Final thoughts

This marks the end of this blog but certainly not the end of my journey of discovery of the wonderful country of Malawi.  Who knows what our next adventures will be but I hope it won’t be too long until we visit this fascinating country again.  Thank you for all your support for our trip and for taking the time to read this.

For those of you who know me well, I have always been interested in all things African after having watched the film, Out of Africa.

Please allow me some poetic license when quoting Karen Blixen:

If I know a song of Malawi, of the hippopotamus and the children playing the yard, of the chatter of the women drawing the water from the well and the sound of sweeping at dawn, does Malawi know a song of me? Will the children sing a song from the azungu visitor, or will the laughter and jokes continue well into the dusk as head torches shine, or will the full moon throw a shadow over the school yard in my shape, or will the elephants of Lilwonde  look out for me?...I only hope they do….Zikomo (thank you), Fiona

Lilongwe

It was a long drive up to Lilongwe (including the speeding ticket). Mary and I were pretty glad to see the Crossroad's Hotel again and chilled out for a while before heading to the shop to get some last minute stuff (Dill Pickle crisps, hot sauce, tea bags). We spent an hour or so packing and repacking then headed back to the commercial centre for pizza.  Early to bed then woke up (usual 5:30am Malawi body clock time) , had breakfast and then waited for Matthew.
It was a long journey home but it went well. Our stop over in Nairobi past quicker than the 7.5 hours that it was partly because we found this interesting area to watch illegal asylum seekers in the detention center!  The flight was  a lot more crowded on the way home but we got back to Stirling area about 26 hours after we left Malawi.  A long day...
Needless to say it was brilliant to be reunited with our families again and share our many tales......

On safari...a dream come true

Hippos!!

It was a bumpy road into the safari camp but once we arrived at Bushman's Baobab's we were amazed at our surrounding for the next night.  It was brilliant.  Mary and I had our own tent with an awning with two chairs out front  and two comfy beds.  It was already set out with candles, towels, and a lamp and when you walked through to the back of the tent, there was  a flush toilet, sink and a hot shower!!

We got our bearings then found the owner to find out what the best thing would be to do. Within the hour we were in a canoe being punted down the River Shire listening to and then watching lots of beautiful animals including hippos!  Because we were in the canoe, we got really close to some of the birds etc. It was brilliant!  All in all we were out for about two hours.
Back at the camp we got showered and headed over the main pavilion where we sat and chatted with some of the other guests including two girls from Glasgow who were travelling through Africa and Asia before ending up in Australia. not an ounce of sense between them but lovely. The camp ran an honesty bar where you could help yourself to wine, beer, spirits and soft drinks so we all sat as the sun went down and as dinner was prepared. Dinner itself was great, four courses....chicken livers (yuch), soup (yummy), chicken kiev (lovely) and torte (yummy). We were stuffed and headed to bed soon after that.
The next morning we were woken at 6am with tea and coffee at the front of the tent. What a life!  We headed out in the most ancient land rover (I personally think it was left over from the war!) towards the park.  It was FREEZING and took about 25 minutes.  The two guides we had were excellent and kept a careful eye out for the signs of elephants. Again, we saw lots of different animals and eventually...elephants. We were so excited. I ended up having tears in my eyes as it was a dream come true for me!!  The elephants weren't too happy to see us but we got some great shots.  After returning we had lunch and then started the long (4 hour drive) to Lilongwe.  Unfortunately, I got zapped by the police for speeding and had to pay a fine (£10 as opposed to the £22 thanks to Father Matthew talking them down!!  We arrived in Lilongwe at around 5:30 and were shattered.

Comfortable  bed!

Canoe safari- so quiet and traquil

One of the amazing birds we saw

You looking at me?

Water buck

Hand carved canoe used by locals

Kingfishers

This is the life!!

African baobab tree

Hello Mr. Elephant

We are cold, very cold!!

This guy isn't so happy with us!!

Communal area in the camp

St. Peter's Seminary...again

We were lured back to St. Peter's with the thought of a warm shower again. After our goodbyes, and a side trip to Blantyre to visit some of Matthew's relatives, we headed up to Zomba.  Terrible road, full of potholes and despite saying I would never drive in the night, ended up pulling into the seminary in the dark.  Mary and Matthew had showers in their respective rooms first and then it was my turn.  Arghhhh!  They had used up most of the hot water!!  They didn't hear the end of that one!  I got enough to clean myself to a decent standard (having not had a shower since Saturday night and this was Wednesday night....new definitions of hygiene!) and then proceeded to lounge to watch....Andy Murray!!  My consolation for the warmish shower was Andy going through!!
Breakfast was three pieces of toast, yummy.  We headed over to the market to pick up our little trinkets for the kids but alas, as explained, the chap didn't do the work for us.  We did find them elsewhere so that was fine.

