Getting a taste of local music at Lake of Stars

Front seat minibus view coming out of Limbe on
Friday afternoon.

And apparently getting a bad flu as well, but at least I’m on the mend! Last weekend, Dominique (my Canadian housemate) and I headed from Limbe – a neighbourhood east of Blantyre where I transit through to work when I’m at AYISE – on Friday afternoon en route to Mangochi and finally Nkapola Lodge where the Lake of Stars festival took place. A definite downside to travelling to new places by local mini-buses is that you have to rely a bit more on the advice of people around you. 

Friday night saw some pretty good reggae and the UK group The Very Best as a Malawian project – so that was pretty cool. The spot was beautiful, with the stage set up right on the beach and since Nkhapola is situated close to the extreme south on Lake Malawi, it is fairly narrow and you can even see Mozambique – Olá!

Show stealers - Freshly Ground!

The next day, we started checking out the villages in the area surrounding the festival, since we were curious to see how the Festival’s model of responsible tourism was playing out in practice.  At least all the hotels were fully booked, with many people, us included, camping on hotel lawns. But I’m still interested to know if the people in these poor communities just see a whirl of azungu and affluent Malawians, without getting any of the benefits.

On the music side, I highly recommend for everyone to check out Freshly Ground from South Africa, an awesomely talented group of people. Maskal – from Lilongwe – was really great, especially because we had a Malawian giving simultaneous translation during the entire show!

An excited Chinese delegation!

As you’ve already noticed from the title of this blog, Malawians pride themselves in being the “warm heart of Africa”, it doesn’t just refer to the climate – and I really saw this warmth among the people on Saturday night. You might have heard about the magnitude of Chinese presence in Africa, and Malawi is no exception. The Government of China was a sponsor of the event, and a Chinese Cultural Delegation performed, sandwiched in between two reggae and R&B acts. Dressed in traditional outfits, a handful of Chinese singers and musicians played over recorded music, which nearly drowned them out and was a far cry from something you might expect from a music festival in Malawi. But still people danced, cheered and encored throughout the performance!

Poet and activist from Guyana

Moving to his own rhythm

All in all, a fun weekend and an ideal introduction to regional and Malawian music. This weekend I took in Poetry Africa, as part of the Blantyre Arts Festival, which celebrates spoken word, songwriters, musicians and activists – individuals who contribute to social change by making their audiences feel and understand the continent’s burning issues in a new way. I really enjoyed TJ Dema and Chiwoniso and her mbira.

I’ll post about some cultural observations and lessons I have learned, along with some photos of our house later tonight.

Happy Sunday!

In Blantyre, and with a house!

And I couldn’t be happier - unless all of you were here too. I know this placement will be full of ups and downs, so why not enjoy the ups while you’re in that space. We arrived in Blantyre, about 4.5 hours south of Lilongwe on Monday afternoon, and first off checked out two potential places to rent. Unfortunately, one looked like a work-in-progress and we would have had to find another mattress AND stock the kitchen cupboards. The second was very nice, but was only available until January, and so it wasn’t ideal for both Dominique and I since she stays on for 6 months after I leave. It’s not easy finding a place in new city when you don’t know anyone!

Luckily, after contacting an expat living here, I got a call from a British PhD student who had found a place but needed two roommates. We scooped her up from Med school, introduced ourselves in the car, and an hour later, we were roommates! The place is in a neighbourhood called Sunnyside, and within walking distance to MANASO, where I will be working about half the time. It has a huge living room area; and we each have our own bedroom with a big closet and carpet, plus a washing machine! Dominique and I will move in Thursday night after our first day of work so that we can leave straight away on Friday after work to Nkopola, where the Lake of Stars festival is taking place!

So that’s the big news to share, and my first impressions of Blantyre are good. It seems a bit cooler here than in Lilongwe and the city is bordered by red-brown, tree-topped hills all around. And with the beautiful purple Jacaranda trees everywhere, the city seems very alive and colourful.

