Malawi-Wowie!

Frank & Enellece's Wedding

2008-07-06T03:33:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Frank and Enellece’s wedding – Frank is my housemate and Enellece is my friend from Machinga so it was like a colliding of my two worlds in a wonderful day full of celebration and joy! When Malawians are partying, there is no hiding it! The day was full of dancing and singing and of course, the traditional throwing of money. We had a full house which was a bit overwhelming and at times I didn’t know where to put myself. But everyone was welcoming and happy to have me as part of the festivities.

I awoke the day of the wedding at 4AM to the wonderful sound of women singing happily outside as they sat around the fire in the darkness preparing water for the multitudes of people waiting to bathe and prepare for the ceremony. The wedding ceremony was at the church at 7:30AM so there’s was much to get ready – bathe, eat, dress the children, shine shoes, don hats and colourful head scarves, suits and beautiful dresses. Cars showed up decked out with ribbons and balloons to carry the parents of the bride and groom to the church. In many ways, the ceremony itself was very much like those at home, complete with reciting of vows, exchanging of rings but minus the big kiss at the end. There was none of the seriousness, however, of Bach symphonies and organ music. Instead, there was clapping, dancing, hooting and hollering, women ululating and cheering. Even the priest had the place laughing, his one-liners punctuated with a keyboard that served almost as the drum and symbol combination delivered at the end of a punch line of a good joke.

After the ceremony, there were a few hours of downtime, while people ate lunch and prepared for the reception. Once everyone was gathered together again at the reception hall, the wedding party made their grand entrance complete with choreographed dance for the children, the bridesmaids and groomsman and the bride and groom themselves, again to hosts of clapping, dancing, whistling and singing. At times I was laughing out loud, just to be part of such a rambunctious and rowdy gathering! I was asked by Frank to be a cashier and was honoured to play a special role at the wedding. A role which was a lot harder than I thought! Throughout the reception, groups of people are asked to come up and “greet” the bride and groom. Groups are called including friends of the bride, friends of the groom, coworkers or churchmates of the bride and/or groom, couples who are married, singles who aren’t, etc. Each time a group is called, they dance to the front and throw money, sometimes into a basket that the bride or groom is holding but more often than not they are too busy dancing to be bothered to aim and the money just gets tossed into the air accompanied by some killer dance moves until the floor becomes littered with bills. As cashiers, the six of us were responsible to collect all the money from the basket and the floor and count it after each dance. In addition, we make change for the wedding guests to cash in their big bills for lots of smaller bills so more enjoyment of chucking the money but without spending a fortune. Simple enough but it comes in fast and furious and it’s hard to keep up! It truly was an occasion that I was so happy to be a part of. It was like joy and happiness was oozing out from the tent…
That evening we headed back to the house, happy and exhausted from a day of celebration. There was a bit of confusion where I was going to stay because the previous night I had stayed with a neighbour but her relatives had come so there was no space for me there. It was finally decided that I would stay in my room, but it had been taken over by all the female relatives of the bride and groom – mothers, grandmothers, aunts, sisters and children – my presence in their midst caused a bit of discomfort and upheaval amongst this group of women from villages of Machinga. There was one single bed which would sleep 2 and the rest of the 10 or so women were huddled on the floor, chatting and preparing cloth and blankets to form make-shift beds. I insisted on giving the bed to one of the grandmothers to share with one of the bridesmaids who was not feeling well and take my place on the floor, however, that caused great upset. “You’re a muzungu (white person), you must have the bed” I heard through translation. “I know I am a muzungu but I’ll take the floor. You take the bed” I said to Frank’s grandmother, a wizened old woman with a wonderful toothless smile as I started settling my own chitenge and blanket and nuzzling down. Amazed, but happy, his grandmother smiled and picked her way across the floor littered with bodies and lay down on the edge of the bed. “Zikomo kwambiri. Ndatokoza. (Thank you very much. I appreciate that.)” she said. I lay down my head and smiled, my hip bone sore on the hard floor but happy to be squashed amongst the women and children after a wonderful day.

My roommates

In total, the equivalent of approximately $1,600 was raised at the wedding. While it seems a lot, especially in Malawian terms, it was not enough to make back what they spent on hosting the wedding itself, to pay back debts and loans they have incurred through the wedding planning process. Unfortunately, however, to family and friends, they hear this amount of money and many set out to find ways in which they can share in the fortune. I remember one of my earliest conversations with Frank when I moved into the house early this year. Although he has a very good job and we stay in a nice house provided by his employer, a great proportion of his income is sent home to Machinga to support his family. As the only one in the family with a higher education and steady employment, it is his responsibility to provide money for the daily needs of his family and even extended family back home. This is a significant drain on his financial resources and as a result, money for needs here in Lilongwe, like food, electricity, water and transport is often stretched. Of all his expenses, paying school fees for Grace and her brother is his number one priority. The only way he can reduce this financial burden is to ensure that these two cousins also make their way to higher education and successful employment so they can share this responsibility to the family. Unfortunately, however, it’s sad to see the repercussions. There are bitter rumblings amongst the family that he and Enellece have left for the lake for a few days of a honeymoon, complaining it’s a waste of money and waiting for the money they believe they are owed. There is a common misconception that the family here in Lilongwe are living the “high life” while those at home in the village are struggling. Instead of parents being happy for their children, with the hanging around and side comments, it almost appears that they are jealous. It is a dynamic that I am not familiar with, coming from a family where I was supported by my parents and do not have to worry about financial obligations to family at such a young age. It’s interesting that many here do not see the value of an education, even with the promise of a good job and increased income. For a youngster who works hard and manages to get a good job, it is a huge burden to bear and for some, may even be a disincentive.

All families have their dynamics I guess, across culture or financial status. Despite this struggle, I am very happy for my friends, Frank and Enellece, two people that have accepted me into their lives with open arms, providing for my every need, from food and shelter to love and support. They are true friends I am very lucky to know. Noria, our neighbour said to me after meeting the Kachifumbus, who were here for the wedding, “You are surrounded with wonderful people everywhere you go”. I am. “It starts with you”, she said. “When you are open and friendly with people, they will return those feelings upon you.” I wish Frank and Enellece, two of my wonderful people, every happiness in their lives together and am very happy to share this brief time with them.

Feeling like I finally fit...

2008-04-26T04:18:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday was one of those days that’s just made up of a whole bunch of random events, that makes you shake your head and laugh. But at the same time there were some very small moments that just made my heart happy so I thought you’d get a kick out of it…