Then it was the drive up to Liwonde. We had lunch at the Hippo View Lodge and already I was starting to get excited. There were signs warning of crocodiles and you could hear the hippos!!  It was brilliant and then it was time for the safari... a dream come true!

Likhubula and goodbyes

chilling out with the CCAP minister post interrogation

We woke up with sad hearts knowing that this would be our last day at Nakoma.  The PEA had agreed to come at 9 am to take us up the mountains to see the tree plantations before Matthew came to get us.  In the morning both Mary and I insisted that we help Hannah out with the chores so we each donned a mop and got stuck in.

Before the PEA arrived, we had an opportunity to meet the local CCAP minister.  Boy, he liked to talk and ask questions.  After an hour and a half of grilling about the Church of Scotland, both Mary and I were losing the will to live!!  Eventually we hinted that we wouldn't have enough time to get to Mulanje if we didn't get going and we may have to start adopting Scotland time again!!

It was a long drive up to Mulanje and Likhubula.  It was a real dream come true to visit Likhubula as Dunblane Cathedral has had a link with them for a while. I never thought I would get to go there!  We enjoyed seeing the tea plantations and the lush green foliage of the mountain.

With our Malawian family! 

On return to Nakoma, it was time to say our sad farewells. We took some lovely photos, including with the Village chief who was lovely and very kind.  It won't be our last visit and we will be back!!

Farewell to Nakoma School

On our second last day, the community hosted a farewell celebration for us. It was supposed to start at 10 am but typically it started Africa time....12:30 pm.  The Primary Education Advisor arrived and he was a great guy, Mr. Darlington Nyambalo.  We all were seated in the central area of the school yard under a tree to watch the singing and dancing.  We also had  speeches (did I say that Malawians love their speeches??!!) from all the different community groups. We also had an opportunity to share our gifts with everyone. 

In the afternoon, the community came together to watch a netball game between Nakoma and a nearby school.  Without exaggeration, there must have been 500 folk watching the girls play. The ref also had a baby on her back as she monitored the game!  Soon after that game we moved over to the football pitch to watch a game there. Girls won, boys lost unfortunately.  What a great sense of community there was that afternoon!

Interestingly, before the celebration began, a young girl came in who had been bitten by a dog.  Immediately, she was sent to the local hospital for an injection.  It brought back the AIDS/HIV issue.  Charles then explained he thought that there were about 20 pupils in the school with HIV but he was not sure how many were out there that had not registered their condition with the school. 

Day 12 - Walk to market

Sun rise over Mount Mulanje

By today, Mary and I were definitely in Malawi time. We would go to bed at 8:30 -9:00 pm and were up by about 5 am.  The night before we had decided we would walk to the market, about 4km away.  Initially Charles had wanted to order a bicycle taxi for us or send us with Mr. Segula, the depute.  We insisted that we go alone however we were armed with a shopping list with the correct prices that a Malawian would pay.

The walk to the market was amazing. We saw a stunning sun rise over Mount Mulanje which will forever stay with me. I am going to print out some photos of it and when I need to go to my 'good place' I will look at them. 

The road to the market, even at that time, was super busy with folk walking and riding their bikes up to the trading centre.  We had loads of folk shouting hello and good morning and were pretty pleased when we replied back to them. 

On the way there we also passed over a bridge that had collapsed over 8 months ago but was still not fixed.  The bridge had broken when a truck, delivering phala to the school, passed over it.  There is now a slight diversion down into the ditch but the larger trucks are required to go a couple of miles longer. 

Now that's a pot hole!!

We were really pleased that we got what we needed (onions, eggs and tomatoes) at the right prices.  We ventured into one part of the market that was slightly dodgy and some men were leering and jeering at us.  A quick about turn and we were back on the main road and feeling safe. We bought some bananas with the rest of our cash and the vendor got the last laugh. Everyone in the village (especially Hannah) got the a real giggle knowing we paid 3xs the price we should have!

The Pied Piper of Nakoma

On the way back, we became the pied piper, collecting school kids along the way.  By the time we got to school, there were about 50 kids with us. Brilliant!!

Water

There is no running water at Nakoma, just a pump.  At one point there used to be two pumps but one was broken due to the parts being stolen.  The main pump was located close to the Chiromo's house so Mary and I enjoyed watching the women drawing water from the well.  One morning we went over and helped the women with the water. They thought it was great.

Unfortunately the day before we left, the pump within the village also broke meaning that the women had to walk about 250 metres to the nearest pump.  The men came to repair it but it would require new parts.  Mary and I were very conscious of the reason for our visit, equal partnership, but felt that we could not walk away without contributing to the pump fund.  We haven't had an update yet if the pump is working yet. Fingers crossed it is.

