In the Jungle

The villages that Go! Malawi works with are situated at the base of a large mountain that is covered in lush jungle.  Although it is not being destroyed at the same rate as in other areas, some people still want to conserve the area.  The trees and other resources are often sought out for fire wood or tom make other things and there is a general idea that the jungle is merely a resource.  One of the things Go! Malawi wants to do it to work with people to create the idea that, in addition to sustainable harvesting and use, the jungle is a place worth conserving merely because of its natural significance.  One of the ways they are doing this is by working with a program called Project NOAH.  This is a website that allows anyone with an internet connection to post pictures on the site.  Then, scientists can identify plants and animals and others can share in the earth’s beauty.  Because there was not really internet on site, they wanted to use this idea, but modify it so it would work for the area.  Mike and I brought kids (whoever wanted to come) into the jungle almost everyday.  When we got in far enough, we would give kids cameras to share and essentially let them lose.  They could take pictures of anything they wanted with the idea that they were witnessing the beauty of the jungle in a fun way.  We would do english/chichewa vocabulary tests while we were walking of different things we would see.  At the end of the day, we would all go through the pictures and pick the top 2 or 3.  These would then get saved and once internet was available posted to the Project NOAH website.

This program was still in its beginning stages.  There was still a lot that needed to be worked out in terms of how to make it sustainable and how can environmental education be incorporated more.  We talked about getting or creating a guide book so plants and animals that kids saw could be identified and specific names other than “bird” or “flower” could be given.  I loved doing this program.  Not only did I get to walk in a jungle and see a beautiful environment, but it was amazing to see some of the pictures the kids took.  They would see things before we saw them and some of the them were gifted photographers, although they had never really used a camera before.  It was also fun to be in the beginning stages of a program, to see how it was working and to figure out how it could be better and more effective.

(Taken by a kid)

(Taken by a kid)

Check out the crazy beetle!!  One of the kids took this photo!

Our kiddos!  We mostly had boys come with us because the girls were often helping their mothers with chores and could not be away from the house for that long.

This spider was about 5 inches from tip to tip.  The kids liked getting super close to it and we had to tell them not to touch it.  One of the kids took this photo.

The angle of this photo is really neat.  One of the kids took this photo.

I love this photo - the contrast between the ground, the foot and the red leaf.  One of the kids took this photo too.

There was a fair amount of silliness while we were walking.

When we were done, we would go to "sunset rock" and check out the photos and then watch the sunset before we all walked home.

My feet after a day in the jungle!!

A good ol’ cup of joe

Go! Malawi has been working with local farmers to help build the coffee industry in the area.  They have worked with farmers to help supply them with plants and other necessary equipment.  One of the jobs that Mike and I were given was to go around to all of the farmers who have Go! Malawi coffee plants and to assess how they are doing.  We walked far and wide to get to these farmers.  When we got to the farm, we would ask questions (with the help of Griffin or another local leader who was helping us) about how old the plants were, how many there were, how often they were watered, if they had any seedlings, etc.  Before Mike and I left, we compiled all our information into a spreadsheet that could be used to work with farmers that may be struggling.

I had a great time doing this.  I loved being able to see more of the area and to meet local people.  We always had kids following us and it was fun to play with them, despite our language barrier.  It was interesting to see the farms and how different they were from the farms I saw in South Africa as well as the farms in the US.  They were much smaller (compared to the US) and all of them were built on hills.  Water was a huge issue for many of the farmers because water taps were often located far away and it was impossible for them to carry enough water for all their plants.

In addition to doing this research, we got to sit in on a meeting about expanding the Mzuzu (Malawi’s coffee co-op) into the Ntchisi area.  It was interesting to be a part of this, but all the politics around building and water supply, etc. seemed a little questionable to me.  But I also don't know the whole story or really anything about the politics in Malawi, so this observation could be entirely wrong.

We also got to attend a farming class being offered to members of the Mzuzu coffee co-op.  During my two experiences with Mzuzu coffee, and after asking Bill and Janet some questions, I came to understand that it cost a lot of money in order to join the co-op and enjoy the benefits of being a member.  Because many farmers could not afford to join, they did not get the benefits even though thy may be the ones that need them the most.  The class itself, however, was very fun to watch.  The process of planting a seedling was quite extensive and included digging deep enough holes, adding ash and manure to the dirt , planting and covering with straw and 3L of water.  Every once and a while you need to had chicken poop to the water to help the nitrogen levels in the soil, other wise the leaves will turn yellow - something we had seen in many of our previous outings.  The women did most (nearly all) the work.  They dug holes, carried water and planted the seedlings, etc.  You name it, they did it.

Agriculture is backbone of societies such as the one we were in and it was wonderful to learn more about it.  I have only ever worked in a small garden and it was interesting to learn more about larger scale production as well as some of the politics surrounding the coffee industry.  I have tons of pictures of the plants because we also included them in our spreadsheet.  But I won't make you suffer through all of them.  Here are the highlights!!