I’ll be starting at MANASO’s partner organization, AYISE – Active Youth Initiative for Social Enhancement, on Thursday. How these placements work is we get matched up with a counterpart, to whom we are supposed to work with to ensure our work continues after we leave and the organization is better equipped to work towards its goals. At AYISE, my counterpart is Kondwani or as the Executive Director introduced him as: the “King of Blantyre.” Being in IT, he knows a lot about website management, so I should be able to help him with the content and he can help me with the technical part. My counterpart at MANASO is Ismael, whom I will meet on Monday (hopefully!)

I haven’t taken many photos here yet but I’m sure the next post will have many J

It's a conspiracy!

Ok, so I'm hoping it will just be something to laugh about, but it appears that my new colleagues at MANASO think that their program officer, Heather, and their acting director, Donald, picked me for this post just because of my name! Fingers crossed to laugh it off when I start work on Tuesday morning.

Hitting the streets of Lilongwe at sundown

Monday to Thursday of this week, Dominique and I had our in-country orientation with WUSC, who organize our job placements with their partners. We met with a CIDA rep, and found out that Malawi is only a "country of modest presence" for Canada, so the nearest Embassy is actually in Maputo, Mozambique. Health and Nutrition briefing: Check. Discussion of work expectations and mandate: Check (thank God). Review of living and working here: Check. Chichewa lesson: Check (and excited that it is similar to Swahili!). There was supposed to be a vigil-type protest for civil society here on Wednesday, so most people stayed home for the morning, but nothing really materialized in the end. More on that in a later post.

I have been a little worried about work because I know former volunteers have had difficulties with their placements in Malawi. But I said months ago that I was looking for a professional challenge - so I'm facing this one with my head up and with a positive state of mind.

It was a great introduction to the HIV/AIDS sector in Malawi to be able to participate in WUSC's annual sector committee meeting with its partners last Friday. Mostly partners made presentations about volunteers they've had, their work in the last 6 months, and the plan for the next 6 months. 

Getting used to eating Nsima, a maize staple that always
reminds me of firm, gelatinous  mashed potatoes

WUSC has two main network organizations that it works with MANASO, who work more at the community level, and MANET+, the Malawi Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS, who work more at the national level. I guess there is tension between the two, since the government and the National AIDS Commission, is giving more funding and participatory opportunities to MANET+, meaning that MANASO has severely downsized recently. I hope that staff can still be passionate about their work despite the changes.

In other news, myself, along with two other volunteers Sarah and Dominique, went to Lake Malawi for the day on Saturday to relax. I couldn't believe the wave conditions - I wish I had a board to try it out!

Along the beach of Lake Malawi in Salima district
 - watching some locals wash clothes

So it's off to Blantyre, my permanent residence, tomorrow morning to a guesthouse for the week. My first week of work this week, and then hopefully I'll be off to Lake of Stars Festival in Nkopola this weekend (accommodation is booked!) 

P.S. The extent of Chichewa that I have thus far mastered:

Dzina lanu ndi Heather :)

Muli bwanji? (How are you?)

Ndiri bwino, kaya inu? (Good and you?)

Tuzaonana mawa - See you tomorrow

Zikomo (kwambili) - Thank you (very much)

Seriously, with these waves Malawi needs a surf club!

Landed in Lilongwe

It may come as a surprise to some but I got an opportunity, through Uniterra and WUSC, to help build media and communications capacities in two HIV/AIDS NGOs in southern Malawi. So it appears that another blog revival was in order – so check back here for the next 4 months if you’d like to see what’s up with me, or understand a bit more about this landlocked little gem.

After over 30 hours in transit, I arrived in the capital city of Lilongwe and immediately noticed a few things. It’s very dusty and it’s very hot. I guess there is a reason why their claim to fame is the “warm heart of Africa.” I guess another country swiped up “the heart of Africa” slogan first.  Lilongwe is not much of a capital city to be honest. Since the capital was moved there from Zomba, in the South, after independence in the early 1970’s, the city is still being formed and rather haphazardly. I have been told by numerous people that Blantyre, the commercial capital four hours south and my new home come Monday, is much more beautiful and well planned. I’ll let you know next week!