Mice on a stick

While driving one afternoon, Mary asked Matthew what was being sold by the road side on sticks.  The answer was mice.  Either roasted, boiled or fried. Still with the fur on them. We stopped not to buy them but to take a picture.  Surprisingly, we didn't eat any during our stay in Malawi

Home away from home

Hannah and Charles welcomed us into their home and we felt immediately at ease although we realised that the entire family was making a big sacrifice for us.  Hannah's mother is living with them right now as she has severe diabetes. Also in the house is the gorgeous Promise, a niece that lives with them. There are two bedrooms and a storage room in the house as well as the main living room.  At the back of the house there is an open area where Hannah does all her cooking (on an open fire), keeps the collected wood, washes the dishes, heats the water for bathing etc. There is an open pit latrine out back. No electricity, no running water.  At night, it gets dark by 6pm at the latest and then it is kerosene/battery run lamps. 
Hannah and Charles gave up their room for us and slept in the living room. There is little storage space in the house so everything is stored in suitcases around the house. 

Living room

We were overwhelmed by the amount of work Hannah does each day.  She usually wakes at 5:15 to begin to prepare for the day ahead by collecting water from the well, heating the water for washing and starting the fire. Then it is laying out the breakfast, helping her Mum get dressed and sweeping (with help from Charles and Promise) the outer yard.  Then by 8:30 she goes to work as a teacher until lunch!!  Back home to prepare the lunch meal and then dinner. Wash dishes, clothes etc before finally turning in by 9:00pm.  We came to understand that this would be a typical day for many Malawian women.

Our bed for our stay

We were glad to hear that Charles and Hannah will be moving to a new home sometime this year. Slightly bigger than the house they have with bigger rooms.  They deserve it as they both have contributed so much to the community.

Wonderful Hannah and her incredible open fire stove top

The Chiromo Family

Day 12 - Lesson observations, church service

School bell

We were up with the sun and cockrels after a slightly restless sleep. Before going to bed, Hannah and Charles were explaining why they had a cat (they had  a rat problem previously). Well, half way through the night, Mary suddenly wakes me up calling my name.  She then tells me she thinks that she has heard something and I tell her not to be silly. She wasn't silly as a couple of minutes later, I heard a rustling too! Yikes. Took about an hour to get back to sleep but eventually we both fell asleep again (we were sharing the bed).

We watched a few lessons that day and again saw the same style of lessons as at Kapalamula.  Nakoma School teachers follow the same curriculum and generally the lessons follow the same format of rote learning and repeating back.  They were also just completing end of session exams so some of the classes weren't in all the time.  As with our other school, we found the teachers to be quite nervous while we were in class and we did our best to make them feel at ease and help them out with marking when we could.
The school day started with the bell being rung at around 7:15. Learners arrived and began sweeping out their classrooms and the playground.  Assembly was at 7:30 with a short reading from the Bible and songs.  At around 10:30, the feeding programme kitchen was ready to serve the phala or porridge.  Nakoma School is not part of the Mary's Meals programme but the World food Programme .  Run slightly differently, the pupils there all use plates provided by the programme. The volunteers then wash the plates each time a class is finished using them.  Unfortunately, the programme did not provide enough rocket stoves for the kitchen and the one they had has broken.  I have just sent an email this evening to the WFP to see if we can get more rocket stoves sent out to the school.
In the afternoon, there was a special church ceremony for our arrival. Both Mary and I did readings from the Bible (thankfully in English).  A few more speeches (;-) and then a session meeting before we finished for the day. 


Daily assembly



We had a much better sleep that night.  No visitors in the room with us.  A lovely long chat with Charles and Hannah before going to bed.  They are so kind and welcoming!  Real friends and kindred spirits for us both

No rocket stoves to help with the cooking

Senior class with desks

Welcome to Nakoma School

Welcome from the community of Nakoma School

Charles Chiromo (Head Teacher of Nakoma School) and I have been communicating for about 4 years about the possibility of forming a partnership. Well, at long last, it happened. We arrived at Nakoma School to a heroes welcome with lots of dancing and singing. It was brilliant!! The whole community was out to welcome us and followed us into the church where we were officially welcomed with speeches (as stated previously, Malawians love their speeches!!).  There is a very strong CCAP faith within the Nakoma community and Charles is not only the Head Teacher of the school but effectively the spiritual leader in the absence of the minister.  He is a very busy man and is a strong leader within the community.  He is very influential but in such a positive way.