I was at an EWB conference for most of the day but eager to get home because Enellece’s was coming to town to work on wedding planning. I was really looking forward to it because I haven’t seen her for many months. I arrive home around 6 and before I get my second foot through the door she’s yelling my name and comes tearing around the corner arms out ready to throw around me in a big hug. Never underestimate the joy of a big hug! They are just on their way to the tailor as she has bought some material and wants to get a skirt and blouse and a matching shirt made for Frank for their upcoming engagement party. It’s dark so safety in numbers, Frank, Enellece, Grace and I head out to walk over to the tailor’s. After perusing some bridal magazines and getting an idea of styles for the wedding, the woman (who I assume to be the tailor) piles us all into her van and I think she’s going to drive us home. But we take the first turn in the wrong direction and then the second, so I whisper to Grace beside me “Where are we going?”. I’m pretty accustomed to not knowing what’s going on around me and just going with the flow. People are often talking and things are often happening around me and I have no idea what’s going on but don’t seem to question much anymore. Everything seems to work itself out even if I don’t have any idea what’s going on or why. Anyways, so Grace says, we’re going to get the tailor. In my mind, I’m asking so… where were we before? but instead, nod knowingly and look out the window. We are driving into a very low income area of town. There are small decrepit grocery stalls lit by low-burning candles, fires are burning with the makings of the evening meal, children run through the headlight beams, and eerie figures seem to lurk in the shadows, chatting at the corner of run down structures, or peering out from dimly lit doorways. We stop and the woman’s houseboy, who has come along for the ride, jumps out to go and get the tailor. We wait in the van for a little while and then all decide to file out onto the road. This area is clearly not accustomed to a lot of evening traffic and we’re already gathering a bit of an audience just by being stopped on the side of the road in a pretty nice looking vehicle, so imagine the surprise of the neighbourhood as one by one we start filing out of this van and the last, out pops this random white girl! Not something that happens everyday. Needless to say, I cause quite the ruckus! Kids are running around, laughing and giddy, the brave ones darting in to touch my leg and then run away. Adults are coming to gather round and see what all the noise is about. Frank then starts a bit of a math competition to pass the time and diffuse some attention. He’s calling out addition problems and children are yelling out answers to whoops of applause. We quite happily pass the time on arithmetic quizzes until the tailor arrives and then starts to take Frank and Enellece’s measurements in the light from the headlights and is leaning on the hood of the van to write them down on a little scrap of paper. Once the measurements are taken and a few more math problems are successfully solved, we all pile back into the van, and slowly bump our way back over the potholes to the main road, followed by a mass of waving children.

We arrive home and have some dinner and then Enellece asks Grace to try on a sample dress that she has chosen for the women in the wedding party. Not wanting to miss out on the fun, I get dressed up in my national wear that I had made. Essentially a skirt and top made of the same material that is often worn here on special occasions. So we are all parading around the house dolled up in our fancy wear, snapping photos, twirling around and feeling quite girly. Frank, meanwhile is lying on the couch reading the newspaper, only glancing up once in a while to smile and roll his eyes! Enellece has also brought a sample dress for Florence, our 8 year old neighbour who will be one of the flower girls in the wedding. Grace takes her into our room and starts getting her into the dress so she can come out and enjoy the fun. But our expectations are somewhat jarred when we hear screaming from the bedroom. Grace has managed to get the dress over Florence’s head and under her arms but can’t pull it down, or get it back off. Florence is essentially stuck in the dress and is screaming that by yanking it up or down we are hurting her. So all the adults now are standing around her and trying to figure out our next plan of action, kind of stifling laughter in the process because we can’t believe we got this kid stuck in a dress! The laughter though is only making things worse for poor Florence! Cream! That’ll do it… we’ll lube her up and slip the dress over her head! So we gather various creams in the house and are trying to shove hands up underneath the dress and down from the top but the dress is pulled so tightly that it’s digging into her skin. Needless to say it was too tight to get a hand in there as well so that plan was aborted. After a bit more yanking in various directions and her screaming, we decide to get a razor blade and cut her out of the dress. But again the seams are pulled so tight that we’re afraid to cut her skin. So after two failed problem solving attempts, we go back to the tried and true… just yank the thing. Sure enough with 3 grown women working at it and her yelling (we had to bring her outside because she was so loud it was echoing off the walls and we couldn’t think), we finally manage to finagle her out of it. Florence goes to bed exhausted and angry at all of us, and we all giggle and start looking around for a needle to repair the tears in the dress.

Strutting the catwalk (or hallway) in our fancy clothes

Florence also posing for the camera, before the fiasco...

The next morning, Enellece is headed back to Machinga so we all accompany her to the bus depot around 6am, still rubbing the sleep from our eyes. The bus depot is a bustling place pretty much at any time of the day or night. We get out of the car and immediately people are approaching me asking where I’m headed. I point at Enellece, “she’s the one, not me”. People are surprised that she has such an entourage to see her off. I maybe cannot explain this very well but for the first time in a long time, based on the events of the last 24 hours, on the sleepy morning fog, on the reactions of the people in the depot, everything just came together. I felt like a real true friend, not anyone different, not anyone who should stand out, just one of the group come to see off a good friend. We managed to pick an almost full bus and get Enellece safely packed in. We turn to walk away, Grace pokes me in the stomach and smiles. I throw my arm around her and we walk back to the car on our way home. Something inside me is content and happy. I finally feel I “fit”, I belong, I’m happy…

It's been a long time...

2008-04-17T23:25:00.001-07:00

It’s been so long since I’ve written now that it’s hard to even know where to begin. The rains have dried up and it’s getting cooler, the maize is ripe and ready for grinding, life in the city is becoming normal and I’m another year older! Work has been incredibly busy lately and to be honest I have struggled to get used to my “office job”. I miss the daily gratification of field work, of interacting with beneficiaries and getting my hands dirty and seeing the results of our efforts first hand. But after some growing pains, I’m adjusting to my new role and have found the silver lining which gives me the drive to keep at it, despite the delayed or slow pace of change.

My role has changed drastically from what I was doing in Machinga. I was a sunburnt country bumpkin but I’ve turned high-rolling “big” city girl! I now am working primarily in the head office in Lilongwe and working on sector coordination and planning at both the district and national levels. At district level, we are supporting the district assemblies in the preparation of district wide sector strategy and investment plans. These plans aim to localize the Millennium Development Goal of halving the proportion of the people without access to safe water and sanitation by 2015. This is a lofty and abstract goal without determining what it means in terms of actual water points/latrines and serviced population on the ground. By analyzing existing information, we are hoping to assess how many water points/latrines are required and where in the district to ensure increased and equitable service provision across the jurisdiction. In many cases, service coverage along major routes (or in the home villages of politicians!) are already very high, but are often still the target of new boreholes or system expansions. Remote areas or those without strong traditional leaders may be struggling in relative silence. It is hoped that by looking at the whole district, we can aim to ensure more equitable distribution of services for both water and sanitation. In addition, the plans take into consideration the identification of the human, material and financial resources necessary to ensure the infrastructure is established and the communities are properly supported to provide effective management and operation. Many of the districts do not have sufficient numbers or properly trained staff required to undertake their responsibilities. They may not even have an office or computers. This plan will look holistically at what is required and set out an investment plan determining how much it is going to cost to achieve. Once the plan is costed, it provides a type of “shopping list” that can be taken to donors to request funds.

At national level, similar plans and coordination mechanisms are in the works. The national ministry for water development is embarking on the development of a Sector Wide Approach (SWAp). This is a total revamp of the current method of “doing business” in which donors and government undertake various projects in an ad hoc and disjointed manner. The result is very inequitable development with a lot of gaps in some areas and duplication in others, often with conflicting approaches used that undermine project successes. The SWAp aims to develop a holistic sector strategy, identifying priority areas and agreeing on common implementation approaches that apply to all sector players. The objective is that sector development will progress more effectively with all stakeholders working towards a shared common vision. Having an overall sector strategy will attract more funding and the money, whether it be from government or donors, will be better spent. It is important for sustainability that this process be domestically owned and led rather than imposed from donors. Malawi has taken some great steps so far to lead the SWAp process, however, it is a huge and complicated task that will take years to implement.

The SWAp process is fraught with many challenges. Reaching consensus on sector priorities and approaches amongst all stakeholders (government, donors, NGOs, etc.) is an expensive undertaking often without guaranteed results. Fostering trust between stakeholders, primarily between government and donors, is difficult. It requires that donors release some of their control on funding and allow that government systems will ensure it is used honestly and for the purposes for which it was intended. Governments have to be willing to be open and transparent in their reporting and financial management. The tasks are daunting. But the potential benefits are also great if it can be implemented successfully.

