Chitenge is the traditional fabric of this area of Africa, and it is absolutely beautiful! There are vendors at every market selling dozens of patterns in bright colours and prints, and you can purchase two metres of chitenge for between 1200 and 1500 Malawian Kwacha, which is equivalent to three to four Canadian dollars. As someone who loves art, colour, designing my own clothes, and “has” to walk past these stalls weekly, I ended up amassing quite the collection of chitenge! Thankfully, my housemates are similarly challenged in the area of self-restraint, and we banded together to design clothing and get it made by a tailor in the market area of the city. And, as a house full of girls is wont to do, we then had a fashion show so we could share the outcomes with you here! P.S. The tailor is still busily working on a few (this is relative…) more items, so there may be a follow-up post in the future!
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My extended family and close friends, as well as the Rotary Club of Mississauga have donated funds to outfit the Special Needs Education Program classroom, and I am excited to share what those donations have been able to purchase. I hope to share some pictures of the supplies in use in the near future, but am still waiting to have permission from parents to share their child’s picture. We have ordered 2 child-size wheelchairs that are being made by a local NGO that works in special needs therapy and education, Children of Blessings Trust. There are also 3 hand-pedal-powered wheelchairs being made in various sizes for children, by another organization, Malawi Against Physical Disabilities. And the rest of the funds have gone towards learning and therapeutic activities and toys. I did a lot of research on special needs education and learning, and consulted with some friends and contacts in Canada as to which supplies would be best for a general special needs classroom. We have building sets, shape sorters, theraputty, various kinds of therapy balls, construction sets, latches and fastener sets, lacing activities, puzzles, bean bags with numbers and shapes on them, alphabet blocks, a pound-a-peg, wooden nesting block tower, a band in a box, and more coming to Malawi with my brother when he visits! We are also trying to work together with the Rotary Club of Mississauga and the Rotary Club of Bwaila (in Lilongwe) to find and purchase a Braille typewriter and other Braille supplies such as frames and styluses in Malawi. I have also been liaising with the carpentry shop in camp to create low tables and benches, child-sized chairs with arms and back-rests, and a U-shaped bench to fully outfit the classroom. A local tailor was also commissioned to make curtains for the windows, as the class seems to attract a lot of attention from the rest of the school’s students, and the constant stares, questions, and interruptions make concentration difficult for the children in our class. The tailor has also made fabric pockets that we have hung on the walls of the classroom for the children to store the class books in – we are trying to develop their sense of responsibility and ownership, and also have them begin to recognize their own names. Finally, we have bought paint and the driver for JRS has agreed to draw the alphabet, sign language alphabet, and Braille alphabet on the walls and then paint them to make the classroom more colourful and welcoming.
So that is where we are at right now! It is very exciting, and while I do not think everything will be completed before I leave, I am confident that the teachers, volunteers, and JRS staff will continue the projects and it will result in a quality education program for local children with special needs. The camp is difficult to describe to people who have not seen pictures, so I will do my best to illustrate with the few that I can share with you!
Dzaleka Refugee Camp is located about an hour north of Lilongwe, and is in Dowa region, which is mountainous, meaning that the camp is windier than the city, and temperatures are augmented. On cooler days, it is typical to see people walking around in winter parkas and big wool hats (cold here means less than about 25 degrees Celcius). The camp is currently at a population of nearly 20,000 refugees, and is run by the UNHCR. JRS is responsible for the education, and there are a few other implementing partners in charge of healthcare and other sectors. Dzaleka is a permanent camp, so it is not made up of tents, and is not surrounded by a fence. It actually looks nearly identical to the surrounding Malawian villages, except for the large official buildings of UNHCR and their implementing partners. Houses are typically made of mud bricks, with roofs made of tin sheets, tarps, thatch, or a combination of these materials. It used to be a prison, so there are a few larger buildings with tin roofs that remain from that time period. The rest of the camp sprawls out from that point, and has grown so much that it there is a section across the highway, and a new section where a field used to be at the back of the camp. Residents get water from boreholes that are scattered around the camp, and can often be found washing their clothing and dishes at the boreholes. There are two main roads in camp that are lined with markets and small shops, and a few restaurants. There is a permanent market that I purchase my vegetables at, and a twice-weekly larger market where one can find more household items and is where I often buy my chitenge. The refugee and Malawian population of the area generally mingle and are neighbourly towards each other. Some refugees have been living in Dzaleka for ten to fifteen years, and are fluent in Chichewa. Children growing up in camp all learn Chichewa in school. Some Malawians rent houses in camp or run businesses in camp, and refugees sometimes rent fields from the nearby villages to supplement their food rations. A cultural aspect that I have found difficult to understand is that showing unhappiness, unless someone has died, is not normal. So, most refugees seem generally happy, but when you get to know them and speak with them in depth, they often share that they struggle with feelings of despair and hopelessness. It is difficult for me to decide what to share on this topic, as it is hard to step outside of my experience and evaluate what you may want to know, so please ask questions in the comments if I have neglected to share on an area you are interested in knowing more about! I will do my best to answer any questions. An interesting and sometimes frightening aspect of Malawian culture is the tendency towards mob justice. The police here are not paid a living wage and are often prone to asking for bribes or levy fines under false pretenses. They also do not generally have vehicular transport to get from their location to the location of an accident or crime. These issues combined, mean that Malawians tend to band together and defend each other when crimes take place. However, these reactions often are extreme, and may result in deaths. Since I have arrived in Malawi, I have encountered a few instances of mob justice, and I thought I’d share the stories and some thoughts that they sparked.