At long last.....our friend Charles Chiromo

Meeting with the church elders

Welcome from the congregation of Nakoma

After a tour of the school, we headed over to Charles and Hannah's house. We sat on the porch chatting with various staff members as Charles worked on some community business.  It was amazing to see the crowd of children growing in front of us.  By the end of the evening, there must have been about 50 kids sitting on their haunches watching us!  Azungu are the entertainment when there is no tv.  There was no malice in their staring though, the fact is that most of the gorgeous children had never seen a white person before. 

When there's no telly......watch Fiona and Mary!! :-)

Montfort Special Education Needs College - Maryview

On our way down to Nakoma School we did a special mission.  A colleague of mine is a teacher for the hearing impairment and has been out to Malawi. When she knew that we were heading there, she asked if we could take some hearing aids out with us.  We agreed, not knowing where the school was but lo and behold it was on the road down with only a very slight diversion.  Unfortunately it was a Sunday so the school wasn't in but the Director kindly came to meet us.  We handed over the aids and also some money to pay for some batteries for them.  As per tradition, we were asked into the office to sign the register.  Whilest doing so, the Director explained that he had a visit from someone from the Scottish Government called Fiona as well.  He pointed to the wall and there was Fiona Hyslop's photo, my sister in law!  The Director was so pleased so we spent another five minutes finding her signature in the book. What a small world!!

Handing over about 50 hearing aids and some funds for batteries with pride!!

Day 9 into 10 - Blantyre

The road from Blantyre to Zomba is horrendous!! Full of pot holes and in such disrepair!!  We eventually got to Blantyre and headed to a local 'azungu' hangout for pizza.  We had a rendevous with Dom from the Responsible Safari Company to make a payment for an upcoming safari we were doing (Matthew was invited and chose to join us).  After that we walked around to find some school supplies for Nakoma School including markers, blue pens, red pens and some wood glue. It was hot and we were puggled!!
We stayed the night in a centre run by the CCAP (Church of Central African Presbyterian (the old Church of Scotland) called Grace Bandawe.  It was another inexpensive place with clean beds and hot showers. We had a meal there and even got a short time access to the internet too.  Matthew went to visit his family so it was only Mary and I who stayed there.
On Sunday morning we woke up and headed to church.  Mass started at 8:30 and it was in English. As the local protestant, I was a little out of my depth and because the church was so busy, I wasn't able to sit with the experts, Mary and Matthew.  It wasn't a surprise however, that the lovely man beside me guided me in when to stand up, sit down and walk to the front to give the offering (I passed on communion particularly after the sermon was all about those Christians who don't believe that the host is actually the body of Christ...I wondered at one point if someone had called ahead and the priest had written it for me!!).  He shared his hymn book with me and the hand of friendship. It was a very interesting service. 

HIV and Aids

There is no avoiding the impact that HIV and AIDS are having in Malawi, particularly with our friends.  Matthew was quite open in discussing that he has lost two brothers and a sister in law to AIDS and sadly describes the impact that this has had on his family.  On our way into Blantyre (after Zomba) we went to visit his niece and two nephews who have been orphaned by AIDS.  What was even worse was to chat to these beautiful children knowing that the 5 year old nephew Chico himself has HIV and probably won't make it past his 21st  birthday.  Matthew explained that Chico himself does not know yet that he has HIV although he knows he is ill. Obviously his family know as do the  nursery to ensure safe procedures to deal with cuts etc are adhered too. 
Matthew has had a varied career in his priesthood including working on the national HIV/ AIDS strategy for the Catholic Church, Pastoral care and chaplain in a hospital.  He explained that 70% of the beds in hospitals are taken up with AIDS patients although he believes that the rate of infection of HIV is falling.  He spoke about the work he has done to help families cope with HIV and keeping themselves safe.
We chatted a little about the situations of men in marriages who fall ill. Because the men have been in relationships outside the marriage, when they realise they have HIV they are usually unwilling to tell their wives because then their extra marital affairs will become known. Instead they infect their wives and effectively orphan their own children.  Very sad indeed.  We were honoured to be able to speak so frankly and openly to Matthew about such a tragic epidemic with personal consequences. 

Zomba Plateau

We took a spectacular drive up to the Zomba plateau and were rewarded with brilliant views down into the valley. While at the top we had a bottle of Fanta (double the price) at the Sunbird Ku Chawe Hotel, a very up market hotel in Malawi.  Again, the contrast between this hotel and rural villages is just so stark.  Outside the hotel we bought some more wood carvings (wood, wood, we LOVE wood!) before heading back down again.

At the top of the plateau is a forest reserve and also a water reservoir.  There were loads of people along the road selling beautiful strawberries and fruit as well as those carrying wood down for sale in Zomba.  On the drive up we even saw some baboons along the road side.