After a restful Monday, Dominique, another Canadian who will be working in Early Childhood Development in Blantyre as well, and I had day 1 of orientation at WUSC HQ today, which was immensely useful in clarifying what I am actually going to be doing here! I’ll be splitting my time between MANASO, an umbrella NGO coordinating over 400 community-based organizations working on AIDS, and Active Youth Initiative for Social Enhancement (AYISE), one of their member organizations working on youth and HIV/AIDS issues. Mostly I will be working on building a communications strategy, website development, training on ICTs and building successful relations with media and helping design communications materials. Not bad!

It’s funny that so much here reminds me of being back in Dar es Salaam, between finding stocks of my Milo and Nido favourites, buying a Kitenge (here called a chitenge), minibuses and being called a muzungu, I already feel like I am figuring things out.

I also found out there is Malawi mountain club that takes weekend trips to Mount Mulanje, which looks like a beautiful mountain chain in the south-east part of the country close to Mozambique. Definitely going to check it out! As well as the Lake of Stars festival!

Calling anywhere outside of Africa will cost me $2 per minute but incoming is free, so here is my number if you ever want to chat, I'd love that! +265 992 124 425

Warm hugs from this warm heart.

Toll bridge from the main produce market to the side selling clothes and other random stuff

Easter weekend egg-stravaganza

Pardon the pun. Actually my Easter long weekend did not involve a single egg - though my friend Custy had some chickens at his house who had laid some - and it did not involve any chocolate. I know, pretty shocking! But don't let the lack of these typical Easter icons fool you, I still brought out the child out in me. I had seen a lot of children flying kites over the past few months and heard that Easter as the big weekend to fly and make kites. Without enough time to make one - I didn't even know that was possible! - my friend Jason and I bought one to fly by a cane field in St. Philip.

It's definitely been a few years since I last flew a kite, but after adding extra tail to our little guy, it got some air. Not as sweet as the 26-foot record breaking kite flown here last week here, but I could not seem to wipe the smile off my face nonetheless. Apparently all the children here make their own kites with sticks or sugar cane stalks as the frame, a cut plastic bag to cover it and ripped bedsheets as the tail. I saw a toddler with his little newspaper and stick kite on my way home from work the other day. I would like to try making one - but with constant rain here the last week or two, I'll have to wait a bit longer.

I accidentally let go of the kite at one point, but luckily the spool caught itself in some cane not too long after I shot up and ran like a maniac after it. It also dropped in a distant field after the wind died down abruptly and by the time I reached it, it was about to be cut my a young boy on his bike. Got there right in time, but that kite clipping business is serious stuff here!

Saturday I relaxed and enjoyed some Ital food being cooked for me. Ital is basically Rasta food made with no salt, oil or meat (with fish as the exception) and using fresh coconut milk whenever possible. After opening up two old coconuts, chopping them, and blending and straining the mixture, Custy and Jason added spice and freshly ground nutmeg to make an amazing coconut punch. I later dreamed about this punch and hope to re-create it again soon.

On Monday, I woke up nice and early to join running buddy Rodders at Queens Park in town for a 10km run to Oistins, as part of the Oistins Fish Festival festivities. After a quick nap, I headed back to watch some of the goings on, sample some treats and take in the Greasy Pole competition. Essentially, a flagpole gets completely slathered with thick, yellow grease for machinery and a group of men try to climb on top of each other in an attempt to reach the prize money at the top of the pole - I heard it's $500 USD!

Definitely both amusing and heart-wrenching to watch as feet were shoved into faces and piles of bodies collapsed. Check out the winning team!

I know this post comes late and I'll make sure more ongoings get up here in the next month before I come home - time is just flying! Haha get it? Flying?

Cricket for the Blind

This is a little tidbit I meant to post about a few weeks ago when my brother first left.