So that’s the quick and dirty update on what I’ve been doing at work. On a personal level I have struggled a bit with adjusting to this “higher level” development work. Arguably, however, the impact will be greater and I am happy and excited to have the opportunity to learn more about how the government and donors function in development. I have been working… a lot… and haven’t had much opportunity for down time or to go out exploring. I did however take off over Easter weekend to Likoma and Chizimulu, two gorgeous little islands in Lake Malawi. It was absolutely wonderful to get a change of scenery, clear my head and get a bit of colour back! By looking at me, no one would believe me back home if I said I’d been working in Africa for almost a year! The down side of a desk job!

Things at home are going well. Frank is busy preparing for his wedding in July. He will marry my friend Enellece from Machinga which will be fabulous – a collision of my two worlds in one big party! Grace is a studying machine getting ready for her business administration exams in June and we have played host to a number of guests in the last few months as they pass through town. Speaking of guests, my parents will arrive in just over a month so I am really looking forward to that. It will be a busy visit but good to show them some of my work and life here, introduce them to friends and family, and explore some of the areas of the country I haven’t yet had time to visit. I even have them lined up to do some volunteering at a medical clinic near Machinga! They are excited and looking forward to the new experiences.

Village girl in the big city

2008-01-28T04:39:00.000-08:00

I am slowly getting settled here in Lilongwe. I have moved here for a few weeks, or maybe months (we’ll see), to work out of the head office while I start on some new projects. While it’s good to be back in a bigger city and a treat to take advantage of all the comforts the city provides - regular access to email, a variety of food options, more consistent power, etc. – however, I am also very, very much missing my family in Machinga and the comfort and support that I had there. It’s amazing how much these others things (email, food options and power, for example) don’t mean as much as family and support. Moving and having to adjust to a new city, new projects at work and a new home has been a bit overwhelming but slowly as I settle into a new routine it is getting easier.

I am living with the fiancé of Enellece, a Malawian friend of mine from Machinga. Frank is a tobacco breeder, who works for an agricultural research trust, experimenting with different tobacco strains, trying to breed varieties that are higher yielding, more resistant to pest attacks or certain climate conditions. Tobacco, or “green gold” as it is called here, is Malawi’s biggest export crop. I would’ve thought “green gold” would be maize as it is grown everywhere but apparently it is grown predominantly for local consumption and does not bring in much, if any, export money. Tobacco, therefore, is a very important crop and a lot of money and effort is spent on ensuring its successful production.

We also live with, and I share a room with, Frank’s cousin Grace. She is a 23 year old who is doing a diploma at a local college in business administration. She is quite sweet and has become something like a little sister. She likes to do my hair up in curlers and then get it all styled so I look “quite smart”. I think it just looks big! We play cards in the evening or I teach her some basic computer skills. I was quite worried when I moved in that I had invaded her room, and with all my stuff, it’s not like my presence can go unnoticed! But despite the invasion, she seems happy to have another girl in the house to do things with and I am very happy for the company as well.

So there have been many changes recently but as things settle down I’m becoming more comfortable again. The small town girl is getting used to the big city! I’m looking forward to sinking my teeth into my new projects at work. They all seem a bit overwhelming at the moment but hopefully, as I work away at them, they will become more manageable.

Stay warm and I’ll try to stay dry! The rain is becoming almost daily now!

I'm Simple...

2008-01-13T04:37:00.000-08:00

One of the most emotional times over the holidays was a few hours spent with one of my Chichewa teachers in Machinga. Chrissy, a kindergarten teacher and Albert, a high school English teacher, were a perfect pick for my language lessons. Good teachers with lots of energy, this couple was always willing to spend a few hours pouring over my notebook and small language text as I tried to learn. Chrissy would prepare popcorn or roasted peanuts and we would munch away, laughing at my mistakes until my brain was fried. Afterwards we would sit and play cards or checkers, bouncing their son Domenic on our laps, usually talking about Canada as they were very curious about everything from the politics to sports, from the weather to employment.

More than my teachers, though, this couple became some of my very good friends. Over Christmas, Marc and I gave them a book on Canada, with pictures and descriptions of the country and its vast and varied environment and landscape. We spent one afternoon for a few hours sitting with Chrissy and talking about Canada. Laughing as she asked questions about the ice on the rivers or the changing colours of the trees. “I would never survive” she said as she gasped at the snowy landscape.

As we were leaving her house and I was saying good bye as I was leaving Machinga for a few months to spend some time working in the head office in Lilongwe and do some research in another district, she said some things that made me think. In thanking me, she got very quiet and serious. She not only thanked me for the gift but for my friendship. “When I see you in town and I’m with my friends, they ask me about you. She’s different, I tell them. She’s simple. She’s like us”. You are not like others, she said. You are simple and humble. When you first came and were living here in Machinga, we all worried how you would be, living in these conditions coming from a country that is so different and more advanced. But you have no problems. You eat what we eat. You treat us no differently. You treat us as equals, we have good talks and we are friends.

I was extremely moved by her words but also saddened. Why should she expect me to treat her or anyone else differently? Why should they worry about how I will live in “these conditions” when they do so everyday? Why should she be surprised by my actions and thank me? But the sad part is that in rural areas, the vast majority of Malawians are surprised when they are treated as equals by foreigners. They are surprised that we can survive without flush toilets and stoves, creature comforts and knives and forks. But there must be a reason why they are surprised. They must have not been treated with respect enough times in the past that when they are, it seems “different” or “surprising”. It makes me more eager and determined to break down these stereotypes at every opportunity. Everyone has prejudices. But we are all human beings and need to work to remove these prejudgements, good or bad, about others because of where they come from or the colour of their skin.

Christmas in Machinga

2008-01-12T03:41:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! I hope everyone is settling well into 2008 and had a safe and happy holiday season!

My Christmas holiday this year was spectacular! I had a wonderful few weeks traveling around the country with Marc, my boyfriend who came to visit from Ottawa. It was wonderful to be able to share some of my experiences with him, for him to meet all of my friends and family and as well, to explore some new and exciting places together.

Before Marc’s arrival, the days leading up to Christmas were fairly uneventful. But when Marc arrived, it was like Santa Claus stepped off a plane! He arrived with an enormous bag of gifts, not just for me but for the Kachifumbu’s in Machinga. I was truly overwhelmed and humbled by the thoughtfulness of friends and family back home. The meaningful words in Christmas cards, the CD of Christmas carols, the pictures and all the gifts were very special, stirring up a lot of emotions – missing everyone at home, being proud of what I’m doing here but most of all, feeling very truly blessed and lucky to have so many special people who support me. I thank each and every one of you for your thoughts and wishes. You cannot begin to know how much it means…

We spent Christmas with the Kachifumbu family in Machinga, and it truly was a wonderful day. Florence and I spent Christmas Eve preparing a Christmas cake while Marriot and Marc went off to church. When I say “Christmas “cake it was actually a white cake complete with dried cranberries from Canada, icing and sprinkles – a special treat as Florence had requested a “Canadian” cake for Christmas. That night, Marc and I stayed up late and played Santa Claus. It was so fun! After everyone went to bed, we snuck into the sitting room and decorated a Christmas tree we bought, put up photos we had developed and laid out all of the goodies for the family under the tree.