Avocado tree

Healthy coffee plants.  I had no idea what a coffee plant looked like before I came here.  I found out that the berries turn red when they are ripe and ready to be picked.  Then, they must be split open and the green coffee bean was inside and covered in a slimy substance.  I tried eating a raw bean and it was actually very sweet.

Griffin in the front and a local leader with her baby.

Dead seedlings.

This is what most of the larger farms looked like.

Some of the kids who followed us.

Our group inspecting one of the farms.  (I'm in the white...)

A not so healthy coffee plant.  Notice the yellow leaves - lack of nitrogen.

ChicheWHAT?

On the first few days Mike, who had been to Malawi the previous summer, took me around to the villages in the surrounding area.  We met some of the local people and lots of kids.  We also took some language lessons.  Chichewa is the language that is spoken in the area.  It was pretty hard.  Some of the sounds were really hard to make and I had a terrible time trying to remember everything.  I would often try and say a word to one of the kids, but it would be wrong or totally mispronounced and they would laugh at me...and then give me the right word.  By the end of my time there, I knew enough to point to nouns and say then in Chichewa, introduce myself and formally greet people.

Here are some words and phrases:

How are you? --- Muli bwanji?

Mwadzuka bwanji? --- Good Morning?  (Translates to "how did you sleep?")

I am fine. --- Ndiri bwino.

Thank you (very much) --- Zikomo kwambiri

I'm sorry --- Pepani

See you later --- Tionana

tired --- datopa

bicycle --- njinga

car --- galimoto

dog --- galu

tree --- mtengo

to eat --- kudya

to read--- kuwerenga

to laugh --- kuseka

white person --- Mzungu (We heard this all the time.  Kids would run after us shouting mzungu, mzungu!)

water --- madzi

butterfly --- gulugufe

cow --- ng'ombe

flower --- Maluwa

take a picture --- Jambula

stop, enough, done... --- bas

Off to new places...

A few years ago, I learned about a woman (Janet) who's father used to know my mom, who started an organization in Malawi.  Initially they worked with orphans, but have since moved to a new location in Malawi and work with local farmers, the school an a variety of other things.  When I decided to study in South Africa, I realized that it would be a perfect opportunity to volunteer with this organization and see what working in a developing country would be like.  Over the past few years, I realized that working abroad in developing countries is potentially something that I see myself doing and by volunteering with Go! Malawi, I would be able to have some experience and see if it is something that I want to pursue.

So, on July 9th (my birthday), I left my parents and hopped on a plane in Cape Town and made it to Lilongwe, the capital city of Malawi.  After waiting for a little while outside the airport, I was met by Bill (Janet’s husband), the Malawian director of the Go! Malawi (I can’t remember his name), Mike (a volunteers who goes to Bates College), and Jenni (the young girl who Bill and Janet are adopting from Malawi).  After putting my stuff in the car, we drove for a little while, stopped for gas and some food in a small restaurant and then made our way to the M'Pamila Village in the Ntchisi District.  This located in the middle of the country, but on the east side, near the huge lake (Lake Malawi) which is on Malawi’s eastern border.  It was an incredibly overwhelming car ride.  Everything was so different than what I had experienced.  The only way I can explain it in words (the pictures will do a better job) is that what I was seeing seemed to be more of the Africa I picture in my mind when I think of developing countries or the stereotypical image that gets portrayed.

When I had signed up for the volunteering, I had no idea what kind of stuff I would be doing on a daily basis.  I knew that the organization worked with farmers and coffee production and was involved in the school, but I wasn’t sure of the specifics.  The way I’m going to organize my experiences in Malawi is by type.  I did some of the same things everyday, so it would get a little repetitive.  Although I loved my time in South Africa and Namibia and I wouldn’t trade it for anything, Malawi was definitely a highlight of my time in Africa.  I learned so much about a beautiful people and country and was the most out of my comfort zone, but also very comfortable.  Thanks to my time with Go! Malawi, I came to realize that working in a developing country was not only something I was capable of, but also something that I wanted to pursue.

Enjoy!!

These are some pictures of the site I'm staying at.  We were way up in the mountains and you could see the lake off in the distance.  It was beautiful!!

More Photos

Drakensberg Mountains

Packing our Car

Kwazulu Natal

Indian Ocean

One last R3 ice cream cone from McDonald's.

Making sure I had clean laundry before I left for Malawi - meant I had do wash everything in a sink in our hotel room.

King of Pride Rock

We spent a day in Kruger National Park, which is South Africa's most famous park for safaris.  We also drove through a private game reserve, which was essentially the same as Kruger, just smaller.  Here are the animals we saw!

Red Hartebeest

The mighty lion.  I finally got to see some cats!!!!  In the smaller park we visited, the lions were in their own separate area, so it wasn't exactly the same as seeing them in the "wild" but it was cool to see them.  They are beautiful animals, and to be within almost spitting distance of them, it was amazing.

Saddle-Billed Stork

Kudu

We love Africa!!

Family selfie!

On our night safari, we saw a leopard.  We thought that it was going to hunt some of the near Springbok, but our waiting was in vain.

Water buffalo.