We have arrived in the rainy season so everything is lush and green in the city of Lilongwe. We flew with Ethiopian Airlines which delivered us to Malawi uneventfully (just the way we like it). We passed through Addis Ababa airport where we chatted a couple of men bound for Cameroon - one from Egypt and the other from Thailand. We always enjoy the gathering of nations as we travel!
We have been impressed by the friendliness of Malawians, the peaceful streets, the wonderful CRWRC folks and their warm welcome, and the comforts of our accommodation. Lilongwe has an orderliness to it and groceries are easy to find as long as you are not too fussy. Best of all – fresh produce!
In a few first days we experienced, hot sun, draining high humidity, incredible downpours, a ‘pet’ lizard, cockroaches of all sizes, centipedes and millipedes and lots of mosquitoes. But it is all good – after all, everyone and everything has to be somewhere! We do like Malawi very much
We went to a church where we heard an excellent message and were made to feel welcome. We will also visit some other churches and are thankful for the opportunities.
Malawi is called Africa for Beginners according to The Lonely Planet. It is also called the Warm Heart of Africa. 20% of the area of Malawi is Lake Malawi which is roughly half in Mozambique as well. We live in the capital City – Lilongwe.
The 2 main languages are English and Chichewa. We drive on the left side of the road. One negotiates the prices for many things.
CRWRC is working through local partners in 5 centres responding to a drought with food, seeds and tools and with the teaching and implementation of conservation farming techniques. 3000 households (18,000 people) are involved. Long term solutions are thus incorporated in addressing the immediate needs.
The problem of weather is a tough here one because after months of drought, sudden heavy rain can wash away the seeds and plants and quickly destroy what progress was made. We have heard someone call these weather shocks – good term. Conservation farming techniques are more drought resistant. We personally have a lot to learn about the topic. Some centers are situated in rain shadows so relief from drought is more challenging there.
We have done a fair bit of travelling in the countryside and we are hoping we will be able to find our way on our own for the next distributions!!
One of the beach areas on Lake Malawi is called Senga Bay. We walked among the fishermen who had returned form the nights fishing and learned a little about how they fish etc. Real life in Malawi! We are thankful we have been given this opportunity!