After Santa's visit

Sleeping that night was difficult with all the excitement and anticipation but all tired thoughts were forgotten as we listened to the gasps, the giggles and whispers at the discovery on Christmas morning. We spent about 2 hours opening presents, one person at a time, relishing every moment – dinky cars and dolls, clothes and soaps – all the while laughing with excitement and enthusiasm with the unwrapping of each item. It was also very emotional – both for me and them. It was so nice to see this family – my family – who has given me so much, taken me into their home and their family as if I belong, never making me feel different or strange, they have taught me so much, they have loved and supported me, talked with me and comforted me – it was so nice to see them so happy and overwhelmed. To be in some small way, if only for a few hours, a part of creating so much joy. To see them so overwhelmed by the gifts themselves but also because they had been remembered in the thoughts of total strangers in Canada. For all of you who sent something, please know that you have been a part of a very special Christmas for a very lucky couple from Canada and an extremely special family from Machinga.

The morning was spent playing with new presents and chatting under the mango tree with friends as they stopped by. The kids were looking very snazzy in their new clothes – although Nixon and Catherine refused to wear anything else for a few days afterwards! The soccer ball was kicked around much to the delight of the neighbouring kids. Catherine’s new doll never left her side even when she was sleeping. It was dragged around by the hand or strapped to her back like a real African baby. We enjoyed pop and even wine at dinner as a special treat that Marc and I brought. It was the first time that they had had wine! That afternoon Marriot, Florence, Marc and I set off on a walk. And on our way home as dusk was falling on a perfect day, we were treated to a beautiful double rainbow arching over the vast green farms that surround the village. It was a day full of joy and laughter, the smiles of children and the love of family and friends – everything that a perfect Christmas day should be.

All of us in our new Christmas clothes

So although it was without snow, without carols and without the total gluttony of food and thousands of gifts, it was a Christmas that will not soon be forgotten. My aunt wrote in her Christmas card to me “your adventure has been the source of not just entertainment, but a reawakening of the knowledge of what is important in the world”. I hope in some small way, that you all feel like that. That would be a great Christmas present for me…

Happy Holidays!

2007-12-17T01:41:00.000-08:00

I hear that the snow has been falling, I’m sure that the carols are playing, the lights are up and the malls are crazy right now. In Machinga, however, it’s hard to believe that Christmas is right around the corner. There’s no snow… but rain (but the good news on that is, the maize is getting bigger and greener each day!), no power… so no Christmas music or lights and no television or radio to be bombarded with Christmas commercials. I am missing the usual excitement that always surrounds this holiday season and I will definitely be missing being with family and friends this year.

Despite the lack of fuss and fanfare, Christmas is celebrated here but it is not the massive event that it is at home. I’m not even sure that Nixon and Catherine know that the big day is next week! Here, the holiday is more focused around the religious meaning rather than presents and Santa Claus. Although I will not be at home this year, I am really looking forward to seeing how the holiday is celebrated here in Malawi. True to the family nature of the holiday, I will be spending Christmas with my “family” in Machinga, accompanied by my boyfriend from Canada who arrives in 2 days (not that I’m counting!). From what I hear there will be a big party at church on Christmas Eve, where we stay up late, singing and dancing. On the big day, we will be making some traditional Malawian dishes and sharing them with family friends who’ll drop by. Although the kids aren’t excited just yet, I can only imagine the running around and laughter with the string of visitors. It will definitely be a different holiday this year but I am very excited nonetheless.

I don’t have any physical presents to share but to give you a little picture of life here I wanted to just share part of a list I have going in my journal. It’s a list entitled, very simply, “Things to be happy about…”, and who’s not happy at Christmas? Every so often a small gesture or little thing catches me off guard and makes me smile so I try to write them down. Here’s just a few. Hard to picture maybe but I hope they make you smile…

Florence singing
Fireflies
Nixon singing and dancing in the morning
The full moon so bright you can see shadows
Kids starting to join me on my runs in the morning
Nixon and Catherine yelling "Auntie!" and running to give me hugs when I get home from work
The smell of eucalyptus
Little plumber butts peaking out from the back of ripped dresses
The sight and sound of crackling bush fires on the hills of Machinga at night
The way everyone calls me “madam”
The sound of kids playing and babies crying as it carries over the valley
Kids walking with their arms around each other
Hearing the thump of mangoes falling off the tree at night
The way the clouds and sun in the hills make them look different every morning
The view over Chagwa from the Machinga hill

My heart and thoughts are with all of you this holiday season. Have a safe and happy holiday. All the best for a wonderful start to 2008!

Sunburnt and blistered...

2007-11-27T00:38:00.000-08:00

I’m sunburnt, my hands are blistered, my stomach is upset and my muscles ache… but my Chichewa is better, my eyes have been widened and I have a much better appreciation for the challenges and hard work that are the daily activities of village life. I have recently spent five days in Chilimani village, one of the communities serviced by the Namikomia gravity fed water system which we are working to rehabilitate. Although only about 20 kilometres from my home in Machinga, it seems a world apart. I planned this village stay wanting to learn about the project from the beneficiaries point of view – what are the major problems with the system; where do people go to collect water when the tap is broken, water is not flowing or the pressure is too low; what does it feel like to have to collect water every day for your household uses; what other activities are important to the household and how does water collection fit amongst these other priorities – answers to all of these questions plus hoping to improve my Chichewa language skills and gain an appreciation for village life were the driving forces behind this visit.

I stayed with the Wadi family, the elder brother of the village chief, and his family. With 8 children, the youngest Omali, 14, still lived at home. The fourth born, Estere, 28, and her 3 children, Amina, 11, Malugula, 6, and Twaina, 4, has moved home to stay with her parents after the recent death of her husband in August of this year. I stay in a grass thatched house with the women and the two youngest children. We sleep on reed mats on the dirt floor and try to avoid the drips of rain coming through the roof. The day begins at 4:30AM when I set off with Estere and Mrs. Wadi into the fields to get some work done before the sun rises too high in the sky. We work with hoes to make ridges in the dirt, raising the planting soil and making channels for flowing rain water. The women chatter, the kids run around, Mrs. Wadi points this way and that, aiming me towards places to work and every so often scolding me good-heartedly in Chichewa because I’ve damaged a new maize stalk just budding. Everyone watches me carefully with a mix of intrigue and disbelief. Some think it’s funny, others are impressed to see me working and appreciative of my efforts, however bad they may be. There is always an inspection of my blistered hands at the end of 2 to 3 hours in the fields. We then head back to the house to collect buckets and head the approximately 200 m to the village tap. Luckily, being a relation of the chief, the tap is not located too far away. We wait at the tap with the other women and children and once my bucket (the smallest of them all) is filled, a woman helps me hoist it on my head and I start back to the house. Carrying about 15L of water on your head is tough and heavy! It hurts your neck, it’s hard to balance as the water sloshes around above, dripping over the edge and down your face, and making your hands slippery and hard to grip. I waddle, dodging low hanging branches, with water dripping down my face, not nearly as elegantly as the women around me who flow down the path carrying larger buckets balancing on their heads and babies on their backs.

Mrs. Wadi and Omali working in the fields as the sun rises behind

After bathing and breakfast, most of the rest of the day is spent in the shade, visiting with the steady stream of visitors, preparing food for the next meal, munching on mangoes, and pounding maize (painful on my already blistered hands). I try to assist with food preparation but am ushered out of the kitchen enclosure on multiple occasions because the smoke from the fire is making my eyes water. When sitting with visitors, I have my face in my Chichewa book trying to find the words to ask the questions I’m forming in my mind. Although my Chichewa definitely got better out of necessity – no one in the Wadi family speaks English and very few people in the village in general – my inability to communicate well inhibited how much I could learn about the project questions I had. I did manage to find out some things but not as much as I would have through an interpreter. I did, however, manage some information gathering through a mix of broken Chichewa, English and charades.

