Malawi farewell

My project is now complete, I have 2 nights left in Malawi. Today I will attend an African Music festival and visit the Museum of Malawi, tomorrow back to the capital Lilongwe for last minute work in the WUSC office and a flight to Johannesburg. This has been an exceptional experience and I'm so glad I had the opportunity and made it a priority.

Monday I'm off to Kruger National Park, specifically Sabi Sands to view the Big 5 and decompress for a few days, I look forward to sharing my stories and pics with all of you at home. Photo uploading has been a challenge due to connections, so my blog will continue once in Canada for your viewing pleasure.

They say that Malawi is the Warm Heart of Africa and everything I've seen lives up to that!!!

A wonderful story

today I had time a chance to talk with Lawrence our program coordinator. My brother asked me to donate the 20,000MK = $132.00CAD to the orphanage to pay for one months food, 2 meals a day and Lawrence wanted to give me the inventory of items. Lawrence and his wife have 5 children and they both volunteer due to lack of employment. His grandparents have both passed away and he inherited the building and the land that the centre is on. When they went to acquire it, an orphan family of 6 were living in it, the head of household a 13 year old girl. Lawrence took them in, yes he now is responsible for 11 children. The girl is now 18 and has finished secondary school and the structure became the child centre. WOW, makes you feel that whatever you did for someone else today, it wasn't enough - now for the great news Lawrence showed me his employment contract for the next 4 months with one of the aid groups from the U.S. Its a big loss for WOFAD but what a deserving man. Lawrence will earn 39,500 MK per month. About 260.00CAD to support 11 kids and a wife. His wife also works/volunteers at the child centre and turns out she was the incredible teacher I met the first day. Every day here I'm amazed at the people.

Took the infamous mini-bus to work today cost .33cents. no chickens, so that was a good thing. One of the things that i noticed (you can't help) is the number of shops that sell coffins. 4 in about a 3 km stretch.
Beside my accommodation is a paper making factory - very primitive method and the paper is made from elephant dung. I bought a bunch of items to support the progam so I hope everyone will be excited to get a note book or greeting card!!
I haven't shared the weekend and the tea plantation, how incredibly beautiful it was in the Mulanje area. The climb up the mountain (with a guide - a must) was arduous but wonderful. The tea pickers offered to share their nasima lunch with me but said "the madam" can't have the relish, I think it was crickets. They make 10,000 MK a month, a little less than $70.00. how could I take their lunch? I purchased 10 bags of tea - premium quality cost 150 MK per bag, $1.05 cents per bag. If you aren't into elephant dung you better claim the tea fast.
My time is quickly coming to an end. From a work perspective the mandate of my project is coming together and I've no doubt will be completed in time. I will leave this beautiful country on Monday, a little wiser a lot more greatful.

Day in the life

Yesterday I ran the strategy planning session for WOFAD. Our attendees were the stakeholders of the organization. 3 village chiefs, the Bishop (board of directors) WUSC country director, key program volunteer coordinators, members of NAC - National Aids Coalition. Prior to the meeting I vetted the agenda with the WOFAD executive director to ensure I was being culturally sensitive, never know when something as simple as an introduction might be incorrect.
Learnt a few things, one we start and end with prayer - okay thats fine.
We don't put timing on the agenda, just the start time and then we ask people when they want breaks, for how long, when they want lunch, for how long etc. Yeah so anybody who knows me, can figure I didn't do so well with this plan, in fact I didn't follow it.
It was a great day, the committment was inspiring, the group engaged.

My office at WOFAD

today I sold timber at the side of the road. Another IGA - Income generating activity. I didn't make any sales but a white woman sitting on a pile of timbers at the side of road is free P.R. there are very few white people here and quite frankly none of them in the villages. Chickens came to visit, kids all wanted to stop and look at me. I took some photos of the local ladies doing laundry in the river - the poverty is extreme but the people are wonderful. Today Loney who worked with me hada liquid lunch of flour and ground maize, mixed with water and sugar.50MK, approx 17cents. Almost of the Malawi women told her not to give me any ~ my stomache wouldn't be good. no kidding. I've eaten goat and nasima and fried "little fish" think guppies but at some point I have to politely decline the offers.
Let me tell you about Loney, she is bright and articulate but hasn't been past grade 4. She and her husband are HIV positive. They have a son that they can't afford to raise so he lives with his grandma and Loney seems him every 3 months (or so). they live in a shelter with no water, electricity or cement floor. Loney comes to WOFAD everyday and works on many projects. She has learned to use the computer and types the proposals that request the all needed foreign funding. The one I read to the Stephen Lewis foundation was declined. So much need, so little funding. Did you know these people have to buy water? There are very few safe, free sources of water. The US embassy has approved a bore hole for WOFAD which will help. $5,o00 USD.
Ok enough, I'm overwhelmed by the need and the resiliancey.

Firsts

this is my list of firsts;
- travelling in a 12 pax mini bus with 18 and a live chicken
- putting the pigs back in the pen on my way to the pit latrine (while at work)
- making videos of the children at the orphanage and being mobbed when I showed them the footage
- swimming in Lake Malawi
- working in an "office" with no electricity, internet, phone line
- working in an organization where everyone is a volunteer with no visable means of support
- saw a hippo in the wild
- ate goat
- ate nsima
- ate guppies (or at least their cousins)
- woken everyday by the call to prayer
- buying my units for the phone off the street
- flashing to save units
- running a strat plan meeting with a Chechewa translator
- selling timber
- climb Mt. Mulanje
- visited a tea plantation