After hugging my brother goodbye at the airport, I took the ZR van along the South coast back towards home. After about 10 minutes, a young girl about 12 years old, dressed in a blue t-shirt and shorts, climbed carefully into the van with her oddly-shaped bag. As she made her way to the back of the van, her mother spoke diligently with the driver, directing him to escort the girl somewhere I was not familiar with when they arrived at the terminal. I thought perhaps the two knew each other and that the girl was heading to a friend's house. But upon catching a glimpse of the printing on the t-shirt and the difficulty she was having to make her way to the back empty seats, I realized that this girl is blind. And that inside this bag was her cricket equipment. Immediately intrigued, I looked up the game when I arrived back home - it looks like a really big deal in India and the UK. Each time fields 11 players, as 20/20 goes, of which a certain number have to be legally blind, while the other players can be visually impaired. The ball emits a noise making it possible to hit even without seeing it. Along with a few other changes, visually impaired children and adults can play the same sports at a higher level.

Cricket in Barbados, and in the West Indies in general, is a phenomenon. I will not go as far to say that it is akin to Football in South America, however with the UK legacy in the region, it is still incredibly popular. For someone whose mom has worked at Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind for the past 10 years, I am really interested in watching a game! I'll let you know how it goes.

Visa issues aside...Antigua!

It's the moment you've all been waiting for...okay not really but finally the title of my blog can live up to its regional expectations after a short work trip to Antigua.

On the communications side, UNICEF is working in select countries in the region to equip children and youth with the writing, photography and video-making skills to enable and motivate them to speak out on issues affecting them, their community and their country. Sounds vague, but workshops like this one in Antigua, help to show young people that their opinions matter. The video productions group, facilitated by LiveUp host Mitzi Allen, brought youth into groups to plan, script, budget, shoot, edit and present a five minute segment on a topic of their choosing. I was impressed when the three groups chose themes of child abuse, peer pressure and sports promoting positive youth development. I'll have to post the videos next week when they're finished!

The journalism/photography group were told to list three of their passions and focus on one for their story, and some really interesting ideas came out: from redefining the word 'ghetto', to girl guides tuning down the aggression of one girl, to discussing what happens to orphans and forgotten children in the family law system from the perspective of an adopted girl.

Focus group on Monday went well, though a lot of kids were shy even when I spoke to them directly. And most of them had never heard of UNICEF, let alone the CRC so at least I was able to explain a bit about that.

One of the highlights of this trip was definitely meeting Fidel and Cozy, two bright and upfront girls, who took some time to show me around and share about themselves openly. And I thought Barbados was a small island; Antigua has less than 100,000 people and everyone knows everyone’s business. Such is the case with “Antigua’s list: girls” – a survey voted on by a plethora of males (I hesitate to use the word men because the whole idea is beyond immature) with categories such as “Menstruating Barbie”, “Cutest Face” and “Best Body.”

As you may know, I turned 24 on Monday while in Antigua, though without text and virtual messages from friends and family, I might have completely forgot! After the workshop finished, I went to eat a giant, delicious pizza at Big Banana, followed by an ice cream-topped fresh waffle from the Australian, which later I found out are the two must-eat-at places in Antigua. After eating, I strolled around the harbour, snapped some sweet shots and met the Sushi Kid. This artist, music producer and sushi master successfully guessed my age and went on to explain how he was planning on becoming a millionaire in the next 4 years. Ronald Silencieux, his real name, was quite the character but made it perfectly clear how few opportunities there were on the island. I spent the rest of the evening enjoying more ice cream and talking about life with a complete stranger. It’s about finding joy in the unexpected.

Tuesday I spent most of the morning talking with Fidel and documenting more of the youth workshops. Her and Cozy wanted to show me more of the island but when we ran out of time before my flight, we made a quick stop by the coast and for some sandwiches before I headed back to Barbados.

Side note about flying Liat (the Caribbean regional airline)aka Leave the Island at Any Time. For real, the plane left 15 minutes early. The pilot apologized for the delay in leaving as I boarded, calling out “we were delayed because of the individual coming on board just now.” Oh thanks. Luckily I smiled, waved and said sorry to all 6 other people on-board.

Every day I am learning more about UNICEF’s role in working with partners in that we document the process – necessary for our transparency but it can be burdensome for partners, we speak at the opening and closing ceremonies of conferences, workshops and trainings, and we ask partners to fill out surveys and forms to receive their funds. Now that I have a better understanding of these processes, I think it's time to get some hands-on work under my belt, and now that I have my return to Canada date of May 27th, it’s time to really think about what’s next for me!