Estere in the kitchen with Malugula & Twaina looking on

Trying my hand at pounding maize

One afternoon, after the real heat of the day had passed, Mrs. Wadi, Estere and her friends Patuma and Bedina and I set off on a walk to go and see the nearby Shire River. Along the way we stop at the borehole in the next village so I can test out my first handpump in Malawi. The gravity systems in Malawi are largely the legacy of Malawi’s first president. Boreholes, however, were the flavour of the day for the second president. As a result, in the same area serviced by a gravity fed system, you also find a smattering of boreholes, often in very close proximity. The problem that arises is that when a tap breaks down or the gravity system requires repairs and an alternative water source in the form borehole is available, the urgency to repair the system is lost and many downstream users who may not have as reliable alternate sources, are negatively impacted.

Pumping water from a borehole

The second stop on our walk is to visit Agnes Wilson. Somewhat of a legend in the area, Agnes is the survivor of a crocodile attack in 1999. At that time, before the start of the system rehabilitation, the gravity fed system was no longer functioning and Agnes went daily to the Shire River to collect her household’s water. One day, while drawing her water bucket from the river, a crocodile emerged out of the depths and grabbed her right wrist. Although, she managed to escape and has since recovered remarkable use of her hand, the incident still seems very fresh. The tap in her community is now flowing thanks to the rehabilitation work but still lacks a proper tap, funds for which have yet to be collected from the tap users.

Agnes Wilson

As we pick our way down to the river and then back home, we stop periodically along the way to visit with community members, interested in the strange visitor amongst them. I am repeatedly presented with gifts of fresh fruits or eggs and am struck by the kindness and generosity of the people, especially given how little they have. I can’t help but think that if roles were reversed, and I was surviving on so little and struggling to feed my family, would I be as willing to share what little I had with a visitor who came wanting to learn the language and “see how I live”, decked out with clean clothes and soft hands, who has clearly come from a land of much more wealth and opportunity? I doubt it.

Gifts of mangoes and papayas

So I head back to Machinga with a greater appreciation of the hardships of village life. There is a prevailing sense of struggle in daily life for the people in these communities. Every aspect of life is that much more difficult – cooking, finding food, cleaning, money, education, water. There is never a vacation, a day off, a rest. It gives me renewed drive to do what little I can to at least make the water component of life more accessible and a just a bit easier then it is right now.

Development thinking...

2007-11-05T06:31:00.000-08:00

I struggle to know what to write on my blog and what would be of interest to people back home (hence my lack of writing in so long!). I’ve decided I’m going to try to write once a month. I’m going to alternate months, writing about some “development” topic that I’m thinking about or working on and alternate that with some funny or personal story that will hopefully be interesting. So this month, I’m in the development mood, having just come off of a week of EWB training/Southern Africa (SA) retreat and have a lot of thoughts floating around in my mind. The training/retreat was really helpful in pulling us out of our placements where we can get bogged down in the daily trials and frustrations of our projects and stepping back to look at the larger picture or context into which our project and/or placement fits. It also was helpful that we were able to hold these meetings in some pretty ideal locations. We set up a makeshift classroom in a shelter on the beach in Senga Bay for our training and then traveled to Zomba Plateau where we met up with the other SA OVS in a beautiful mountain setting for the retreat. So here goes…

Within the water and sanitation sector in Malawi, and I would guess in most other developing countries, the lack of capacity of the government has been identified as one of the challenges in the development of the sector. In Canada, or Ontario at least, the municipal government has the sole responsibility for providing access to safe water and sanitation. Users pay water fees to the municipal government who, for the most part, owns and manages the systems. The provincial government sets guidelines and regulations on everything from treatment and testing requirements to minimum service levels, from design guidelines to training requirements for water/wastewater system operators. These regulations must be strictly followed at the risk of hefty fines. Here in Malawi, however, the government ministry responsible for water and sanitation exists at a national level. In theory, this national ministry sets similar guidelines and regulations and, in accordance with the decentralization policy, the district government provides coordination and planning of the wat/san activities occurring within their boundaries. The NGOs, however, are largely responsible for project implementation, or the installation of the capital works and the operations/maintenance and overall management of the system is the responsibility of the beneficiary community.

There are several capacity shortfalls within the institutional system that are causing systemic challenges and difficulties in the sector. The first and probably the most significant, is the availability of qualified staff. At the national level, the ministry has made great improvements having recently released a National Water Policy and they have a National Sanitation Policy available in draft form. These guiding documents are helpful in consolidating a sector that has previously been divided into many sectors such as Health (sanitation) and Agriculture (irrigation), given the multi-sector aspects of water. Previously each of these ministries had policies on water that were often overlapping or contradictory. That being said, there is, however, no guideline on water quality monitoring or testing or other important guiding information due to the lack of capacity (skills and people) to put the time and effort necessary into the development of these documents. At a district level, the ministry is severely understaffed. In my district for example, there is one manager and about 4 technical/field staff for an area that is probably the size of Ottawa, give or take. Some districts don’t even have a manager! It’s impossible with so few people and resources to be able to adequately coordinate and plan the sector, keeping track of the various actors, developing and enforcing regulations.

This brings me to my next challenge, which is a lack of accurate information. In my limited experience here, I have not seen a lot of baseline information that is required for the successful coordination and planning of the sector. WaterAid has been instrumental in making some improvements to this shortfall by the creation of waterpoint mapping, a map of each district showing the location of each of the waterpoints, the type (public tap versus borehole) and their functionality (whether or not it is working). This is extremely valuable for planning purposes, to know which communities are well served and which are not, to know what systems need rehabilitation, etc. However, this exercise was completed for some districts up to 4 or 5 years ago, and given the resource shortfall, has not been updated since. In addition, there is insufficient hydrogeological or water quality data so it is difficult to track changes that may be occurring overtime.

One of the opportunities I may have while I’m here is to work on the development of district wide water and sanitation plans which will serve as a sector planning document for the district government and to assist in capacity development at a district level. While I see a great need and value for this I have several questions. First, is there a threshold capacity that needs to exist that makes it worthwhile to invest in capacity building? For instance, if I can assist in building the capacity of the small staff that are available, will this improve things in a larger sense within the sector at district level if these people are so overstretched in terms of resources and finances, it’s like working with one hand tied behind their backs? Is it worthwhile to invest in the creation of a plan, if they do not have the capacity to use it, enforce it and update it so it remains a useful document? Given how overstretched the existing staff are, do they have the motivation to continue to strive for improvements in the sector in their area? How can we create a useful plan given the lack of available baseline information and how can we improve this information given the currently strained human resources?

Anyways, all difficult questions and ones I currently do not have the answers to but hope that with time, I may be able to figure out. That’s all for now, hopefully all is well back home!

A bit about work....

2007-09-24T09:46:00.000-07:00

I’ve had some questions recently about what exactly I’m doing at work so I thought I’d try to clarify a few things here. In Machinga, I’m working with a partner of WaterAid’s. WaterAid itself does not undertake the implementation of projects, but instead, serves as a funding agency providing technical and other support to local NGO’s responsible for project implementation. The rationale is that by working with local NGO’s, we are building the capacity of these organizations to implement similar projects, assisting them also with identifying other funding opportunities outside of WaterAid, therefore, in the future, these organizations should be able to function independently. The organization I work with here is called Target National Relief and Development (TANARD). In Machinga, TANARD is responsible for the rehabilitation of two gravity fed water schemes, as well as the working towards increased sanitation and hygiene education in the beneficiary communities. In all water projects, there must be an element of sanitation and hygiene as the full health benefits of providing clean water can not be achieved without the associated hygiene education. For example, if clean water is being provided, but collected in unclean buckets or food is being prepared without clean hands, etc., the full benefits of the water will not be realized.

