Kudandaula chara – Nichali kukhala!
(Don’t worry – I’m still alive!)
Sorry it has been so long since I’ve checked in with you all! It has been due to a combination of my being busy and also my getting to the point where my experiences seem normal and less worthy of mentioning. But when I remember what it was like one year ago, when Malawi was a complete mystery to me (some days that’s still true...) and my days were spent among electricity, internet, and Americans, I begin to reevaluate my experiences here and find them a little more unique! Especially since, in just more than a year, I’ll be somewhat removed from the close-to-the-earth lifestyle here. I’ll be back to using wireless internet and sipping lattes. And also, I’ll be eating bagels. And cheese. And watching movies. And enjoying icecubes... I hope all of you at home at appreciating these luxuries!
I am sure that in many ways, my life here will permeate profoundly when I am back in Western culture. Whenever I’ll put on trousers, I’ll think, “American women are so fortunate—in Malawi, if an average village woman were to wake up one day and put on trousers, her husband might not let her leave the house... for a month...”; When I eat a meal, I’ll wonder where all of the parts were produced—when you eat at a home in the village, usually the places where the food was grown, or where the chickens are kept, are in your field of vision! When I’m back in the Western World, I might feel compelled to sit down to greet people (it is inappropriate to greet someone while standing!), to sweep my house daily so as not to disrespect any visitors who may stop by, and to carry anything and everything on my head.
Ntchito yane ku dera kwane
(My work at site)
Ntchito! As is my way, I’ve been finding work in all different forms to keep myself busy. My teaching load has increased a bit, and I’ve started working on some secondary projects.
I am still teaching Math and Science, and I have added English Grammar in Form 3. English Grammar is a fun class to teach, especially because Form 3 only has about 10 students, so we can do a lot of interactive activities. In addition to teaching, I am also interested in helping with the development of the school. I am an advisor to the Komiti ya Maji (Water Committee) which aims to get water access at the secondary school. On top of that, we are starting to construct a library at the secondary school. We’re linking up with my Methodist Church in Midland to raise funds for this project. Quick plug: If you want to help out with the library, e-mail my mom at morleymid@gmail.com. Any help will be appreciated so much! Dollars go really far here.
Along with school stuff, I’m also helping out with my site mate Emily’s nyumba za wowa (mushroom houses). Over this term break, we built a mushroom house at chief Mwajonyanga’s house. My headmaster’s wife has organized a women’s group of six women to manage the house and eventually sell the mushrooms. Each woman contributed 300 Kwacha (less than $2) to help pay for the carpenter and purchase wooden poles. We planted the mushroom spores about a week ago and now we are just waiting for germination! Hopefully soon the women will have a little pocket money from mushroom sales as well as some delicious dende (side dishes).
Camp STAR!
(STAR = Scientific Thinking Achieving Results)
From August 9 to 14, I was helping at Camp STAR in Ntchisi District. This camp was coordinated by my friends Kelly and Mike at Gwangwa C.D.S.S. Their school is AMAZING. It was constructed by the African Development Fund, and it has solar power, a stocked laboratory, and a huge library. The purpose of the camp was to fully utilize these facilities with students from different schools. Students from Gwangwa and surrounding schools (that don’t have these resources) were invited to spend one week of their holiday staying and learning at Gwangwa. There were about forty five students in total, and eight PCV teachers. The students are all in their last year of secondary school and preparing for their national exams. They were divided into groups of about eight students, and were taught challenging science subjects in a fun and interactive way. I taught about the biology of HIV, while others taught about electricity, titrations, human diseases, et cetera. It was a really great camp, and it got us all excited to teach at Camp SKY (a camp run by all education volunteers in December).
Before going to Camp STAR, my friend Caitlin came to my site and hung out for a bit. It was really fun having someone to show around the village, and to be able to show off my village to someone! After her visit, she and I went to Chitimba Beach north of my site for a few days. The drive there was probably one of the most beautiful rides I’ve ever been on. We descended a mountain and the lake was right there at the bottom! It was awesome. In addition, we saw a whole gang of baboons just hanging out right by the road. Chitimba Beach was pretty remote, and we had some nice time to rest and charge up for camp.
Mbwenu, tiwonanenge!
(That’s all, see you later!)
I will head back to site tomorrow or the next day, because Term 3 starts on Monday. Thanks again to those of you who have helped with students’ school fees. Five new students were selected this term to have their fees paid. The students are extremely grateful! Also, I must issue a big thank you to everyone who has sent me letters and care packages: I appreciate these things so much! It’s so nice to know that you are thinking of me, and I want you all to know that I am thinking of you all often.
Alyssa