In the fall, an accountant was walking the day’s profit from a supermarket in a city mall to a bank three doors down in the same complex. Five armed men attacked her and stole the bag of money, and the ensuing shouting brought the owner of the supermarket outside. He brought his gun, and ended up shooting one robber and killing him, and injuring a second. Two thieves got away in a vehicle. The two thieves that were still on the scene ran away, with a crowd of people following them. When the crowd caught them, they began beating them, threw gasoline on them, and burnt them to death. The second act of mob justice that I heard of occurred early in the year, when the rainy season had begun in earnest and the grasses around the city were very tall. Two men hid in the six-foot-tall grass at one part of an intersection, and when a woman cut through a path in the grass to get to her bus stop, they attacked her and tried to rape her. She shouted for help, and a crowd formed, chased the men, and beat them. The most recent happened at a local school and was shocking. A father decided that he did not like the way his child was being taught, went into the school during a class, and beat up the teacher. This was quickly stopped, and the teacher was taken to the hospital and the assailant was taken to the police. However, the child of this man is of a minority group, and all the children from the school left their classes and banded together to hunt down more members of this minority in the area. They jeered at these people, and at their worst, attempted to stone them. This extreme reaction has prompted me and my housemates to have multiple discussions about what we would do in a situation of a mugging or a similar ‘minor’ offense. We don’t want people do get away with crime, but if we called out for help, the person would probably be killed or severely injured. And yet, the show of solidarity and culture of assistance that is present is something that I admire and that contradicts the response in many areas of North America, where the ‘bystander’ effect results in many witnesses and no action. The ideal reaction would be somewhere in the middle – where people take action but do not maim the perpetrator, though having a working justice system would be a huge help in that as well! Today I am excited to introduce you to my friend, co-worker, and housemate - Lara Gooding. Lara is here in Malawi for three months from Seattle, and is volunteering with JRS in JC:HEM, the higher education centre in Dzaleka. If you'd like to read some more of her experiences, including one exciting one about almost being t-boned by a cow, visit her at http://laragoestoafrica.wordpress.com/ and check out her blog! Preparing to leave Malawi, I'm having a lot of bittersweet thoughts about my impending departure. Things I'm going to miss like crazy (my coworkers, mandazi, chitenge, the scenery..). Things I'm going to absolutely 100% never want to see again (looking at you, massive cockroaches). There's a lot of reflection going on throughout this process, but it's easiest to start with the more tangible things. Packing. For those of you who know me, I loathe this process. During the career test we took in like 8th grade, that asked if we liked putting things into boxes, my answer was no. And my answer is still no. It always feels like I'm forcing myself into a little compartment, which ultimately leads to crippling panic, which then leads to an adamant refusal to proceed with the task. Therefore, for future me, or for future ex-pats with the itch to travel to Malawi, I bring you: The Malawi Packing List • Two long skirts (Cover your knees!) • Seven t-shirts • Two tank tops (Ex-pats are allowed to show shoulders outside of work) • One pair of jeans (Seriously. It's too hot for them. Don't bring more.) • Work out shorts (In case of hiking or dance class or exercise) • Your three second favorite bras • Lots of sturdy underwear • Two swimsuits • Approximately $1500 USD hidden all over your carryon and person • Makeup and tampons and favorite toiletries, because they probably don't exist here • Your medicine, including favorite OTC stuff. (Again, doesn't exist here.) • One pair of tennis shoes, one pair of sandals, one pair of nice shoes, one pair of water proof shoes. (I went for Birkenstocks and Crocs, and got flats here. Make sure they’re durable, because Malawi beats your shoes up! Especially in rainy season.) • Cards and pictures from home • An unlocked smart phone with a SIM card (not necessary, but definitely nice to have.) • ATM card (Make sure your bank unlocks it in Malawi and in all of your country layovers) • Water purifier – Steripen is best (super useful for travel, rural areas, and when the power is out and you are also out of boiled water/want something faster than boiled water) • One liter water bottle with a lid that covers the mouthpiece • Computer or tablet (but you'll have limited internet access, and laptops are easier to access the internet with) • Sunscreen (the intensity of the sun here is very different from home, and it is super expensive here) • Hand sanitizer (handy when you are travelling or in camp, not available here) • Books or digital books (paper books can be donated, and a kindle or kindle app on a smartphone is very portable) • Jewelry – small to pack and makes you feel more at home and put together And there you have it. Anything else you need you can get here, and you can get it for cheaper. For what you do bring, don't bring anything you are very attached to, because the hand washing is hard on your clothes. And bring stuff you can leave, because you'll load up on chitenge and carvings and jewelry and beautiful Malawian things that trump anything you brought out. And I hope you do make it out to Malawi because in its simplicity there is such beauty here. You don't need a lot to feel completely at home and to never want to leave. Reading through Lara's list got me thinking as well, so here are some of my additions to what she has above! Most of these would have been wants or handy to have, but are not super necessary – good things to note for those of you who are planning to come for a longer period of time though!