Day to day we are undertaking a number of different activities. We work very closely with community management committees as well as the district government (which is roughly equivalent to the municipal government back home). The purposes of these collaborations are many. The government of Malawi has a very strong decentralization policy, on the basis that local government and communities are the most knowledgeable about the resources and needs in their areas. Within these two schemes as well as most water systems, the communities are responsible for the operation and maintenance of the system. Committees are set up on a number of levels. Tap Committees are set up for each tap (of which there are hundreds). These committees are responsible for collecting user fees from the beneficiaries and reporting any required maintenance. The schemes are divided into several sections that each has a committee. These Section committees are responsible for the overall coordination of the system in their section. In addition, each section has a Repair Team, made up of individuals trained in the maintenance and the system, who are dispatched when problems are reported. There is also an overall Main Committee who looks at the system as a whole, investigates opportunities for expansion and works to develop solutions to challenges within the system such as vandalism and low community participation.

The district government is responsible for the overall development of the district, including water and sanitation. Given the current capacity of the government, however, they are responsible for so many other areas, that they rely on local NGO’s to assist in the implementation of various projects. Their involvement, however, is paramount as ultimately, the development that occurs within their area is their responsibility. This has been a problem with other NGOs in the past that do not work through the government, therefore, government is unaware of their activities which often leads to duplication or the implementation of projects that are unnecessary or not coordinated well with other development in the area. For instance, we are working to rehabilitate two of the gravity fed systems but if another NGO begins to drill boreholes in the same area, this will have a significant impact on our project success.

On a daily basis we are undertaking a variety of activities. We are currently supervising the construction of 60 tap aprons. These concrete platforms serve to protect the area around the tap from contamination and divert waste water away from the area. In this activity we are working with local contractors, therefore, we are also trying to forge relationships and develop the capacity of the private sector in water service provision. We are also working with local masons in the construction of concrete latrine slabs. Many communities, if they have latrines, have latrine floors constructed of hardened dirt. Due to the soil conditions, however, these are prone to collapse. Concrete slabs are more durable and can be reused on a new latrine if the existing one becomes full. We are also promoting the construction of ecological sanitation latrines as an alternative to the traditional types. These latrines have two pits, one of which is used at a time. When the pit becomes full, the other pit is used and the contents of the first pit are left for 6 months after which can be harvested and used as fertilizer on crops, similar to manure. This has seen to be very successful in some communities but not in others often due to cultural or religious differences. We are also supervising the communities in trench digging and pipe laying for system expansion or the rehabilitation of some portions of the scheme that have historically not been performing well. We work with local bands to develop songs promoting hygiene and sanitation messages and then organize band performances in various beneficiary communities. We assist in the planting of trees around the system river catchments and help in disseminating environmental education to communities living near the source waters, to help combat soil erosion and other environmental degradation that is threatening the quality of the source water. We undertake household sanitation and hygiene surveys to identify the current sanitation and hygiene practices and assist in the development of our sanitation and hygiene education programs. We also assist the communities in providing technical or management assistance where required. All this, just to name a few! So it’s quite an exciting project with many facets. There are many challenges, both internally to the organization in terms of logistics, etc. as well as in working with the communities but perhaps I’ll leave those for another entry. Hopefully this gives you a better idea of what I’m working on day to day.

Getting settled in Machinga...

2007-09-15T02:57:00.003-07:00

I have been in Machinga, my new home, for just about a week now. It has definitely been a period of adjustment as I settle in but I think it will be great! I’ll start by introducing my new family! My hunt to find a family to adopt me has been successful and I am staying with the Katchifumbu family. Marriot, the father is a secondary school biology and agriculture teacher. Florence, the mother, although she is younger than I am, is a policewoman so all my stuff is sure to be super safe. No one’s going to mess with this house! They have a four year old son named Nixon who is cute but a typical 4 year old, often up to trouble, driving his tire around the yard, bugging other kids, etc. He hasn’t quite understood that I don’t understand Chichewa that well so every so often he’ll try to have a huge conversation with me. I’m slowly getting better with the Chichewa but it’s a very slow process. Florence and Marriot speak very good English so although I’m trying to learn on my own when I have time, I think I need to find a teacher and set up regular lessons.

We also live with Eliza and Catherine. Eliza is Florence’s “sister” or cousin really, who is nearing 20 years old and has a two year old daughter named Catherine. Eliza got pregnant in high school so dropped out and came to live with Florence and Marriot. Catherine is so cute your heart melts to look at her! She was not at all sure of me when I arrived but she’s warming up to me now and we play and hang out quite a bit. Florence is determined that Eliza will finish high school so in January she will start back to finish her last two years. The whole family has accepted me with open arms, bending over backwards to ensure I’m comfortable and happy.

The house is quite nice. When I moved in the electricity was not connected although electricity was available in town. My second night here I went to bathe, must’ve been gone for 5 minutes and when I came back, there was light! Policeman by day and moonlighting as an electrical engineer, the next door neighbour was able to connect the power to the house and over the next few days hook up lights in almost every room in the house. I’m not sure if it was done specifically for me but I imagine my presence here had a lot to do with it. The common feeling is that I must have all my creature comforts, which leaves me feeling badly and trying to convince them that I am fine and happy in my surroundings. Now that the power is on, Marriot went yesterday to go and buy a DVD player! My protests that I do not need these things seems to be falling on deaf ears which is frustrating.

Machinga is a very small town. It’s tough to guess the population but I’d say maybe between 500 and 1000. It is situated in quite a mountainous area so the scenery is beautiful and there are wonderful views to take in on my runs in the morning or my drive to site. Everyone is very friendly and eager to hear about what I’m doing here and how life is different in Canada. They seem quite amazed that I am able to eat nsima, the staple food and other traditional dishes although are also very excited when it’s my turn to cook and are able to try pasta and other new things. The food here is very high in carbohydrates, rice, bread, potatoes, cassava, etc. and they eat a lot! So it’s a constant battle to let them know that I’m full and can’t eat anymore. And for most of you who know me well… I can eat! A traditional meal is nsima which is made from maize flour and boiled into a sort of thick dough. It is prepared with vegetables, mostly tomatoes that make up a sort of sauce sometimes with other vegetables like onions, cabbage or greens, kind of like a kale, or sometimes even green beans or peas. Periodically, we will also have meat. Most often it is goat meat because it is the least expensive. My first meal here we had goat innards – kidney, liver, heart, lungs, stomach, etc. I was definitely very wary when I watched it being cut up but once cooked with sauce it wasn’t too bad. They also eat mice here. Not regularly but kind of as a snack every so often. I’m told they are yummy but I just can’t get up the nerve to try it. It’s the whole mouse… tail, head, fur, feet, teeth… you name it. I’m having trouble getting past the fur part… Cooking is all done on charcoal burners or over a small fire and therefore, takes considerable time. I’ve had some long days at work this week so haven’t been able to help out with preparing meals as much as I would like but have been tasked with preparing dinner for the family and some guests this evening so my skills will be put to the test.

