I am hoping that is enough time to stock up and use up all the memory on my camera and my computer
Sunday, May 17th
So, the first thing I did in Ethiopia? Besides getting off the plane, walking through the airport, yadda yadda....
I fell off a bus.
Yes, I fell flat on my face while I was stepping off the bus to go to the hotel where I am staying the night.
The good news? I am at the hotel and safe.
The bad news? Just about the whole staff and all my fellow travelers saw me trip over myself, and I don't think I had a very graceful recovery...but oh well. Embarrassing moment #1 in a foreign country over with. But the plane went fine, no problemo. Tomorrow morning I will leave for Malawi and it will be a much shorter flight, about 3 hours versus the 15 of today.
Driving through the city tonight was interesting, maybe a little spooky. It was pretty late, about 10pm, so it was almost completely dark except for the lights in the shops or street stands that were still on. Looking into the shops was almost like looking into a still-life scene as we drove by, with a few people still out and about. I'll see it again tomorrow in the daylight driving to the airport, but it's different driving through than it would be to actually walk around. I'm looking forward to spending more time in Malawi and getting to know some of the people there and more of the area. :)
Sleep tonight and Malawi tomorrow! Later friends!
I fell off a bus.
Yes, I fell flat on my face while I was stepping off the bus to go to the hotel where I am staying the night.
The good news? I am at the hotel and safe.
The bad news? Just about the whole staff and all my fellow travelers saw me trip over myself, and I don't think I had a very graceful recovery...but oh well. Embarrassing moment #1 in a foreign country over with. But the plane went fine, no problemo. Tomorrow morning I will leave for Malawi and it will be a much shorter flight, about 3 hours versus the 15 of today.
Driving through the city tonight was interesting, maybe a little spooky. It was pretty late, about 10pm, so it was almost completely dark except for the lights in the shops or street stands that were still on. Looking into the shops was almost like looking into a still-life scene as we drove by, with a few people still out and about. I'll see it again tomorrow in the daylight driving to the airport, but it's different driving through than it would be to actually walk around. I'm looking forward to spending more time in Malawi and getting to know some of the people there and more of the area. :)
Sleep tonight and Malawi tomorrow! Later friends!
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Itinerary, etc.
So here it is...
I'll be leaving on Saturday (May 16th) from Dulles Airport in Washington, D.C. From Dulles I will be going to Ethiopa. I've never been there before! Or to any country in Africa for that matter.... I've never traveled outside of the country independently, so prayers that it all goes smoothly!
Back to the itinerary...I think there is a pit-stop in Rome...but I don't think I will get to experience much there...maybe just the airport.
The flight from Dulles to Ethiopia is about 15 hours all in all (wow!) Departure from Dulles is at 8pm so I am hoping to sleep for most of it... And then the next day, once I land in Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia, I will have an overnight lay-over on Sunday night, and then depart for Malawi on Monday morning, arriving in Lilongwe Monday early afternoon. So yes, I will be spending a night in Ethiopia, but a hotel is paid for and included in my fare, which makes my mind go a little easier. No worries, I will be safe, promise.
On another note...this is my first time really doing a blog, so hang in there if I don't get to it often or if it's not very exciting. I know the internet access in Malawi will be very limited, but I will try and keep you all updated as much as possible and post pictures, etc. :)
So, am I excited to be going? YES! So excited! I can't wait to get there and meet everyone and spend another summer working with World Relief. More on that later...now to finish packing...or start.
I'll be leaving on Saturday (May 16th) from Dulles Airport in Washington, D.C. From Dulles I will be going to Ethiopa. I've never been there before! Or to any country in Africa for that matter.... I've never traveled outside of the country independently, so prayers that it all goes smoothly!
Back to the itinerary...I think there is a pit-stop in Rome...but I don't think I will get to experience much there...maybe just the airport.
The flight from Dulles to Ethiopia is about 15 hours all in all (wow!) Departure from Dulles is at 8pm so I am hoping to sleep for most of it... And then the next day, once I land in Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia, I will have an overnight lay-over on Sunday night, and then depart for Malawi on Monday morning, arriving in Lilongwe Monday early afternoon. So yes, I will be spending a night in Ethiopia, but a hotel is paid for and included in my fare, which makes my mind go a little easier. No worries, I will be safe, promise.
On another note...this is my first time really doing a blog, so hang in there if I don't get to it often or if it's not very exciting. I know the internet access in Malawi will be very limited, but I will try and keep you all updated as much as possible and post pictures, etc. :)
So, am I excited to be going? YES! So excited! I can't wait to get there and meet everyone and spend another summer working with World Relief. More on that later...now to finish packing...or start.
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