• Extra batteries for devices – laptop, camera, phone… power goes out a lot and it is super helpful! • Headlamp or good flashlight (preferably one that can be recharged) for when the power is out • Hair dryer and flat-iron if you use them frequently – get a travel one (made for 240V) or you will quickly burn them out (they are available here but are not good quality, and if you’re out here in rainy season, these are a waste of money and space – the humidity combined with the flash storms will nullify any styling you do anyway.) • Lots of videos and TV shows on an external hard drive or on your computer • Familiar bedsheets (once again, makes you feel more at home) • Playing cards and other portable games – fun with roommates, easy to transport • Favourite teas – basically can only get black and rooibos here • If you eat a lot of them, nuts and energy bars – can generally only find peanuts here (can sometimes get walnuts and almonds at the expensive grocery stores) My biggest tip – pack light or pack a lot of things that you will use up or leave behind! You are going to find so many awesome things here, and if you are in need of almost anything, you’ll be able to find it or a substitute, possibly more expensive than at home, but it does exist here! Clothes can be bought in the open air market for really cheap and are from North American second hand stores, or new in some of the Chinese shops or South African retail chains here in Malawi. Or you can get them made by a tailor for pretty cheap. Shoes can be found at the open air market or along the side of the road. Food-wise, you may have to do some shopping around to get everything you long for, but it is generally possible to find everything (things I haven’t found: whole wheat flour or pasta, salsa, corn chips, chocolate chips and roastable marshmallows; rarities include good cheeses and pork). The Umoja Craft Group is working to build their self-sustainability and the developments are really exciting! Currently, there are two volunteers working with Umoja - Violaine and me. I leave in two months and JRS does not plan to have another volunteer intern working with the group, and Violaine is leaving the country in August. So, one of my co-workers, Violaine, and I sat down and brainstormed way to help the Umoja group become fully self-sufficient and able to continue to grow the group and their market, and to maintain the current quality and quantity of product. We then had a big meeting with the Umoja ladies - almost all 50 of them came, and we asked them what they thought they should do to become more independent. Their ideas were very similar to the ideas that Violaine and I came up with, and so we were able to move forward with the plans. We held a big election, starting with nominations of candidates for leadership of the group. Once we had 6 leaders, the women voted for one of them to be the group president, and the ladies subdivided into smaller groups under each leader. This means that there are now 6 groups of about 8 women, each with a group president and vice-president. We discussed roles that would be needed within each group - such as a quality control officer, and voted women into those roles as well. We are now working with the leadership team to create official policies and procedures for the group, and running trainings for the individual roles, so that they can be completely self-sufficient by August. It has been very exciting to watch the women step into their roles and begin to take initiative and feel more confident in their abilities as they prove to themselves that the group can function without 'azungu' help.