Work has been a bit overwhelming as I felt like I kind of was getting the hang of things in Lilongwe, knowing the WaterAid staff and feeling like I had identified some areas where I could help out. I’m starting back at square one here, once again having to familiarize myself with my new home, work, different coworkers, different projects, etc. I’ve been able to get out to the field several times this week which has been great and am slowly starting to understand the two gravity systems here that we are working to rehabilitate. There are many frustrations, however. Communication and transport are forever difficult issues. We have one truck and one motorbike and getting out to the field to accomplish tasks, deliver materials, meet with committees, etc. is very difficult. Communication is also a challenge. Cell phones are the predominant communication method, but network coverage can be patchy and batteries don’t last as long and while most people here in town have phones, committee members we are meeting with in the villages do not so we have to drive out to deliver messages, set up meetings, etc. Often we arrive and people are not home, etc. so you can imagine the frustrations.

All and all though, I am happy to be here. There have been lonely times and overwhelming times but I think given a few more weeks I will be quite settled and happy. Sorry no photos in this one but the internet connection is really slow. I hope to add some next time I'm in Lilongwe. Hope that all is well with everyone at home. I’m sending big hugs!

My first Malawian Wedding!

2007-09-02T23:46:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday I was lucky enough to go to my first Malawian wedding! It was a lot of fun! In many ways it’s very similar to weddings back home, the bride’s in a big fancy dress, lots of friends and relatives (400 actually), LOTS of dancing and happy faces. I was going to a coworker’s house for dinner last Thursday and we stopped to pick up his wife at the wedding rehearsal. His wife was a “Lady in Waiting”, a woman asked to help in the wedding planning, preparation and coordination. When we arrived at the rehearsal the children and the rest of the bridal party were practicing their dance up the aisle. There were 6 children in the bridal party. Two are designated as the “mini bride and groom”. These two are dressed up similar to the main couple, complete with fancy white dress and all! Another two are like a mini bridesmaid and groomsman and finally there is a Page Boy and Petal Girl, who is similar to a flower girl, who throws flower petals as she goes down the aisle in front of the bride and groom. There were 2 bridesmaids and 2 groomsmen. As we waited on the sides watching the dance rehearsal we managed to finagle an invitation to the main event!

So the wedding reception was supposed to start at 1PM but like weddings back home, it was a little late… in this case about an hour late. But the wedding party made their grand entrance, followed by more relatives who followed behind the bride and groom, singing and ululating which was very cool to hear. Ululating is a sound that women make, it’s difficult to describe but it’s often heard during celebrations or big events. The reception hall was decorated nicely in peach and white, lots of balloons and ribbon. Once everyone was seated, the main event started and here’s where it’s very different from weddings at home. It seemed to me that the secondary goal of the event, beyond the celebration of the happy couple which was evident and very exciting, was to make as much money as possible. Various groups are invited up to “greet” the bride and groom, and by “greet” they mean donate money. It may be relatives, then people who have come to the reception with a spouse, then men who have come on their own, then coworkers of the bride’s father or friends of the groom or a free for all when everyone is invited. The role of the MC is to try to get as much money as possible for the couple. Sometimes the well wishers are invited to the stage and at others the bride or groom or both stand on the dance floor with a basket and people dance to the front and throw money into the basket or just on the floor. “Cashiers” are friends of the couple given the task of collecting the money from the basket or off the floor and counting it. Since you are expected to go up in any group that applies or whenever the feeling moves you so you can spend an awful lot of money! Cashiers are also available to change larger bills into smaller ones so that you can throw many smaller bills instead of huge ones! So everyone’s up dancing, there’s money everywhere, in the air, on the floor, and everyone is just having a great time! It was a lot of fun and the couple managed to collect the equivalent of about $2000 USD so that is used for their honeymoon (often a few days near the lake) and to start off their new life together! In between dances and “greetings”, there are speeches and snacks are handed out. The whole event lasted about 5 hours. Everyone was very friendly and eager to include me in the festivities and my coworkers 6 year old daughter, Chisomo, did a wonderful job of keeping me company and translating speeches to make sure I was in the loop! I've included a few pictures here but more are posted with other photos of mine at http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/heather.anderson76 if you are interested.

The Happy Couple

Mini Bride and Groom

Dancing up the aisle

I head for Machinga this afternoon. We have a WaterAid retreat for 3 days in Liwonde which is the town next to Machinga. I’m really excited about it as it is a sort of reflection meeting where we discuss the successes and failures of the last year, identify some lessons learned and plan for the year ahead. I’m not sure exactly what to expect but I think it’s pretty exciting that the organization does this and I think it has a lot of potential. During the evenings, I’ll be headed out to find a family to adopt me. James, my coworker used to live in Machinga and has identified about 5 families, who are friends of his that he thinks would make a good match. So we’re out to visit with them in the evenings so I can meet them and get better acquainted and hopefully I click with one of them and will ask them if they will take me in for the next few months. Then when the WaterAid gang heads back for Lilongwe, I’ll get moved in and start my life in Machinga which I’m really excited about! I’ll be sure to let you all know about my new adopted family and how I’m settling in!

Getting settled in...

2007-08-25T05:14:00.000-07:00

I have successfully completed my first full week of work and the first days have been really exciting! To give some context, I’ll start by describing a bit about my partner organization which is WaterAid Malawi. WaterAid is an international non governmental organization (NGO) working on creating improved health outcomes for people living in poverty through the provision of safe domestic water, sanitation and hygiene education. Based out of the UK, but working through country offices, WaterAid works with and through other local and community-based organizations and government departments in a capacity building, technical support and monitoring and evaluating role, helping them to design and implement various water, sanitation and hygiene programs that are appropriate for specific areas. This usually involves setting up low cost, sustainable projects using appropriate technology that can be managed by the community itself. They also work on a higher level seeking to influence the policies of the district and national level governments, to secure and protect the right of poor people to safe, affordable water and sanitation services.

Engineers Without Borders (EWB) has partnered with WaterAid in several other countries including Zambia and Burkina Faso. There are currently two volunteers with WaterAid Zambia and it is great to have them so close by so we can compare notes and help each other out. My role with WaterAid Malawi is as a Technical Support Officer. In that capacity, I will be undertaking several tasks and assisting with several of their projects. The first is a project to be undertaken in Machinga District that includes the rehabilitation of two gravity-fed water schemes. Malawi has over 80 gravity fed schemes in the country but many of them have fallen into disrepair. This particular project includes working with their local partner organization, responsible for the project implementation, and the local government, responsible for project planning and monitoring, to rehabilitate the two schemes, and where required, provide some technical support, assist in the development of a water quality monitoring program and the training of the community management committees. Other projects include further water quality monitoring in Salima District as well as conducting some research on the feasibility of rope pumps that have been used as an alternative technology to handpumps. They represent a lower cost alternative to the handpumps but further investigation is required to ensure they are maintained by the community and are providing water of adequate quality.

Over the past week and a half I have been lucky to get out in the field a few times. Last week I visited some peri-urban areas on the outskirts of Lilongwe. WaterAid is working with the Lilongwe Water Board to set up water kiosks, communal areas where people can go to purchase treated water, in low income urban settlements. It was quite an experience in many ways. It was difficult to see the conditions in which many of these people are living. Many of them get their water from open shallow dug wells. I looked down one of them and it was awful...garbage floating in it, a scum on the top and very murky. There's also several pools of standing water around where people dump their used water because there's no sanitary system. These areas attract mosquitoes and, therefore, malaria. In many cases, there is a tap quite nearby but many have been disconnected as the money that was being collected was not being remitted to the Water Board. The Water Board, with assistance from WaterAid, is working to liase with the community groups to ensure that adequate water is being provided and the kiosks are being properly managed such that the Board is being fairly compensated for the service it provides.

