.January.3.
Last night I forced myself to stay up until 10 (a big feat) and I don't think I've ever slept so good! A small group of us went this morning to go get money exchanged (legally) and then went to the grocery store. After everyone ate we were going to go on a walking tour of 'old town' but we had to wait for the rain to stop. One of the benefits of going to Malawi during the rainy season (December-March)- everything is so lush and green! It's so beautiful! When it finally did stop, Reiner (a World Camp intern from Holland), took us out and gave us a tour around town and through a market. The vendors come up to you saying "My friend! My friend! Come look at my stall!" They love azungus (white people).
This afternoon a beautiful woman named Grace came and spoke with us! She was a primary teacher for 26 years and now works for the Ministry of Education teaching about HIV/AIDS. Grace herself is HIV positive and she told us that she like to tell people that are also positive, that "Your life is not over!! You can still live your life!!" There is free access to drugs that fight against HIV if they chose to access it. People don't like going into these health clinics to get the medicine because then other people in their village will know that they are sick. They would rather pay for the medicine so people won't know. It seems so backwards. We ran across this throughout our time in Malawi: People need to change their mindsets in order for a change to be made.
This afternoon a beautiful woman named Grace came and spoke with us! She was a primary teacher for 26 years and now works for the Ministry of Education teaching about HIV/AIDS. Grace herself is HIV positive and she told us that she like to tell people that are also positive, that "Your life is not over!! You can still live your life!!" There is free access to drugs that fight against HIV if they chose to access it. People don't like going into these health clinics to get the medicine because then other people in their village will know that they are sick. They would rather pay for the medicine so people won't know. It seems so backwards. We ran across this throughout our time in Malawi: People need to change their mindsets in order for a change to be made.
She also talked to us about the education system in Malawi which was very interesting because it is so different than our own. There is a teacher shortage (has been ever since primary education became free) so the teacher:student ratio in rural villages is about 1:60 & in the cities is about 1:100-200. Holy cow. Another thing I found interesting was that they teach abstinence in primary schools which is so great!
Grace has the sweetest soul and I'm so glad we had the opportunity to hear from her while we were there!!
After Grace left, we took a van a little ways to a local market. And I'm talkin lo-cal. No other azungus. Anywhere. Close alleys in between wooden stalls. People everywhere. Raw fish sitting on a stand. With hundreds of flies all over them. Plus the smell of fish. And who knows what else. Trash all over the ground that you have to walk over. Being the obvious minority with everyone's eyes following you when you walked by and calling you 'Azungu!'. Completely unlike anything I've ever experienced before. I'll never forget it. We walked through the market to where they sold fabric. Beautiful African fabrics! We all tried out our hand with bargaining {aka me says okay! to whatever price they told me. i'm not a good bargainer. sad.} and learned some Chichewea basics (the language of Malawi). When we got back to the house Lolli was there. He is a tailor & is amazing. We gave him our fabric, told him what we wanted out of it (skirts, dresses, pillow cases, napkins, bags, etc.) and he can make it! He's very talented. We had some good quiche made by John (the cook for the house. sweetest man), a debriefing meeting and then off to bed!
Grace has the sweetest soul and I'm so glad we had the opportunity to hear from her while we were there!!
After Grace left, we took a van a little ways to a local market. And I'm talkin lo-cal. No other azungus. Anywhere. Close alleys in between wooden stalls. People everywhere. Raw fish sitting on a stand. With hundreds of flies all over them. Plus the smell of fish. And who knows what else. Trash all over the ground that you have to walk over. Being the obvious minority with everyone's eyes following you when you walked by and calling you 'Azungu!'. Completely unlike anything I've ever experienced before. I'll never forget it. We walked through the market to where they sold fabric. Beautiful African fabrics! We all tried out our hand with bargaining {aka me says okay! to whatever price they told me. i'm not a good bargainer. sad.} and learned some Chichewea basics (the language of Malawi). When we got back to the house Lolli was there. He is a tailor & is amazing. We gave him our fabric, told him what we wanted out of it (skirts, dresses, pillow cases, napkins, bags, etc.) and he can make it! He's very talented. We had some good quiche made by John (the cook for the house. sweetest man), a debriefing meeting and then off to bed!
.January.4.
This morning we woke up and left the house at 8 headed to Wimbe Village! Wimbe is the village of William Kamkwamba, author of The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (everyone go out and read this now. thanks. you won't regret it). Once we got on the road and out of Lilongwe, it was absolutely beautiful! So spacious & lush. Random mountains jutting up from the ground. Fields (&maize) for miles. Huts with thatch roofs. Women with baskets on their heads and babies on their backs. Men on bicycles (a main form of transportation). Villages and trading centers along the sides of the roads (with barber shops, investment bankers, vegetable stands, raw meat hanging, kids running around). So beautiful.
We picked up Blessings in Kasungu, who was William's tutor. An amazing man. (Hoping that we get the book passed for the summer reading and we can get him to Boone/first time in America!!!) Soon after we picked up Blessings we turned off the lovely paved road onto a lovely dirt one. With the most awesome hugest potholes I've ever seen. Touche Malawi. When we would drive past a village people were so excited to see us. They would wave and smile so big (usually shouting azungu! so then more people would come out), a very cool experience.
We finally arrived in Wimbe, and headed straight to William's house. It was so cool to read about this place in his book and then actually see where things took place and to be able to meet some of his family. He unfortunately could not be there, but we were able to meet his father, some of his sisters, his cousins and his grandparents! We were invited into their home, which in Malawi is a big honor. Blessings acted as translator and it was amazing. William's dad showed us an award that William had won, and we saw his graduation picture and his picture with President Banda! You could tell that his dad was so proud. They showed us out back to William's room and the two windmills currently in their yard. The first windmill he built was moved down by Jeremiah's house, his cousin. Geoffery, another one of William's cousins, now maintains the windmills while William is at school. We were able to meet William's grandparents, which was an honor. His grandfather was born in 1919!! I would have loved to sit there for hours and hear his stories. He was a chief in a village not too far away, but William asked him to come back and live near their family.
With William's new fame things have been donated to him and his family, such as solar panels and electricity for his whole village! Most of us brought our books, so the kids and then his family signed them, which is now priceless! Success.
We stopped at the primary school on our way out of town and it was unreal. I think that is when all of us fell in love with Malawi. Kids come out of the woodworks to see azungus! Then when you try to talk to them they get shy and laugh and smile. A thumbs up is a good go to. After a few rounds of singing, we were able to see the library where William would rent textbooks that led him to build the windmill!
On our way back to Lilongwe, we stopped at the secondary school where Blessing's daughter attends. The school was fussing that her tuition had not been paid yet, so Blessings wanted to talk to the principle to say that he didn't have the money, but he would soon. We decided that it would be great to pay for her semester of school! So we did!! It was 8,000 kwacha which is about $50-55 USD. For a whole semester of school. SO so worth it!!
That evening a man named Chikabachi came to give us a Chichewa lesson. He taught us some basics which was very interesting (&hard) to learn. But it makes a big difference just trying to speak the language. All about immersing yourself into the culture, including the language.
For dinner we had our first nsima experience. The traditional dish of Malawi. Not awful, just bland and super super filling. It's just flour and water mixed together and then you eat it with different relishes. We had beans and some type of vegetable. An amazing, unforgettable day :)
Zikomo kwambiri.
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