This past weekend both Lara and I came down with a stomach bug that had been making its way through our house. We pushed through it though, and decided that going on our planned weekend trip to Cape MacLear would be a better experience as sickos than sitting around at home, suffering a bad case of FOMO (fear of missing out). So, off we went! We got in late on Friday evening, and had a fun time catching up with Sasha and Jessica, two other volunteers who are living in Blantyre. On Saturday, we spent a few hours shopping in the crafts market and ordering 'happy pants', and then took a boat out to Otter Point for a few hours of swimming with the cichlids. Then we headed back to the lodge and got ready to go on a sunset catamaran ride. It was a lovely sunset - we had fun swimming off the boat and watching the incredible clouds. On Sunday, we took it pretty easy and just chilled on the beach until we had to head back to our respective cities. It was a wonderful weekend! But, when we got back to Lilongwe, Lara and I both succumbed to the stomach bug and spent most of this week at home waiting to get better. We are now on the 'other side of health' as one of our co-workers put it when she saw us back at work! And, Lara's university has a dance marathon to raise money for charity, and she got a kid band on the beach to play one of their songs while she danced, as a contribution in solidarity with her classmates... check out the moves those kids have got! Mawage. Mawage is wot bwings us togeder tooday. Mawage, that bwessed awangment, that dweam wifin a dweam… And wuv, tru wuv, will fowow you foweva… So tweasure your wuv. As much as I do hope to one day be married, I was not expecting to have to turn down as many proposals of marriage as has happened before the real thing... It's rather funny, actually. While walking around the camp, there are often men that follow us female azungu (foreigners) around and propose to us. At the beginning of my time here, it happened once or twice a week, and when I dyed my hair red, it suddenly increased to once or twice a day!
But last week - last week I unlocked a new achievement - a proposal 'en français'! He actually put some effort into it too - not just a 'Hey baby - will you marry me?', but he initiated a conversation and even asked me if I was married before he proposed! Pretty impressive, so I thought I would share! (And don't worry parents and grands - I said I wasn't interested...) Last weekend the Lilongwe three had the great fun of hosting three of the Blantyre girls for a few days. They took the coach bus up from Blantyre on Friday night, and we had a lovely late dinner and then hung out at one of the local ex-pat haunts. On Saturday, I made a big pancake brunch and the girls did some Umoja shopping from the bag of goodies that I brought home from work with me on Friday. Then we went to the local open air market and spent a few hours shopping in the chitenge stalls and used clothing stalls. It was so much fun and we spent a lot of time laughing together! I then dropped the girls off at the Lilongwe Wildlife Centre - none of them had been, and so they got to see the sad rescued lion and the other animals there while I worked on a paper for school and got dinner started. We had a bunch of friends over for a pizza party and chatted together until late. On Sunday morning, I picked the girls up nice and early and dropped them off at the coach stop to begin their journey back to Blantyre. It was so great to see them and I hope we get to have another weekend like that in the near future! Also, meet my friend Jan! He appeared in a small flower garden outside the Women's Centre at the JRS complex in Dzaleka, and hung out there for about three weeks! Lara and I went to check on him every day when we arrived, at lunch, and before we left, and were able to watch him get stronger purple stripes while sitting on my purse, catch and eat bugs, and just be super cute in general! We named him Jan Rufus Sparky (get it... his initials are...) and were sad when he disappeared this week.
Hi blog readers! I am still alive and doing well, and I apologize for the long period of silence - January and February have been really hectic! I have quite a few ideas swirling around in my head, and am working on getting them recorded to share, so please to expect to see some more action around here! (I will be posting updates this week and backdating them to the appropriate weeks from the past month and a half.) Even just this weekend was crazy busy - I had my final graduate school application due (applying to teachers college), a job application due (I really, really want to stay here in Malawi, in case my many posts professing my love for this place haven't clued you in yet!), and a paper for my program due. Work with the Jesuit Refugee Service in Dzaleka Refugee Camp has been going well, and the special needs class is well-established with regular attendance from children who are learning so well! I will have a post on work coming shortly! My church, Integrity Family Church, had a really big day today - two church members were ordained as Pastors within the church, and seven other members were commissioned into various leadership roles. We had a really big service at a local events venue that has a huge and beautiful garden, with about 250 people showing up - and when the church is regularly around 50, that is a huge increase! I had my Mumsie bring my violin to Germany at Christmas, and have been added in to the worship band, so I was at church nice and early to practice and get warmed up for the service. Let me just say that flexibility is huge when a member of an African worship team - we started the service off with songs that we had rehearsed, but a few extra songs got thrown in, and I just had to find my way through them! It is definitely a stretching experience for my classically-trained brain to think through songs without sheet music, but I am so glad that I have the opportunity to play again and worship with fellow Christians through my violin. Also unlike my worship team experiences at home, there is no real pattern to verse and chorus repetition, keys can be decided on as the guitarist begins, and if we feel like it, some people who were not originally in the band may get added mid-service! Anyhow, the service went wonderfully, followed by a huge banquet meal as a community, where we got to spend time together. I love my church! :)
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AuthorWelcome! My name is Katiana and I am a development professional pursuing my dream to live out Isaiah 1:17 to the best of my abilities. I am passionate about teaching and working with vulnerable families and children to improve their lives sustainably.
CaveatThis blog is composed of my personal opinions, which do not necessarily reflect the opinion or views of institutions or organizations that I may be or have been affiliated with.
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