Earlier this week I went down to Machinga for several days to take part in a Water User’s Day in a village called Chilimani within one of the gravity-fed schemes. Geographically, Machinga is located very close to Zomba in the southern part of Malawi (check out the map of Malawi on the side and if your eyes are good, you should be able to pick out Zomba!). With members of the local implementing NGO, as well as extension agents from various district level ministries, we were up bright and early (we were at the tap at 5AM!) to collect data on the household water users at the tap and through various household surveys, to determine how much water is being used, what are their water handling and sanitation practices, what are the hygiene practices, and trying to assess if any groups are being excluded at all from access to the water point for economic or social reasons. We also collected several water samples for water quality testing and conducted a meeting with the tap committee to understand some of their concerns including the collection of user fees and areas for system extensions. It was great to be in the village again! It reminds me a lot of Uganda in many ways. It was also good to become a little more familiar with the project and to meet some of the people and start to identify ways in which I think I’ll be able to contribute. Below are a few pictures from my two days in Chilimani.

I hope all is well with everyone back home. Keep the emails coming as I can’t get enough of them!

Hugs, Heather

Biker Babe!

2007-08-14T02:03:00.000-07:00

So I’m officially a biker babe! Motorcycle lessons were awesome! We started off practicing in the back garden of the NGO where we were learning. There were 2 bikes and 4 of us so we had to take turns. We were puttering around the nice manicured gardens so slowly that it was like a pony ride at the fair! Hilarious! In the afternoon we ventured out and our instructor took us to a soccer field where we had a good audience of children who were amazed as we drove up with bikes on the back of the pickup and then proceeded to do circles around the field dodging kids, soccer balls and pylons. It was getting a bit precarious so after a few rounds we decided to call it quits for the day. The next day we went out again to another field and I can say that after all that practice I’m feeling pretty good on the old “hog” but we’ll see how I do out on the real roads once I get my license!

Around and around the garden...

Our audience...

After a bit of an epic journey, we have finally made it to Malawi! We arrived in Lilongwe Sunday night after a 12 hour trek that began on a bus at 6am. We were on the bus for 8 hours arriving at the border town in Zambia. It was gorgeous to watch the big red sun come up and then watch as the landscape went by, villages, small marketplaces selling little bananas, fish, vegetables and biscuits and vast areas of open space with Acacia and other trees that seem typically “African” to me. We then took a cab to the border and walked across with no problems. On the Malawi side we took another cab to Mchinji and that’s where it all started to go awry. The cab driver had packed our bags rather precariously in the trunk as they wouldn’t fit into the car because we already had the 3 of us and our day packs as well as 4 other people crammed into a car slightly smaller than my Civic. He had secured them in place with a rubber cord and we took off whipping down the potholed roads at about 100km/h or more. Normally we may have been a bit concerned about the bags but we had arrived at the Zambian border in a similar manner and all went well so no need to worry. When we arrived in Mchinji, however, we were one bag short. The other volunteer’s bag had somewhere flew out of the trunk. So in a flurry, I was left on the side of the road with the bags and she rushed back to find it. Luckily a nice man had it on his back and was struggling to ride his bike with it and get it back to us. It’s definitely got a bit of road rash but remarkably everything survived except for a plastic soap dish!

This morning I had my first meeting at work and it went pretty well so I'm excited! There about 10 people in the office and they are all very friendly. It sounds like I'll be in Lilongwe for about 2 weeks getting familiar with the people and the programs of the head office and then I'll be headed to Machinga which is in the south (close to one of the to game parks!) to work with one of their partner organizations for a few months and get familiar with some of the field realities. They have a couple gravity-fed systems as well as some sanitation and hygiene programs underway that I will hopefully be able to help out with.
So tomorrow will be my first official day of work at 7:30AM and I have about an hour walk so I'll be up early! I'm looking forward to getting started and learning more about what they do.

Hope everyone is well back home! Hugs!

We Made it...

2007-08-09T08:39:00.000-07:00

Hey gang,

We made it to Lusaka! It was a whirlwind trip but pretty uneventful so that was good. We've been here almost a week now and have been doing some more training and just getting more comfortable venturing out into the market and exploring some of the smaller towns around. We had one activity that was a bit of a scavenger hunt where we had to find a specific town and ask around to find several things, learn to dance and find out about Zambian pop culture. We tried to find the town twice unsuccessfully and finally decided we'd just do our scavenger hunt in the town we did find ourselves in. Nothing like making a scene as we convinced the market women to teach us to dance and then rounded out the adventure with a trip to the witchdoctor where we opted not to go through the "consultation"... just in case. It's been fun to explore around and I'm excited about how natural and comfortable I feel.

The next few days we have motorcycle training which I'm super psyched about! I'll try to get some photos and put them up on here when I get a chance. Then we are headed to Lilongwe on Sunday morning which is a 12-18 hour hike but I'm really looking forward to finally getting to Malawi and getting started on work. It's nerve-wrecking as well but I just want at it now.

Hope all is well. I send you big hugs!

Love, Heather

And so it begins...

2007-07-20T19:46:00.000-07:00

So here goes... my first attempt at blogging. Please stick with me through the bumps along the way as I figure all this out but it's pretty exciting to have this to communicate through - to try and get across to people back home what I've been up to but also I think it will be a great thing to look back on to track all of the events and the emotional roller coaster that I am sure will ensue over the next 13 months.

Today marks the end of the third week of training. It has been extremely thought-provoking as we have covered topics as philosophical as "What is Poverty?" down to the more practical skills of facilitation and leadership. It's pretty exciting that it is now my job to learn about development, something that I've always been interested in but never able to pursue in such a concentrated way. I'm being pushed constantly to think about new issues in new ways. The rest of the overseas volunteers (OVs), there are 9 of us in total, amaze me with their insights and self-awareness. Despite the awkwardness of the first week or so, we have managed to create a great environment... could be something to do with the squeezed living space and one bathroom, but that's just speculation. It appears the politeness is wearing off as the cracks about my age have just begun but I suppose that's to be expected. It's going to be hard to keep up with these "kids"!

I leave for Malawi in just under 2 weeks. We have an epic journey ahead that has 4 of us leaving on August 1st and arriving 2 days later. We fly through Amsterdam, Nairobi (Kenya), and Harare (Zimbabwe) to Lusaka (Zambia) where we'll be for a few more days of training before 2 of us head on a bus to Malawi. I am excited but nervous as well. I go through phases of being totally overwhelmed to feeling confident and content but I suppose, or at least I hope, that's to be expected. I got a draft of my job description today for WaterAid, the partner organization that I will be working for. Right now it seems quite overwhelming but I have to remind myself that I have double the time that I did in Uganda to get done what I have to accomplish. While it seems scary, it definitely presents a challenge that I am excited to undertake. I think this whole experience is going to test my ability to rely on myself alone, for everything from my emotional sanity (which many of you know has been known to falter and crumble at times) to my daily needs such as food and shelter. While it's nerve-wrecking, there's also something fundamental and exciting about it... and I know I'll grow incredibly in the process.

I think that's about it for my first attempt. I'm going to leave you with a picture from our camping trip a few weeks ago with some of the returned interns. It was great to get a chance to pick their brains on their experiences so we have a better idea of what lies ahead.

Big hugs,

Heather